Your car with an F reg could have been a late 67 or early 68. F registatiom started in August 1967 and ran through July 1968. G reg started in August 1968 and would be a mk II wheras a F reg car could be a mk I or mk II.

And there lies your answer to what you originally asked. It was a personal import and was registered in the Uk first.

To me a '66 is a '66 if it was made before the fall of '66 regardless of the USA registration.

American cars and truck makers caused the same confusion with their own models.

I am certain they do that stuff to keep us on our toes. For example;

An early in the year '55 Chevy truck looks like a '54. A mid-year one is a whole new body-style, but they are both regarded as '55s and rightly so.

Ford's very first 1/2 year car was the 63 and 1/2 Galaxie 500 XL, I had one.

The only difference was it came with a fast-back instead of the box-top because they started winning at NASCAR that year. The fast back out-sold the earlier in the year box-top.

Then came the 64 and 1/2 Mustang ('65).

An finally, the '84 Corvette made in early '83. Corvette skipped over 1983 entirely.

Thanks to all who responded.
interesting feedback.

Q1 - the registration in England as a '66 and then as a '67 in the U.S. is baffling. Let's just file that under "special circumstances" and leave it out of the equation. If a new Mini was manufactured in the latter half of 1966, it would most likely have been registered and sold as a '67 in the U.S. This practice is still common today. For example, I bought my wife's 2015 Mazda brand new in October 2014. That's how it works. 

Q2 - That's a silly question. A Mk1 Mini Cooper S is a desirable car, no matter the year. Some folks have a preference for a 1071 or 970 over a 1275 (or vice versa), so I'd really only differentiate between the motor size rather than the build year. Sellers will often tout the "last year made!!" as some kind of selling point, but that rarely - if ever - adds any value to the car. 

Q3 - That entirely depend's on your state's DMV how they interpret this data, since it could be theoretically argued to prove the year of the vehicle. I'm quite sure I could stand in line all day and argue with the DMV clerk at my local California office, waving the BMHT certificate as proof to change my car's stated year from 1967 to 1966, but what good would that do me? It was sold new as a '67 anyway, even if it was built in October 1966. I have better things to do...

And there is no '83 Corvette.

If the build date and registration date are in the same year on a heritage certificate, that establishes the year of the car. And because they are the authority on BMC vehicles, I was able to correct the year on my title in Michigan from 63 to 62. I guess if it crosses years there is more to find out. You have to start building the next years cars before January 1 to have any stock, usually around September the prior year. I had a loaner 2019 Chevy in July. There is no 64 1/2 Mustang.

The registration date really only matters if it crosses an emissions or tax boundary. None I am aware of for 66/67, so it's unimportant. 

OK. I'll confuse matters some. Re. Q3: To me, the most important date is when the car was built. Buying parts and helping others to buy parts depends upon when the car was built, not by when it was originally sold, registered, etc.

So back to my original question(s).

Q1
With a build date of July 6, 1966 the BaT original owner would have purchased and registered the mini almost 6 months later beginning with January 1, 1967.  This car built in 1966 is then actually referred to as a 1967.

My Mini S was registered in England in July and was issued a plate ending in “D” which indicates it would be considered a 1966 mini (in England).  The car was driven about 3,000 miles in England and then shipped to the USA and registered sometime during the 4th quarter of 1966 making it a 1966 Mini (in USA).  If it had been shipped later and registered in early 1967 then it would be considered a 1967 (in USA).

do I have this correct?


Q2
Therefore if I were to ask if a 1967 Mini is more desirable than a 1966 Mini the only logical answer would be - “that is a silly question”.  

Do I have this correct?


Q3
the BMI Heritage Trust Certificate is used primarily to determine if all the parts are original to the car, what the original options were and what the original color was.  It can not be used to determine “the year” of the car.

Do I have this correct?

I met a 62 Cooper owner a couple of years ago, he has as nice a early mini as I have ever seen in person, mostly original not restored. We were talking and he shared the story of finding the car listed in the newspaper for $400.00, it had been owned by a doctor and his wife. The car had stopped running, and was parked in the garage for more than 20 years when he found it needing only fresh rubber, fluids, and the ignition repaired.  The next time I saw him he was talking with the mini collector he had actually purchased the car from, going on about the engine rebuild he had done for the car some years ago. I said nothing. Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

Since there is no such thing as a '74 Cooper S (assuming UK-built), that should have been your first clue this guy didn't know what he's talking about!

Correct, except that in the case of BMC cars, the Heritage Certificate clearly documents the build date. 

I'm in the same boat. My October 10, 1966 build date Cooper S was sold originally as a 1967 model year - complete with added "67 BMC" tag adjacent to the Chassis tag, as was common on BMC imports during that period (at least on the West Coast).

My car is still titled as a '67, and as much as I'd like to change that to reflect the Heritage Certificate, it's ultimately considered a '67 car in the U.S.

medium cool..  I BET he had a PHAT wife??  I would drug them out just to PISS him off.. laterbc

I was a Donut Derilects and a guy with a '74 Cooper S tried to tell me my '68 was a '67 because my UK license plate ended with an F instead of a G. It is a '68, but I didn't feel I needed to prove it by dragging out my documents so I let him think it was a '67 and I think it made him feel better. Also, his wife was with him.







 

A car is usually aged by date of first registration not by its build date, which is generally impossible to ascertain.

We also don't do model years.

My '68 Elf (registered Jan 23rd) was actually built some time in July 1967, but is still classed as a '68.

When I see production figures for the mini I assume this is based upon build date and this would be the primary way to determine the model year.  I understand the marketing aspect and the desire to own a more desirable car but facts are facts.

based upon the facts presented please render your opinion
- what facts lead you to say it is a 1966
- what facts lead you to say it is a 1967

do you need additional facts?
i am trying to learn something here no matter how silly you may think the question is!

1963/Ian..  I could NOT vin plate photo on that BaT ad?? did I miss it?? later bc

"so... is the mini on BaT a 66 rather than a 67?.."

Pretty silly question really....  Do you mean a US convention 66, a UK convention 66, build date 66???  

In the US cars were released as a "66" model- with specification or trim differences to make the punters want to upgrade. In the UK they were registered with a number that reflected the date of registration (a 66 would be a "D" registration). Model designation was just a bit of social one-upmanship...  After 50 years its all a bit irrelevant.

So, we know it was built in 66 but any notion of its being a 66 or 67 "model" just doesn't make sense..... it depends totally on your  definition of "model".

My real beef is with those marketing fake (sorry, I mean replica) ID plates.... 

You pays your money and takes your chances.....

Cheers, Ian

Yes, the door handle has a boss.

i enjoy looking at the minis on BaT.
i check the photos to see where things go and what colors certain parts are.
i also enjoy the comments from the mini experts out there.
I do not know what I do not know, BaT helps.

so... is the mini on BaT a 66 rather than a 67?