HISTORIC SUPPLIER PIANOFORTE & PRICES-
By 1981 the ALA6668 Cooper S Mk2 grille had become NLA from Leyland under the ten year stocking rule and the aftermarket product was very poor quality so I approached Pianoforte the original suppliers who offered to reintroduce the grille solely for us in Feb 1981 with a tooling renovation cost of £281.50 and minimum order of 500 @£6-53 but by August 1981 when tooling had been replenished the cost had gone up 6% to £6.93.
We had run out of the last stock bought from Leyland and although our sales at £12-00 were only a few a month this new price seemed a good deal profit wise anticipating stock would last us 4-5 years but our stock soon started depleting quickly as we sold the more attractive wide slat grille cheaper than Leyland dealers were selling the 11 slat ALA6654 grille and by March1983 a new order was placed at £8-00. Pianoforte had terrible production and supply problems so finally we would buy the backing plate only from them via BM Heritage in 1997 @£4-87 rising to £5-38 and put down our own new tooling for the slats to make the grille which were an exact replica with a better finish and polishing to ensure we had continuous stock and we even supplied Rover grilles so they could get the newly built Cooper RSP into the showrooms @£23.75 when our retail was £29-06 and our cost was £19-98. By 1998 we tooled up the backing plate and were in total control producing our own complete grilles. Pianoforte had operating losses of £106,170-00 in 1999 and by 2000 operating losses of £1,103,822-00 and only £490-359-00 in 2001 but finally over the next few years their production ground to a halt especially when Rover collapsed in 2005 before closing completely leaving a derelict factory. Since then costs and materials have risen enormously as most of the metal extrusions come from Europe. During the 80’s I would drive up in our long wheel base van to collect all the goods personally and was amazed at the size and production of Pianoforte who were making so many metal parts as well as plastic bumpers for Triumph/MGB and Metro but I am sure the final death throws were down to one of their biggest customers Leyland and Rover who were struggling until their collapse in 2005. I have tried to find out true information on when the Rover side of the automobile production for parts stopped at Pianoforte but dates are sketchy although there are lots of pictures showing it in total ruin.I am sure their must be ex employees out there who know the true facts and dates.
Mini Spares throw out all the invoices after 7 years of storage but somehow I have an old folder with certain invoices or letters from the 1980’s. The first batch I sorted out was Pianoforte the company that made bumpers, grilles and surrounds, nearly all the Mini body mouldings plus metal extrusions plus such as estate side rear window frames and many plastic extrusions. ALA6668 is the Cooper S MK2 wide 8 slat grille and the pair of side mouldings are ALA6508 and 6509, the top surround being ALA6559.
After 6 years Mini Spares relocated from Bowes Road to Friern Barnet Rd.
Original chrome bumper 14A6779 in chrome were £3-20 each and like the ALA6668 grille had to be ordered in 500 lots which was massive stock holding in 1981. Mini Spares also paid for the hole to be put in for deluxe type bumper corner bars (14A9871) to be fitted at a later date as the tooling had undergone refurbishment pre our orders.
CZH4015 was the current black 11 thin slat grille for Mini Mk3 onwards,14A6783 was the right hand rear seam moulding and 14A9999 the front seam moulding for either side. CZH4304/5 were the door outer chrome moulding CZH1666/7 but updated to the plastic end type as a 1980’s safety requirement. CZH600 was the Clubman front bumper which they had produced along with the CZH605 rear bumper but both had been scrapped as tooling had worn out.
CZH3553 was the L/H grille surround for Mini Clubman, CZH3576 inner door moulding and seal.CZH3662 the R/H grille surround for Mini Clubman. 24A1304 L/H window catch runner Mk1/2 and 24A1303 R/H window catch runner MK1/2. PAM1015 L/H outer door seal and moulding with black plastic safety ends and PAM1014 R/H. ALA6508 are the grille surrounds again for the MK2/3 and ALA6654 the chrome 11 thin multi slat grille for the MK3.
CP2485 -2 was Cooper S R/H caliper 27H4656 CP2485-3 was Cooper S L/H caliper 27H4657 CP2712-109 was Metro N201 pads C-8G8994 CP2399-5 was Cooper S M171 pads C-8G8995 CP2399-8 was 998 cooper now obsolete CP2084-31 was Orange diaphragm C-AEG481 CP2084-32 was Grey diaphragm C-AEG482 CP2084-33 was Rally clutch plate C-AHT349 CP2081-41 was Race clutch plate C-22G247 CP2611-3 was regulator valve 21A1774 Please note that all the brake pads are not available in the original materials and the clutch parts are no longer supplied by AP Racing.
