FIRST FOREVER
When Leigh Barrand was looking to buy his first car, back in 1965, he just wanted a runabout. At the time, the Mini had been in production for six years and the Cooper models had been launched in September 1961, offering better performance from a 55bhp 997cc A-series engine fuelled by twin carburettors. However, when the UK Cooper S arrived on the scene, in 1963, it underlined the high-performance capabilities of Mini and stole the limelight from the lower-powered Cooper. When Leigh bought this 1962 Cooper, there were already a number of faster alternatives, including the 970, 1071 and 1275 Cooper S, which produced 65, 70 and 76bhp respectively. The entry-level Cooper received an extensively reengineered 998cc A-series engine from the beginning of 1964, so Leigh’s 997cc Cooper was no longer the flagship Mini.
He remembers spotting it for sale in a newspaper advertisement placed by a local garage. It came with a warranty, which was needed when the clutch started slipping. This was a
