This Aurora-BMC’s Revival visit was 60 years in the making | Axon’s Automotive Anorak

This diminutive mid-engined Aurora last competed here in the Lavant Cup race at the 1965 Goodwood Easter Meeting, driven by former Lotus works driver Trevor Taylor, who finished 16^th overall. The race was won by the Lotus 30 of Jim Clark, who crossed the line 20 seconds ahead of Bruce McLaren, at the wheel of his own Elva Mark I Oldsmobile.

Returning to Goodwood — and motor racing as a whole — after many years lost in hibernation, the tiny Aurora-BMC was developed as a reasonably priced BMC Mini-based sports prototype in early 1965 by Aurora Gear (Racing) of Rotherham. Using a centrally mounted 1,150cc A-Series Mini engine, increased in period from its initial 1,131cc motor, a limited production run of the competition car was planned but sadly never came to fruition.

The Aurora competed at various British circuits during the 1965 and ‘66 seasons, and then entered lesser club track and hillclimb events up until the late 1970s, after which the car’s trail went cold as it disappeared into storage.

At the 2025 Revival, the car reappeared in exacting specification, right down to the authentic font and off-white roundel for its original racing number 50, as per the 1965 Easter Meeting. Over the weekend the 1.1 Aurora was driven by legendary Mini ace and tuning expert Nick Swift.

After only two hours of testing pre-Revival, with the suspension set-up not fully sorted, Swift managed to qualify the Aurora for the Madgwick Cup in an impressive tenth place. In Saturday’s very wet race, after the second restart, unfortunately Swift was unable to finish the race, having to retire mid-way through with a minor problem.

Happily, this did not deter the Aurora-BMC owner’s enthusiasm, and he hopes to return this unique car to Goodwood in the future. After all, an absence of 60 years is a tad too excessive for such a rare machine.

Photography by Toby Whales, Charlie Brenninkmeijer and Gary Axon.