Holden's Historic Bathurst win celebrated with Australia-only Mini

In 1966, the Morris Mini Cooper S scored a famous victory in the Bathurst 500 endurance race, with Rauno Aaltonen and Bob Holden leading home nine other examples of the pint-sized racer in a one-to-nine sweep of the top spots.

It was the first and only victory for the Mini – and front-wheel drive cars – at Bathurst in the October classic, with the arrival of the Ford Falcon and Holden Monaro over the next two years signalling a move to bigger cars with higher power.

Now, 60 years on, the BMW-owned Mini is celebrating the 1966 win with a run of 26 John Cooper Works-based three-door hatchbacks coming to Australia only.

Called the Mini Lucky 13 Edition, it pays tribute to the number of the winning Holden/Aaltonen machine, complete with black ‘13’ decals on white round backgrounds, contrasted against the iconic British Racing Green IV paintwork.

White bonnet stripes also feature, as does a Glazed White roof and mirror caps to continue the celebration of the 1966 winner, while under the guards are 18-inch John Cooper Works ‘Rallye Spoke 964’ two-tone wheels in Frozen Midnight Grey and white.

The aggressive bodykit elements of the Mini JCW, such as its front, side-skirt and rear lower winglets, are finished in high-gloss black, while there will be a carbon-fibre JCW tailpipe finisher and a red JCW tow strap.

Inside, the cabin is largely unchanged, retaining its sporty looks with JCW seats, black Vescin upholstery, and Anthracite headliner.

Under the bonnet is a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, producing 170kW and 380Nm, driving the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

For context, the road-going production car that the 1966 Bathurst winner was based on made just 56kW and 107Nm from its 1275cc ‘A-series’ engine, though it only had about 700kg to carry, rather than the modern Mini’s circa-1300kg weight.

Priced from $71,990 before on-road costs, the Mini Lucky 13 Edition is $10,500 more than the three-door JCW hatchback upon which it’s based, though it is one of the few Bathurst-specific tribute cars ever sold in Australia.

Earlier this year, Chevrolet revealed the Corvette Z06 Bathurst 12 Hour Specialty Edition, ahead of the nameplate's debut in the annual around-the-clock enduro.

Production of the Mini Lucky 13 Edition starts this month, with deliveries set to begin in the first quarter of 2027.

“It is remarkable to see people still talking about that race 60 years on,” said Bob Holden. 

“The Mini Cooper S showed what could be achieved through clever engineering, determination and teamwork, even against larger and more powerful cars. 

“To see Mini recognise that achievement through the Lucky 13 Edition is a great honour, and I hope it introduces a new generation to this special chapter in Australian motorsport history.”