The last of the Australian Minis (with the exception of the Moke), the 1275 LS became a limited edition with an estimated 800 units built before Leyland shut down the Enfield production facility. The 1275 LS was the top specification Australian Mini in 1978, and saw the welcome return of a factory 1275cc engine for the first time since the Clubman GT.  In addition to the larger capacity engine, the 1275 LS was differentiated from the Leyland Mini range by features such as front disc brakes (8.4 inch), a long range fuel tank, rear window demister and unique trim. For further details on the original features of the 1275 LS, take a look at Classic Register's 1275 LS information guide. 

This particular car is offered for sale in Sydney, Australia, with full NSW registration. The current owner has had the vehicle for less than a year, but has put a lot of work into getting the car into excellent running condition. There is little work remaining to get this example into show condition, or to bring it back to original specification if desired.

Exterior:

The body appears straight, and the paint presents very well. Based on our inspection of the car we believe it would have had a paint job completed within the last decade, in its original Nugget Gold. The roofline and the sills appear to be solid, as is the trunk floor, battery box and rear beaver panel. However, there is a spot of rust and swelling just behind the driver's side flare. There are also a few small bubbles up the rear c-pillar seams (only visible on very close inspection).

Modifications to the body include the aftermarket flares, and a non-factory stripe kit down the side. As shown in the images, the car comes with its original flare kit, should the next owner wish to return the car to original spec. 1275 LS stripe kits are also readily available from suppliers such as minisport.com.au. The Original 12" steel rims and LS hubcaps don't come with the car and would need to be sourced if desired (they are the same as 1275 GT wheels, and can very easily be found overseas, including in New Zealand). The car currently rides on 12" x 5" Contessa/Minilite style wheels. It appears that at some stage, a different grille has been fitted to the car - the original would have the vertical MINI shield badge and of course the "LS" badging on the passenger's side.

Interior:

This LS has been fitted with what appear to be half cloth/vinyl Mini "S" seats in the rear, and standard creme vinyl Leyland Mini seats in the front. A few tears and marks are present, but they're useable, and the current owner has fitted black cloth seatcovers over the top. Similar in style to the original 1275 LS seats, the seats fitted could easily be re-trimmed in a similar material to the original chocolate-brown cloth if the purchaser wanted to bring the car closer to factory specification. The carpet looks in excellent condition, and was likely replaced in the last few years. In the rear, speakers are fitted to the floor at the base of the seat. 

The dashboard looks in excellent condition with no cracks or major swelling present - likely replaced or re-skinned recently. The radio box (with aftermarket head unit fitted) and tri-gauge instrument cluster look excellent. The roof-lining looks to have been re-trimmed, with a cloth fabric as opposed to the original vinyl material.

Mechanical:

This LS is not fitted with its original 1275cc engine - which should contain the "12H902" prefix. Instead, it appears to have been fitted with a later model 1275cc engine from a 1990 onward mini (according to a few sources we found online quoting the "12A" prefix). It has a "Minispares" inlet manifold and standard 1.5" SU carby hooked up, and as you'll see in the video above, the engine is very smooth. The video shows the car on cold start-up, with no misfires or stuttering. Although the engine's not original, it's obviously had a lot of work done and makes an ideal replacement for the original unit.

Factory 8.4" disc brakes have been re-fitted by the current owner and are relatively new. The car brakes and handles as it should, and sound teriffic through its new stainless steel exhaust system (also installed by the current owner). Unless you were pedantic about finding an original engine for the car, there appears to be very limited mechanical work required outside of routine maintenance.

In the engine bay, an image is included showing what appears to be either a rust repair or an accident repair on the inner passenger guard. Little work would be required to sand-down the weld in order to remove or at least reduce that scar. The mudguard otherwise appears very straight from all angles (it may have been replaced at some stage py a previous owner). We note that the correct chassis number and prefix is present on top of the radiator shroud on the inner guard, with the body number clearly visible (104289). This places the car around the September / October 1978 mark (compliance date) based on the 100 cars we have on the register - some of which are listed in our online 1275 LS register. Unfortunately, the compliance plate has been removed, but this does not cause any issues with obtaining registration.

Contact Lee for further information:

For more information or to inspect the vehicle, please contact Lee by clicking the contact seller button above.