“50 Years of Britains Favourite car...” Daniel Harper/ Les Reger 1995 Brian Harper/Norman Jackson 1973 “...To make them go quicker we used to take out the front and rear screens to get a through air-flow. It reduced drag but you had to wear goggles...” It was Brian Harper’s early interest in Motor Sport that fostered the be- ginnings of Mini Sport, a name that has become synonymous with Mini owners throughout the world. So let’s start where it all began, with a look into our glorious past, at some of the Minis we developed and took to the ultimate success! Brian Harper 1969 Trevor Roberts/Ian Grindrod 1976 Cyril Bolton 1976 John Edwards-Parton 1978 Cyril Bolton/Keith Wood 1979 Brian & Trevors Winning Trophies Brian Harper/Don Davidson 1981 Daniel Harper/ Les Reger 1990 Russell Brookes/Neil Wilson 1994 Daniel Harper/ Les Reger 1995 Phil Short 2003 hen the Mini was launched in Brian and Heathers 850 did everything, W1959, nobody expected it to last from everyday tasks like shopping to for over 40 years and total a produc- events such as auto tests, sprints, hill tion run of over five million. climbs and even circuit racing. The car was forging its own unique relationship Realising the true potential of Alec with the Harper family, leading to the Issigoni's definitive design, Mini purchase of a Downton-tuned 997cc Sports chairman and founder Brian Cooper in spring 1964 which soon Harper took delivery of his first Mini found its way into rallying piloted by in 1960 in the form of one of the first both Brian and Heather. The competi- 850s to roll off BMCs production line tion bug had bitten. at Longbridge. Little did Brian and Anyone involved with motor sport will his wife Heather know the effect this tell you, competing means spare parts landmark purchase would have on are a must, and soon second-hand Mini their lives. components were not only filling the NCK 453P - The Ultimate Rally Mini All your Mini needs... Only Mini Sport can offer all this... Fully Stocked Showroom Our 3000 sq ft showroom is packed full of products that will enhance and im- prove the performance and appearance of your Mini. We are open 6 days a week, so feel free to come down, browse around and let our friendly and knowledgeable staff help or advise you with your Mini. Daniel Harper/ Les Reger 1997 Worlds Premier Website Safe, secure and simple ordering Harper garage but also the family scene. Great Savings & Fantastic Deals home. Something had to be done, and Soon fellow competitors were flocking Fast Parts Search 5000 products available to buy it was the overwhelming response to to Padiham, intrigued by not only the Weekly Special Offer Newsletters Brian's first advert in the Motoring ingenuity of Mini Sport's conversions, Mini Sport Blog and News News that drew his attention to the but also their incredible reliability in Body Panel Diagram Selector burgeoning market for everything Mini. competition. With innovations coming thick and fast demand soon meant that www.minisport.com Inspired by this realisation and his own complete Mini Sport tuning catalogues unending passion for the marque, Mini were a necessity, as was yet more space Rolling Road Tuning Centre Sport was established in 1967. for the firm's ever growing stock lines. A session on the Mini Sport Rolling With another premises acquired at 7 Road, will improve fuel efficiency, pro- Since then the Mini Sport story really Church St. Padiham, Mini Sport's cus- duce smoother running by eliminating miss fires, allow diagnosis of engine has been a case of, from small acorns tomers could now take full advantage problems, give a full system check and do giant oak trees grow. The firm's first of Brian and Heather's expertise, and optimise your Minis Performance. pioneering modification for the Mini with the extra space now available per- was born out of the car's throttle link- formance accessories, wheels and seats age, which was poorly designed and were brought in, making Mini Sport the Fitting and Service Centre prone to sticking. Applying common one-stop shop for the Mini connoisseur. Fully equipped workshops with highly sense, logic and a canny sense of engi- skilled and fully trained technicians, neering, Brian developed a rigid throt- available to fit any of the products we “The rallying gave us a sell, and also perform Mini health tle linkage, which was easy to fit and checks with servicing to keep your Mini endowed the car with smoother, more tremendous amount of running perfectly. progressive acceleration. It was an in- INSTALLATION stant best seller. experience. It taught us what WHILE-U-WAIT broke and what needed to be ON A HUGE RANGE! Armed with their new innovation the knock-on effect for Brian and Heather's modified. We used to go out small business was breathtaking. As the rallying every weekend. number of stock lines grew and clients We can offer you Everything Mini... responded well to the couple's friendly, ...Those were the good times.” hands-on approach, April 1969 saw Mini Sport move into its first dedicated Mini Sport's first seven years in busi- premises at 15 Church St. Padiham. It's ness were an instant success, which been based in the town ever since. meant Brian and Heather's love of com- peting behind the wheel was put on Full Car Conversions Competition Preparation Classic Restoration hold. But motor sport is in our blood at Brian and Heathers 850 did Mini Sport, and come 1975 Brian won Bodywork & Spray Centre the SD34 Shellsport Rally Champi- Unfortunately Minis are prone to one or two rust spots, no need to worry, Mini everything, from everyday onship in his 1340cc Cooper S. Sport Bodywork & Spray centre can put tasks like shopping to events such your Mini back to showroom condition. Two years later and triumphs such as Offering full body work and accident re- as auto tests, sprints, hill climbs this meant Mini Sport was still growing pairs, panel replacement, bare metal re- sprays, plus much, much more. and even circuit racing. rapidly. With yet more space required in order to expand the Engineering De- Yet the competition side of the busi- partment to build dedicated fitting ness was still paramount, and through- bays and display the myriad products Engineering Workshops out the next two decades Mini Sport the firm now stocked, the whole opera- We’ve been Engineering Winners for cars were a dominant force in road ral- tion was moved to its current base at over 4 decades, with advanced tech- niques, and constant development, on lies throughout the country. One of the Thompson St. Padiham. This meant the Rally Stage, on the Race Track or on reasons for this was Brian's keen sense 20,000 square feet of unadulterated the Road, Mini Sport will give you the of engineering excellence, and soon he Mini magic, making it a veritable Mecca edge! had developed powerful 1400cc en- for the marques enthusiasts around the gines for his competitive clients. Mini globe. Sport cars were the envy of the rallying Judge for yourself, www.minisport.com there is nowhere else quite like it!! “50 Years of Britains Favourite c In fact Mini Sport's products were now the firm. After growing up surrounded by being dispatched worldwide, and the the Mini Sport legend, his passion for new mail order packing bays were a hive marketing and promoting the brand was of activity. Right from the start, Brian and unparalleled, and now his ability to keep Heather had decided that quality, value and Mini Sport in the media spotlight means reliability should be the key company val- the magic is being felt by a whole new au- ues, core attributes Mini Sport is still proud dience. to hold dear today. Indeed, to tens of thou- sands of Mini enthusiasts worldwide, the Mini Sport brand is recognised as the number one supplier of just about every- thing for this remarkable car. Come 1984 and Chris Harper, the first of Brian and Heather's three sons joined the team, immediately settling in to run the firm's Sales Department. With his seemingly unending passion both ngineering is something we have in our blood up in Lan- for Mini's and Mini Sport, he soon 1275 SPi Demonstrator Ecashire. We were brought up established distributors through- on stories local heros such as Henry out Europe, America, Japan and Royce, who built his first car here in Australia. Mini Sport had gone Which isn't surprising when you consider 1904. A couple of years later he truly global. the company’s achievements over the last formed a partnership with C.S. And with sales booming Daniel decade. For example, the introduction of Rolls, another local man. Harper soon followed suit. His single point fuel injection in the ‘90s saw Turn the clock back a century and a engineering abilities, like those of Daniel building his own competition vari- half and you would find Stevenson’s his father, had shone through at ant, which went on to regularly win its “Rocket” conveying its passengers an early age, turning out preci- class during the British Rally Champi- sion-made crankshafts at the tender age onship. With the 1995 Group A 1300 prices may well raise his eyebrows of thirteen! Now tasked with spearhead- British Rally Championship award safely “engineering excellence in surprise, and there’s no telling what he would make of our com- ing Mini Sport's exciting Engineering under its tyres, and a class award in the built on tradition...” puter aided machinery! The same Department, he puts all his innovations to 1997 Network Q RAC Rally, Mini Sport is across the North West at speeds can be said of our performance en- the test while upholding the family tradi- proud to have built a Mini that was the that had them clutching onto their gines and kits, not forgetting that tion of successfully competing in both first to take a class victory on a World Rally flat caps.