Press Launch Photo.

Signed by A. Issigonis.

A Nice picture of the man and his machine. This is an original 1959 press photo that I was lucky enough to get autographed by Mr. Issigonis during Mini 25 at Donnington Park.

Issigonis Signed Postcard .

A very rare Issigonis signed item.

A personal photo / postcard from Issigonis, signed to the front.

“To Ralph from Alec, doing some “dicing” with Timo Makinen at our exhibition (as a passenger !)”.

Consolidated technical data.

For a collection of these very rare publications click on the link to the left.

Immediately before the press launch the Consolidated technical data would be published.  This was a comprehensive review of the new vehicle & only a few hundred would ever be published.

You won’t find publications like this anywhere but MK1 Performance Conversions.co.uk.

The Complete 1959 Salesmans guide for the Austin Se7en.

Download a high quality PDF of the entire publication.

When the Austin Se7en was launched in 1959, sales guides were issued to all BMC sales people. Reproduced here is a copy of the complete guide. It comprises of over 40 sides and makes excellent reading.

The New Austin Seven.

The very first price list produced for the Austin Seven.

For more info on pricing, please cleck out this link

PRODUCT PRICING

The Incredible Austin Se7en.

This is without a doubt one of the best promotional brochures ever produced for the

Mini.

Published as part of the major re launch in Spring 1961 this brochure contains some of

the nicest images ever produced in Mini publicith material. You can

tell it is before the advent of the Cooper or any sporting success as

all the images are distinctly "pastoral" in outlook.

Click on the image opposite for a full PDF copy of this great brochure.

Austin & Morris "850" Press Launch Pack.

The complete US launch pack.

In April 1960 the US Importer of BMC cars announced the introduction of a brand new model.

I have reproduced the entire launch pack presented to members of the press and potential retailers. This is an incredibly rare item, being the only one I have ever seen or for that matter heard of.

Click on the image to the left to see the entire pack, I hope you like it.

The Leading Six

A promotional booklet produced for the re launch of the Mini in 1960.

Contrary to popular belief the Mini was by no means a roaring success when it first came out. Most of the motoring journalists of the day raved about it but the public were resistant to the new model to say the least. In early 1960 BMC had a relaunch of the Mini and this booklet was produced as part of the sales drive. It compared the Mini to 5 other leading small cars of the day, and demonstrated (unsurprisingly) that the Mini was way better than the opposition in many areas.

BMCAmerica Press Release Regarding the 997 Cooper & Cooper 'S'.

Confidential Until Tuesday, 22nd September 1963.

This is a copy of the press release issued by BMC's agents in North America. You will notice that both the 997 Cooper & Cooper 'S' were released virtually simultaneously.

Original Austin Press Release for the 1071cc Mini Cooper 'S'

Confidential Until Tuesday, 29th March 1963.

This is a copy of the original press release produced when the 1071cc Mini Cooper 'S' was unveiled to the worlds press and public. From the outset it is obvious that BMC were planning on manufacturing a "Real" competition vehicle, Paragraph four makes this very clear. You have been warned!

1071cc Mini Cooper 'S' Preliminary Specification.

Confidential Until Tuesday, 2nd April 1963.

This is a copy of the full specification for the 1071cc Mini Cooper 'S' that was supplied with the Press Release above.

1071cc Mini Cooper S Handbook Suppliment.

Introduced with the original 'S' in 1963.

This is the very first supplement that covered the legendary Mini Cooper 'S'. Needless to say it only covers the 1071 variant, as the others were not even a twinkle in the eye yet!

The First Homologation Memo .

Internal BMC Document (dated 8th Jan. 1963).

This is a copy of a Memo circulated within BMC concerning the Homologation of the New Mini Cooper 'S'. Among those this Memo was sent to was, John Thornley, the Manager of the MG Car Co. & a certain Mr A. Issigonis. This is probably the very first time that the Words Mini Cooper 'S' & competition were mentioned in the same sentence. A truly rare find!

The Dawn of a new era Oct. 1969.

In October 1969 a new breed of Mini was announced. It was to be more luxourious, better equiped and above all have new fangled Modern wind up windows. BL seemed to be very proud of their upgrading of the Mini range. I wonder if they realised then that the "Golden Days" were already over?

Thanks to Andy B for the copy.

The Fateful Press Release 1970.

This is a copy of the press release that no one ever wanted to read! On the 25th of August 1970 it was announced that British Leyland had decided to close the most successful Wrks Competitions Department of the 1950's, & 60's. CXlick on the accompanying links to read their weasel words.

Thanks to Richard Charity for this copy of a very sad document.

BMC / Innocenti anounce a manufacturing deal.

In 1959 BMC and the well know scooter manufacturer announced a plan for Innocenti to manufacture BMC vehicles under license. Who could have guessed just how well this particular arrangement was going to work. I bet BMC never expected the Italians to improve on their new BMC baby!

BMC Service Memo (M / 619).

BMC regularly published "Confidential" service memoranda, these were circulated throughout the BMC dealer network and were all the recommended fixes for problems that arose with their vehicles. M / 619 was the very first one to mentionthe Mini-minor / Austin se7en by name, although this one is not exactly "earth shattering it was issued less than 2 weeks after the launch of this new model. I will be posting further issues in the future. (there are over 500 to go at from 1959 up to 1970!)

I'm Complaining o the boss.

Somehow I doubt you would get a personally signed letter from the chairman of Ford or General motors nowadays. Well in 1970, you could get one from Lord Stokes!

Ian Dunlop's "Drive in comfort"

An Austin English Lesson.

The phrase "Patronising beyond belief" springs to mind when you hear this BMC classic! Originally circulated by BMC Sweden, this 7" single promotes the "Ideals of Englishness" and the Benefits of the current Range of Austin Motor vehicles in one not too easy to swallow lump. If you click on the image to the left you can download a high quality MP3 of this classic advertising record as well as decent quality images of the cover. Add this to your CD collection and amaze your friends with just how stuck up Brits can be! Don't miss out on this absolute CLASSIC :-)

BMC Service Memoranda.

Throughout the production of the Mini, BMC produced regular service memoranda which detailed faults and fixes for problems that cropped up on all their models.

Click on the image to the left for an archive of these interesting documents.

Assembly at Cowley.

A very interesting & informative booklet written about the new facilities introduced to the Cowley plant in 1959. Click on the image to the left for a PDF of the full brochure.

When British Industry Was Still Worth Shouting About.

In 1966 the British government had already realised that UK industry was begining to fall behind it's more flexible, less expensive foreign competition so it decided to stage a marketing campaign.

As part of this campaign a set of stamps were issued depicting "British Technology". Various aspects of cutting edge british technology were depicted as follows the 4d stamp depicted Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope, the 6d stamp British Motor-cars, the 1s 3d the SR N6 Hovercraft & the 1s 6d the Windscale nuclear Reactor.

Needless to say the one of interest to us was the 6 penny stamp depicting an E-type Jaguar, a Mini, an 1100 and something else I can't quite make out.

A collectors first day cover was also issued with a very nice Mini / BMC rosette design on the front.

Click on the images opposite for a better look at both the cover & the very rare letter that went out with it. Thanks again to Simon Wheatcroft for sending me the images.

The British Motor Corporation Ltd.

This brief history of The British Motor Corporation Lt. ius based on an address originally given to The Society of Investment Analysts and makes a fascinating insight into the structure of what was at that time one of the most successful companies in the UK. Oh how the mighty fell!

Press Release from 1966 Regarding exports to France.

An interesting & quite detailed Press release regarding BMC's export of cars to France. Not surprisingly the best selling model is the Mini. Lots & facts & figures to get your teeth into.

BMC Internal Telex To Raymond Baxter.

For a period in the mid 1960's Raymond Baxter the broadcaster & one time Spitfire pilot was head of publicity at BMC.

This is a rather dry internal telex detailing changes he was to make to a speech made

by Mr. J.W. Bache BMC's main agent in France.

Interesting to note that at that time BMC were selling 8% of all cars sold in France.

BMC Formula Junior Parts List AKD 3060 .

A full parts list covering the Coopper / BMC Formula Junior racers. I would like to thank Baz Broomhall in Aus for taking the time to scan & send me this very interesting & useful document. Thanks Barry.

BMC in Australia.

A comprehensive guide to the BMC operation in Australia. This brochure dates from the late 50's so sadly there are no Mini's in it, but it does give the most detailed account I have read of the setting up of the Victoria Park Plant in Sydney as well as the support operation throughout the country.

Keeping Our Names Bright.

This is an absolutely fantastic publication. Published in 1961 it is an extensive list of Morris / MG promotional items, from signs & posters through to desk lighters & complimentary combs & dusters.

A brilliant insight into BMC at the height of their success.

Austin Advertising Aids.

A far more conservative version of the above publication, this time exclusively for Austin Advertising.

Assembly at Cowley.

This brochure was given to members of the public who went on the factory tour of Cowley in the mid 1960's. It takes you through most areas of the plant & makes a really valuable insight into the second largest BMC plant in the UK at the height of its power.

Forward With BMC.

This is a very very rare publication, its the complete guide to how to set up & organise your own BMC franchise. Giving details of everything from the design & layout of your new dealership, through how the trade counter & parts department should be designed to the type of font & paint that should be used to decorate your premises.

This is a superb glimpse into the world of BMC!

Looking at the images from 1959 it's hard to believe how little these design principals have altered in 50 years.

BMC Service & Technique Bulletins (1961 - 1967).

As a BMC franchise you were not only expected to keep your showroom & premises to an acceptable standard, you were also expected to purchase approved equipment & use BMC approved techniques.

This is a very large, 400 page + document covering the years 1961 - 1967 and gives details of masses of tools & special equipment ranging from Steam cleaners, invoice pads & hydraulic jacking systems to Coffee machines & timing mirrors. While not eaxctly Mini or A series based this document is one of the very best insights into BMC & the way the company operated.

BMC Britains Biggest Motor Concern.

          (1960)

This is a comparitivley lavishly produced corporate brochure produced by BMC in 1960. It covers many different aspects of BMC and goes into it's corporate structure to some extent.

Fascinating reading for anyone interested in how BMC actually worked during the 1960's & as an extra bonus there are some brilliant photos & illustrations.

BMC Share Certificate. (1959)

At one time it must have been a wise investment to buy shares in BMC, particularly in 1959, just as the Mini was about to be launched. Now its fairly safe to say that this certificate isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

BMC Cowley Tool Check Token.

How did the managers of all those BMC factories prevent their "highly skilled" employees from stealing all those precious service tools? I'll tell you how. Every time an employee requisitioned a tool from the tool store he would have to give a token like the one pictured here, when the tool was returned he got his tag back. This way the whereabouts of all the tools could be traced. It may have worked, but I suspect that they would have just stolen the tokens too. I wonder where this one came from?

Morris Mini-Minor Sales mans Guide. (June 1959)

A very early copy of the sales mans guide produced so all sales staff had info at their fingertips. Produced in June 1959 they don't get any earlier than this one.

Morris Promotional Postcard.

A very early copy of one of the range of promotional postcards produced for the entire range of Minis. This one dates from 1959.

Sales mans Guide for the New Super & Cooper Models.

Not dated but must be 1961 as the Super model was gone in no more than a year.  

BMC Booklet Entitled "Preparation of vehicles in open parks".

This is quite an interesting publication detailing the precautions that should be taken when storing vehicles outside. Although iut doesn't explicitly say so, I assume this is relating to unsold "Stock" vehicles held by dealers & distributors. Thanks to Doug Jenkins for this unusual publication.

Mini-Minor 850 - 12 Months of Achievements.

There are a number of different versions of this small, but interesting publication. The contents are all the same, but they are branded as "Austin Seven", "Morris Mini Minor" or as in this case "Mini-Minor 850" Which suggests that this version was destined for an English speaking export market.

Fastener Decode Booklet.

A comprehensive listing & description of all fasteners used across the BMC range in the mid 1960's. Essential information for that 100 point restoration.

Schedule of Repair Times Cooper. (AKD3116,  Sept 1961)

A comprehensive list of repair times for the Cooper models.

Schedule of repair times (1965).

How long should a job take?

Use this useful booklet to test yourself against the BMC professionals.

Thank you to Mark Parratt for this very interesting PDF.

BMC Film Library (1967).

A flier containing details of a whole range of different promotional films produced by BMC to promote their range of vehicles.  Some of which are well known to enthusiasts, “Wizardry on Wheels” or “The incredible Seven” for example.  However there are other films like “Irish Holiday” & “Friendly Land” which I doubt have seen the light of day for many a long year.

To see a couple of examples of these films, click the links below

The Incredible Seven

Wizardry On Wheels        

BMC Competition Catalogue.

This is NOT strictly a BMC Comps Department publication as it was issued by "British  Motor Car Distributors Ltd. in the States. It is however a very interesting glimpse into the competition equipment supplied via BMC in the early 1960's.

Thanks to Martin Ingall for this very interesting copy.

“What Fuel Should I Use”.

An interesting single page document detailing what type of fuel should be used with the entire range of BMC cars.

Oh, if we could only still have a choice of 94, 96, 97 & 99 Octane fuel.

12 G 295 Technical Blueprint.

Click on the image to the left to have a look at the main technical drawing of the 12 G 295 998 Cooper Cylinder Head.  This drawing is incredibly detailed & gives all details of every design revision from Jan 1963 to July 75 when the drawing became obsolete.  This is an INCREDIBLY RARE find!

BLMC Full Company Audit & Report 1969.

Common knowledge would have you believe that by the end of the 1960’s BLMC were on their uppers looking bankruptcy square in the face.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

In 1969, the outlook for the new BLMC was very rosy indeed & they were looking forward to the 70’s.

Who could know that financial catastrophe was just around the corner.

How to get there.

(A Guide to the factories of the British Motor Corporation)

Thanks to Doug Jenkins for this very interesting publication that gives the location and details of many of the BMC plants around the UK.

BMC Dealer Network USA - 1967.

(A Guide to the entire BMC dealer network in the US)

Back in 1967 BMC still had a comprehensive dealer network throughout the United States.  This booklet gives all the details as well as some model info.

Morris Mini Traveller, Consolidated Data (1960 Pres Pack)

A very rare part of the original Traveller press pack dating from 16th Sept 1960.

It gives all specifications & details of this totally new addition to the Mini range.

Some excellent illustrations & informative text.

AKD 858 M Technical Literature Catalogue

Comprehensive catalogue of technical literature from 1964.

BMC “Press Book” (German Language)

A comprehensive review of BMCs products in the German Language. Covers all mid 60’s models, with an emphasis on Minis & Variants.

Austin Morris Press Information (Clubman & 1275GT)

A complete copy of the original press launch pack for the Clubman, Clubman Estate & 1275 GT.  Lots of “Classified” information, press photo details etc.

Austin Morris Press Information (Clubman & 1275GT)

Prices were “revised” even before they were released!

Austin Morris Press Information (1300GT)

As above, but for 1300GT.

Austin Morris Press Information (MG Range)

As above, but for  the new MG range.

Austin Morris Press Information (Photo Apendix)

Photo’s available for the press.

Morris Mini Minor (Pub No: 24989)

A multi page promotional brochure promoting the NEW Morris Mini Mionr from 1959.

BMC Achievements 1961 - 1962

Packed full of great info & pictures from the early days of the Mini, some great competition phots of Racing & Rallying. Minis, Healey’s & Sprites are to the fore.