We don’t need roads to get us where we want to go.
The first-generation mini was a hugely popular vehicle when it hit the motoring market in the 1960s. It was everywhere. As the video above shows, even in the most remote, coldest part of the continent, it was everywhere.
The Mini-Trac, as it is officially known, has a fascinating story. The story begins in Australia with Terry O’Hare. This name might be familiar to hardcore Mad Max enthusiasts. O’Hare, who is based in Melbourne, was part of some of the insane machines featured in the movie franchise. But before that, he also built several specialized track vehicles to support the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition. O’Hare wanted a smaller and more cost-effective solution to these creations.
The Mark 1 Mini was a front-wheel-drive mini that invaded the world. This layout is common in track-drive vehicles. O’Hare removed the Mini’s suspension and wheels, mounted a sprocket to the differential, and connected it via chain and drive sprockets. Mini-spec wheels were used as guides to install rubber tracks that measured 180 millimeters in width. The Mini-Trac was born.
The rest of the vehicle was almost stock. Mini’s rear drum brakes were used to skid-steer left and right. A heater was added to the cabin and the original 848cc engine was replaced with the Morris 1100’s larger 1.1-liter unit. The four-speed transmission was unchanged. It sounds strangely simple for a vehicle that is meant to cross the harsh Antarctic terrain. After numerous reliability problems, including a burned clutch, it was given to the Australian Antarctica team in 1965. It left before the season ended.
The video shows that O’Hare constructed three tracked Minis. One was used in Antarctica, but it was later used in Australia’s Victorian Alps. It disappeared in 1966. One was made for New Zealand. However, there is no trace of what happened to it. It was the third prototype, which had shorter tracks and sat farther back. It was eventually sold to Canada, where it might have appeared in 2009. may have been born, although there is no evidence that it did. But, we’re not sure how many other first-generation Minis there are with wheels instead of tracks.
This clip of Calum from YouTube is a 20-minute eye-opener for Mini enthusiasts as well as anyone interested in automotive trivia. This clip is definitely worth a watch.