Back in the 1960s, if you were a rally icon, there’s a good chance you were driving one of Britain’s great sports car legends, the Mini Cooper S.
By 1963, under the guidance of John Cooper, the engineers at Mini’s BMC competition knew what they were doing, and in 1964 the humble Mini won the Monte Carlo rally outright, then again in 1965 and 1967, against the likes of Ford V8s, Mercedes, Saab and Volvo. How this little cabbie with meagre output managed pull that off is a storied tale.
The front-wheel drive layout of the Cooper S, with minimal weight, specially cast engine block, nitride steel crankshaft and rugged durability, the car entered the halls of instant fame that has endured up to today. Nowadays, collectors the world over seek what became known as the Giant Killer.
That’s where the Meyer family comes in. Farouk Meyer, well-known in Cape racing circles, has over the decades earned a reputation as the go-to guy for the Cooper S.
Along with his son Faheem, they restore Minis for clients the world over, completing jobs to a degree of perfection that naturally spreads the word to this niche group of collectors.
Farouk, a veritable encyclopedia of all things Mini, tells the story of how when Leyland closed its doors in the 1980s, that he managed to buy 18 Cooper S motors with the parts books, which along with the fact that as a young man he had learned from a British racing mechanic, positioned him to be the SA expert on the car. He says: “Ron Mead taught me how to work clean, in a white coat, and how to be thorough.”
Just talking to Farouk and you begin to understand the passion and knowledge this man has for the Cooper S, as he tells his stories.
He says: “There was this time on the highway, where some V6 club on a run flashed me, gave me that look like ‘what are you doing in the fast lane’. Well, by the time we reached Hospital Bend I passed the last one, they were shocked.”
And with only 600 cars in the country, and the legendary status, these high-revving (think over 8000rpm) cars fetch a collector’s price starting at well over half a bar for a yet-to-be restored car.
This particular super rare 1964 fire engine red Cooper S has recently been restored for a Durban client. The Meyers start off by completely disassembling the car, taking the engine and suspension out and contracting out the rust removal and body work, as well as the electrics and interior upholstery, which leaves them to concentrate on the engine and gearbox.
Farouk explains the technical consideration that goes into bringing an engine up to optimal condition, through balancing, crankshaft hardening, overhauling carburetors, porting heads and more.
Faheem says: “Many people buy a Mini thinking ‘well, it’s a small car so the parts should be inexpensive’. They’re not quite right, as we have to import most of our parts.”
Faheem is continuing the family tradition and is currently building a Mini with his son Thaqib, 19, for rallying. Last time we saw Thaqib in these pages it was in 2017, and he was celebrating his 13th birthday doing what he loved the most, that is karting. Three generations of die-hard Mini Cooper S fans, that’s the way the Meyers roll.