BUYING GUIDE
MINI CLUBMAN & 1275 GT (1969-1980)
An updated face brought the Mini into the 1970s. Long under-appreciated it’s time for the Clubman and 1275GT to shine – here’s what to look for…
With lines from the pen of Ford designer Roy Haynes – squint and you might see a bit of Cortina MkII in it – the Mini lubman saw the popular car re-drawn nder British Leyland ownership. It was oised to replace the Wolseley Hornet nd Riley Elf and its new design blended ell into the BL range at the time, ffering a consolidated look between the ini and Maxi. Power came from the tandard Mini engines at the time – the ase 998cc A-series or the GT’s bigger, eppier 1275cc unit. A 1975 refresh saw he 1098cc engine take the place of the maller engine in the range.
Early Clubmans were delivered on ross-ply tyres, despite most new cars ommonly being delivered with radials y 1970. Radials were standard kit by 973 although cross-ply tyres could till be specified by special order, giving ritish buyers a price saving of £8 (or 82.80 in modern money).
More than 580,000 Clubmans and GTs ere produced across the body styles saloon and estate), but bear in mind that 29,000 were produced across the three ears of the MkII. Interest in the Mini, as ell as its relevance, was starting to wane hen the Clubman was unveiled, its sales gures no doubt impacted by the round-ronted Mini still selling alongside it as ower-priced options in the Mini range.
The regular faced Cooper S was ropped in 1971 leaving the 1275 GT s the top-spec performance ption. It wasn’t as fast but heaper to buy, run and nsure, making it amore ppealing prospect
nthe market. It as also the first ini to be equipped ith a tachometer nd featured a tandard-fit close-ratio earbox. Early release ars had ten-inch Rostyle heels covering the 7.5inch ooper S-type disc brakes, too. hat famously bluff front hampered top peeds, though, leaving the GT unable to each 90mph.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
It’s always worth checking the discs and brakes on any car – they’re easy enough to maintain and repair. Leaking brake lines will fail an MoT – floppy pedal feel will confirm any issues within the system. A road test will reveal any binding or pulling, too. Steering should be sharp and active so slop in the system points to worn racks and joints. A wheel that moves up and down can mean that the column bushes are worn. An original three-spoke wheel can cost a fair amount if you’re going for originality; most were replaced for smaller sportier items. Original tyres are no longer available but a set of Dunlops will do the trick.
We’d recommend having a good poke about underneath a prospective purchase – on a ramp ideally. Sill rot, as mentioned, can spread fast and restoration work quickly becomes involved. Floor panels can deteriorate quic
