Graeme Urch celebrates major milestone for Mini with 1967 Cooper S
When Graeme Urch bought his Mini Cooper in 1971, it was simply his “daily drive”. Little did the Mt Martha man know, the tiny car would come to be his oldest and most prized possession — and worth a whopping $350k.
South East
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Tucked away in a Mt Martha garage is a priceless piece of rally car history.
Those in the game know it as the LRX 828E Works Cooper S Mini and it’s believed to be worth about $350,000.
But when Graeme Urch bought the car in 1971 it was simply his “daily drive” and a replacement for his “more valuable” rally vehicle the Mk1 Cooper S.
“I knew it had a history when I bought it,” he said.
“But I never dreamt I’d still own it nearly 50 years later, or how valuable it would be.”
The car was one of four registered in March 1967 having been built by the BMC Competitive Department at Abingdon UK to contest for the European Rally Championship.
It was later sold to BMC Australia to take part in the 1967 Southern Cross International Rally.
Despite being driven in that event by UK works BMC star driver Paddy Hopkirk it wasn’t a good outing.
A gear box failure 700m into the race left Hopkirk with only top gear.
Southern Cross Rally BMC works driver Tony Fall (UK) had more luck in the Total Australia 500 Rally, winning the event with local navigator Steve Halloran. It was the first rally victory in Australia by an international driver.
Further success followed for the LRX with BMC Australia’s Evan Green driving to many victories in State and national championship events.
He finished second in the 1968 Australian Rally championship and later that year Colin Bon stook the wheel to secure First Outright on the 1968 KLG 300 Rally.
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Mr Urch bought the car four years later from Ballarat motor trader Merv Collins.
“He was a big man. I think he struggled with the compact nature of the car,” he said.
“I’m not tall so it fits me to a T.”
Mr Urch drove the car in club rallies for eight years before deciding it was too “historically significant” for the road.
“I still show it. And I can drive it on regular roads, but I don’t do that a lot.
“Probably the biggest and best show I take it to is the Motorclassica in Melbourne each October.”
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Mini.