This ID plate was removed from a MkII S. .
What's interesting is that the car was plated as having a seating capacity of 2. . .
Does anyone know if the cars that the police were using at the time may have been licenced as two seaters (or if there's possibly another explanation)?

There is no great mystery, the police were not doing anything dodgy.
The seating capacity on the plate refers to the number of seatbelts not the actual number of seating positions.

So any pre-71-ish cars (or when ever it was that rear belts were mandated) that were fitted with a compliance plate would be stamped as two-seaters? Not just the cop cars?

I hope so!

Compliance plates were first fitted in 1970 (maybe late 1969) - note how there are only 4 ADRs that it complies with. Check today's complinace plates and see the difference.

Car Prefix YG2?? would be Mini K 1100cc. Can't see what came next due to the hole. YG2S1 is Morris Mini K MkII with 3.647:1 diff. YG2S3 is Morris Mini 1100 MkII with same diff. What is the difference?

I don't know of the police having any Mini Ks as late as this, and if they had have any Mini Ks at all they would have been station cars, not pursuit cars. Plate is not from a Cooper S - that would be YKG2S4 (Mk2)

I am looking into the police Minis for an upcoming issue of The Mini Experience. Any information greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Watto

Were plates around that time square like that........ others were rectangular i thought ??

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62 Saxon Green 850
Clubby van

That is a Van compliance plate, I do believe.

By George, I do believe the boy could be right!
My 68 matic has a rectangular plate saying seating capacity 4
and the 73 moke says seating capacity 2
Couldn't fathom the idea why an S would have such an unusual plate.

Sir would it be offensive to ask you if it was a genuine S?

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Inconspicuously Conspicuous
Appreciation without Depreciation
forever chasing clearer skies...

Mk2 Cooper S Compliance Plate is YG2S4 , NOT YKG . The K was dropped for the Mk2 , as it identifys car as a Morris . As no Austins where to be produced in Aus , the K was omitted

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1965 Morris 850
1966 Morris Mini Minor
1967 Morris Cooper 'S'
1977 Leyland LS

I'd be interested in any info too as I've got what I'm led to beleive an ex cop car with identifing marks being:

Hole in the middle of the roof at the front for aerial
Holes in dash rails for radio etc
Came from NSW
Smell of bacon...

But any info that people know of about the cop cars would be much appreciated.

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My Mini K Compliance Plate has the following details :
6/70 YG2S1 7954
ADR's 4 5A 7
Seating Capacity 4

It has only front belts fitted

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1965 Morris 850
1966 Morris Mini Minor
1967 Morris Cooper 'S'
1977 Leyland LS

Good call Will-I-Am

Ah......here's some conflicting information (how unusual with Minis).

According to the NSW Mini Car Club's "The Mini 1275 Book" it lists body prefix for Mk2 Cooper S as YG2S4, as AJ stated. However, they also list the Mk1 as YG2S1 - which is not correct as YG2S1 is Mini K.

Most other sources of info I have found list Mk1 as YKG 2S1, and Mk2 as YKG 2S2.

"Morris Cooper S - The Original Story" (auther unknown as I only have a photo copy of it) lists either prefix for both cars. ie: YG or YKG.

The BMC manufacturing schedule that I have a copy of lists YKG only.

The list of various Australian Morris ID numbers I have also only lists YKG for Cooper S (2S2 for Mk1 and 2S4 for Mk2).

Given that YG2S1 is Mini K and YG2S3 is Mini K - is it likely that YG2S2 would have been used for Cooper S? I don't think so.

As Stephen Dalton wrote in the Qld Mini Owners Club newsletter, Mini Mag, in July 2003, when identifying a Mk1 Cooper S - "Y=Australia, K=Morris Cooper (series), G= 1008cc-1399cc engine, 2S=2 door sedan, 2=2nd series of the model (the 997/998 Morris Cooper being the first)"

So, if true, it means that any Cooper or Cooper S should have the prefix YK, and G for the 1275cc Cooper S, as the K does not just mean Morris, but means Morris Cooper. YKA2S1 is 997 or 998 Cooper.

So why is the Mk2 Cooper S 2S4 - the fourth in the series? Perhaps the changeover model, sometimes called the Mk1.5, and which has neither BMC ID plate, nore Australian compliance plate, was considered by the factorty as the third in the series, so the "proper" Mk2 was the fourth. That's just my theory, but I reckon it makes more sense than a Mk1 Cooper S being YG2S1 or a Mk2 Cooper S being YG2S4.

Check other prefixes and this makes sense - YMA2S1 - Morris 850, YMA2S4 - Mini Matic, YMG2S1 or YG2S1 - Mini K, depending on diff ratio.

This might all sound a bit pedantic, but it is important when it comes to identifying a genuine Cooper S, particularly when good examples are now pushing $30,000 or more.

So, I still believe the plate with YG2 as the prefix is not from a Cooper S.

Why is there a hole right where the important part of the prefix should be?

Cheers,
Watto.

Also,

Mini van-manual-Mk1 is listed as YJBAV2, auto van (did they make any?) is YJBAV3

But, 1100cc van is listed as YJBAV4 - surely if G means 1008-1399cc then it should be YGBAV4?

Either way, the compliance plate is not from a van.

The only prefix I can find with YG2 is for Mini K.

Nothing is ever simple with BMC.

Surely nobody would ever build a Cooper S out of a Mini K and try to pass it off as genuine?

Cheers,
Watto.

I thought the Mk1.5 was the Mk1 with the Mk11 body shell and that the ones missing I.D tags were all Mk11's, thats why there are so many (Mk11's, converted from autos etc)?

I only ask as I have a Mk1 with I.D plate but it has wipers ala Mk11 and I know this is the original car.

More info on this thread

Daniel

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