Cruising around Los Angeles, California, in a woody wagon is time well spent for some folks, but not for Tom Cotter. No, he’s determined to find cars and uncover stories. This week, he meets up with a friend who is reconnecting with his Austin Mini Cooper S – after losing it for five years.
That man is Tim Considine, an actor and writer who can trace his roots in Hollywood back decades. His relationship with Tom also goes back many years, and the two are close for a number of reasons – including a trip to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in which luggage was lost and underwear was borrowed. In fact, one of the only things that goes back further in Tim’s life is this Mini Cooper S.
The pale blue Mini entered Tim’s life when he decided that the petite car would be perfect for scooting around Los Angeles without attracting attention. He was wrong, but he kept it anyway. The Mini’s a 1968 model, but when Tim purchased it, the ’68 model was not authorised for sale, so the dealership fudged the paperwork and labelled it a 1967 model year.
Under the hood is a 1275cc, A-series four-cylinder engine. However, since the Mini is a featherweight, its 69 horsepower is a recipe for good fun. What wasn’t fun, Tim recounts, was the half-decade in the mid-1970s in which he lost the car. Yes, that’s right, he lost the car. For five years…
Watch the film to find out the story of the missing Mini.
