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Kiwi-built Mini dominates land-speed records

18 August, 2016

 

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“When Kiwis travel abroad to do battle, it’s a big deal, and a long way. So you may as well make the trip worthwhile, right?”

After making the decision to contest Bonneville Speed Week in Utah, the Project ’64 Mini Cooper team, based in the South Island of New Zealand, had been working extremely hard to get the Mini ready for battle. Now they’re there, though, they’ve already claimed two new land-speed records in separate classes in their 52-year old Mini Cooper. 

The first record claimed was done during a tuning session for the I/BGALT class. Their speed during the session was 144.033mph (231.799kph), miles ahead of the previous standing 133.896mph (215.485kph) record. This class only runs a standard petrol mix, so when the team decided to switch to methanol, they had to move to the I/BFALT class. 

With the switch to methanol made, the team yet again broke another record during a tuning run. The previous record was a 140.458mph (226.045kph) run, but the team beat this with a speed of 158.039mph (254.339kph). Unfortunately, an issue with a hose prevented them from backing it up, however, once the problem was repaired the team qualified with an impressive 153.710mph (247.372kph). Having to back up that run, the team went out the next morning and claimed an even more impressive 156.006mph (251.067kph). Might we remind you that this was done in an old Mini Cooper?

With a hunger for more records, the team will be switching classes yet again, so we’ll keep you updated on their progress as it comes through. 

A second dose of Dash

24 April, 2025

When the car arrived in Wellington in December 2018 it was duly taken along for entry certification. Vehicle Inspection NZ (VINZ) found some wrongly wired lamps and switches — not too bad — but, much more significantly, some poor welding repairs. As the structural problems were probed more thoroughly, we realized the previous owner’s restoration would not do and we needed an upgrade. Dash had made it into the country but it would take some time and money before he would be free to explore any of New Zealand’s scenic highways.
We took the car to our new home in Johnsonville in the northern suburbs of Wellington and I pored over the car in detail to figure out what was next. There were lots of new parts on the car and a very perky reconditioned drivetrain but the chassis needed serious work.

Lunch with… Jim Palmer

16 April, 2025

In the 1960s, Hamilton’s Jim Palmer won the prestigious ‘Gold Star’ four times and was the first resident New Zealander home in the New Zealand Grand Prix on five consecutive occasions. He shared the podium with Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Denny Hulme, Jackie Stewart, and Chris Amon. The extent of his domination of the open-wheeler scene in New Zealand will probably never be matched or exceeded. Yet he’s always been modest about his achievements.