Rare Find.. Vintage Mini Cooper.

[whodathunkit]

Okay I just have to post this did they race Mini Cooper Pinewood Derby Cars back in the day.
(Or is this car just a rare find ? )

I must say this car caught my eye while at a flea market in Amarillo TX and it had me puzzled.. so i just had to pick this little beauty up for my collection.





The car is 4 inches long:

However it's weight is shy of the 5 ounce maximum weight limit.

The weight pocket is in the center of car body and it looks like melted lead.. it is dated as J.R. 1960.


My thought's are : This is a one of a kind rare car find ! ( or could it be a Scout Master's challenge car maybe.)
Every thing looks right as far as the kit components.. except for the 4 inch long body.

[exoray]

I don't believe early rules specified a specific wheelbase... It's certainly a unique build though...

[whodathunkit]

Thanks exoray, you're right 7- 3/8'' was the maximum over all length rule given with the front wheels sticking past the car.. and no minimum length was given in the rules.

I know that back in the day some of the early pinewood derby kits came with small and even large square decal number box's from beta crafts.
Some examples of some early decal sheets:

Even the vintage beta crafts wheel kits you can get from pinewood pro come with the large square number decals sheet in the wheel package kit.
https://www.pinewoodpro.com/vintage-whe ... e-set.html
In the 70'S and CMI years after they were round decal numbers.


1980 CMI

1988 CMI :

I have to say that the round #2 decals seen on the car .. Must have been added to the car much later on.
( Or that the builder could have cut them round or maybe even hole punched them out round out of the larger square number decals.)
It's what had me stumped about the car.. Who knows.. but it's a one of a kind showpiece for my collection now.