1976 Mini Clubman 1275 GTS

Highlights

• Imported from dry South Africa and now registered on UK plates
• Comprehensive engine and gearbox rebuild by Kent Auto Developments, completed in late 2025
• Produces approximately 117 bhp and 96 lb ft of torque on the rolling road
• In current ownership for eight years
• A considerable quantity of spare parts are included with the car

The Appeal

You'd be forgiven fir never having heard of the The Mini 1275 GTS, and that's because it was a South African-market performance variant of Britian's beloved 'people's car'. This 1976 example was imported from South Africa and is now registered on UK plates, presented in GTS style with mechanical upgrades that substantially exceed the original specification. The vendor notes that while the car was sold to them as a 1275 GTS, there is some conjecture over whether it left the factory as a genuine GTS or another South African Mini variant, and they wish to be transparent on this point rather than make an unsupported provenance claim.

Mechanically, this car has everything going for it. The engine and gearbox were completely stripped, cleaned and rebuilt by Kent Auto Developments (Dave Usher) in late 2025, with the car set up on a rolling road and built in the spirit of a fast historic rally Mini yet remaining tractable and enjoyable on the road. The suspension, brakes and exhaust have all been uprated, and the cabin retains a purposeful, classic Mini character. This is not a concours-perfect example; some cosmetic attention is beginning to be needed, but it otherwise presents very well as a characterful and genuinely quick classic with real-world usability. A generous haul of spare parts accompanies the sale.

Key Information

• Mileage: 53,000 miles indicated; the odometer has been replaced and the reading is not believed to be accurate (approximately 5,000 miles are estimated to have been covered since replacement)
• Country of registration: United Kingdom (imported from South Africa)
• Technical inspection status: MOT/road tax exempt
• Technical specs: 1,275cc A Series inline four-cylinder, four-speed manual
• Paperwork: invoices and history available relating to much of the work carried out

The Detail

• Comprehensive engine and gearbox strip, clean and rebuild carried out by Kent Auto Developments in November/December 2025
• Engine set up on a rolling road, producing approximately 117 bhp and 96 lb ft of torque
• First-motion shaft replaced during the rebuild
• CSI electronic distributor upgrade fitted
• Centre oil pick-up pipe fitted
• Twin HS4 SU carburettors professionally rebuilt and serviced by Burlen SU in Salisbury in 2024
• Lightened flywheel fitted
• Aluminium radiator and oil catch tank fitted
• Full Maniflow exhaust system fitted
• Fully adjustable suspension, professionally corner-weighted by AkiTek in Southampton in 2024
• Upgraded disc-brake set-up with performance components
• 12-inch alloy wheels fitted, approximately six years old
• The vendor reports the tyres to be relatively recent and in very good condition
• Upgraded LED headlights within classic-style fittings
• MG Metro seats reupholstered in black with yellow piping
• Some bubbling beginning to appear around both front and rear windscreen surrounds
• Dry stored in the owner's garage for most of the ownership period
• Used mainly for weekend and summer driving, plus occasional classic-car track days

BEFORE YOU BUY

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