So much of life is about contrast between good and evil, right and wrong, peace and violence; the poppies on the battlefield, the smiling assassin, the fight at the wedding. The flawlessly presented Mk1 you see here throws this perennial cosmic truth into sharp focus: it’s at once delicate and forceful, slender and muscular, a bullet with butterfly wings.
The essence of the car resides within the way it’s been comprehensively reimagined by the craftspeople and experts at Swiftune. On the one hand, it’s a beautiful high-end restoration; on the other it’s encapsulating all of the knowledge they’ve earned and learned from developing and building consistently successful race Minis over many years. The panache of a Cooper S inside and out, with racing prowess smeared across the chassis and brimming the engine bay.
The Swift name will no doubt be familiar to most readers, as this linchpin dynasty has had Minis swimming in its blood for generations;a career in Ford’s research department at Dunton, the name becoming synonymous with everybody’s favourite little city car as its inherent skills and potential were neatly transferred to the track. Today Nick is carrying the torch, his children also following in his footsteps into the firm, and the series of ‘Willow’ race cars have been making waves at Goodwood in fine style. Swiftune takes this level of fun very seriously, and that’s a formula which works exceedingly well.
