vintage 1964/67 SMITHS – SN4417/00A – 1376 – MADE IN UK. For Austin mini mk1

The important identification point is that the SN4417/00 is catalogued for standard, non-Cooper Mini models from 1964–67, including the saloon, Traveller, van and pick-up. The catalogue specifically separates it from the Cooper and Cooper S instruments, which carried different SN4417 suffixes.

Displayed with other items illustration only please note this item has not been tested sold as a purely decorative item ( although there is no reason why is should not work) this is an original item!!

Sorry no returns on this item thanks

13 cm round

9 cm depth

Maker History – Smiths Instruments

Smiths is one of the great names in British motoring instrumentation. The company began in London in 1851, when Samuel Smith established a watch and clock business at Newington Causeway. With the arrival of the motor car, Smiths moved into automotive instruments and by the beginning of the 20th century had developed one of Britain's earliest speedometers and odometers.

A particularly lovely piece of Smiths history came in 1904, when King Edward VII ordered a Smiths speed indicator for his Mercedes – an order still recorded in the company's historic ledger. In 1914 the automotive side became S. Smith & Sons (Motor Accessories) Ltd, and Smiths went on to become one of Britain's dominant suppliers of dashboard instruments.

By the 1960s the familiar SMITHS name could be found on the dashboards of countless British cars, with the company's speedometers, fuel gauges, rev counters and other instruments becoming almost synonymous with classic British motoring.

This example is marked vintage 1964/67 SMITHS – SN4417/00A – 1376 – MADE IN UK. For Austin mini mk1

The Mini & This Speedometer

The original Mini was created for the British Motor Corporation by the brilliant engineer Alec Issigonis and launched in 1959. Developed at a time when economical motoring had become increasingly important, its revolutionary layout placed the engine transversely across the front of the car, driving the front wheels and leaving an extraordinary amount of the little car's footprint available for passengers and luggage.

It first appeared as the Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor, both using BMC's 848cc A-Series engine. What began as an economical people's car quickly became a British cultural icon, as comfortable in a 1960s city street as it was on a rally stage.

The Smiths SN4417/00 speedometer is catalogued for standard Mini Mk I models dating from 1964 to 1967, rather than the Cooper or Cooper S. Applications included the saloon, Traveller, van and pick-up, making this an appealing original component for anyone restoring or collecting an early Mini.

The small 1376 marking relates to the speedometer's calibration – the number of cable turns per mile for which the instrument was designed.

With its 90 MPH black dial, built-in fuel gauge, odometer and coloured warning lamps, this is not simply an old gauge but a wonderfully recognisable piece of 1960s British motoring design.Smiths themselves confirm that the company began with Samuel Smith in 1851, produced Britain's first speedometer around the beginning of the 20th century and supplied King Edward VII with an early example in 1904. The Mini, meanwhile, was launched by BMC in 1959 in Austin and Morris forms and originally used the 848cc transverse A-Series engine.

I would now describe this specifically as a 1964–67 Mk I Mini speedometer for standard/non-Cooper models. That SN number gives us unusually good evidence for the dating.