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Fairley Spoke was driven by The Beach Boys

November 15, 2019, 1:57 am
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I made a remarkable discovery yesterday when reader, Ogle SX1000 owner and big Beach Boys fan Guy Loveridge contacted me about his favourite band. Did I know the Beach Boys used a Mini Moke when they toured in the UK in november 1966? I knew that as I had seen promotional pictures. Mind you, this was not the 'Mini Surfer' Moke, made by George Barris for The Beach Boys in the US (click here), but a car used for promotion in the UK - probably a BMC demonstrator. Guy found out there were two Mokes used, both green with yellow lettering, and he also found out their registrations after having seen a documentary titled 'The Beach Boys - The Swinging Sixties'. The cars were registered 'LUV 918D' and 'HOA 124D'. Guy wrote: "Of course now I MUST find them and own one if I can!" Did I know anything about them?

When I noticed the second registration number I first hesitated, but then recognized it as the registration on the infamous 'Fairley Spoke'. This was the supercharged Moke raced by former fighter pilot, Tomorrow’s World presenter and BBC race commentator Raymond Baxter, together with his friend Reg Phillips, Chairman of James Fairley Steels of Birmingham, and an avid racer himself. I always thought they took a brand new Moke to build the racer, but apparently they didn't and used a demonstrator instead. A demonstrator that had just been used by The Beach Boys!

Up until the late-1960s the Fairley Spoke made appearances at many sprints and hill climbs with either Phillips, Baxter, or Baxter’s son Graham behind the wheel. It was repainted in orange over cream and further modified several times. In the 1980s the car received a full restoration and it was seen at the Mini’s 30th anniversary party at Silverstone. But by the time both Baxter (2006) as well as Phillips (2008) had passed away, the supercharged Moke had found its way to a Germany, where it was restored once more and now received a 1340cc unit and dark marine colour.

It left Guy disappointed. He wrote: "Shame it has been 'ruined' - I would restore it to 100% 1966 Beach Boy specification!" I am not totally sure about that as I also like the Fairley Spoke provenance, also. Guy added: "I love the Fairley's history, too, but just wish it was not at the expense of a chunk of Beach Boys history! Wonder if the German owner would be thrilled/excited or annoyed to find out?" All I know is that the car was sold about a year ago to a new German owner. Feel free to drop me a line if that's you. Now. Let's see if anybody knows more about LUV 918D...


Two known publicity photos of The Beach Boys in London in a Mini Moke
Pictures Jeroen Booij archive


Reader Guy Loveridge found out there were two and they were registered LUV 918D and HOA 124D. That last number certainly seemed familiar to me...
Pictures Guy Loveridge from the documentary 'The Beach Boys - The Swinging Sixties'

Here is HOA 124D in the late 1960s, by which time it had been raced succesfully for a a couple of years by Raymond Baxter and Reg Phillips and was known as the Fairley Spoke
Pictures Jeroen Booij archive

And a couple of years ago in Germany. Does the current owner know about its Beach Boys history?
Pictures Jeroen Booij archive

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Boxer Sprint project now offered for sale

November 18, 2019, 3:28 am
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Due to the unexpected death of Ian Shearer (obituary here), his family has decided to sell his much beloved and last project car - the original 1986 Boxer Sprint prototype. The Boxer was a lightweight spyder version of the Nimbus Coupe that Shearer designed a couple of years earlier. The car’s fiberglass body tub was moulded as a single piece with some areas strengthened with Kevlar. The clamshell bonnet hinged forwards and the engine cover flipped the other way for easy access. Brakes, steering column and pedals came from the Mini donor, with the rectangular headlights sourced from VW’s Scirocco. A wiring loom was made for the car, but according to Shearer a modified Imp loom could be used, too. Kitcars and Specials magazine wrote in September 1986: “The Boxer Sprint is designed to be either a club racer and/or a second road car, and as such it makes no pretence of being a refined everyday vehicle. Although, having said that, it will be seen that it has the potential to be made as practical as any two seat sports car.” Still, no more production cars were made, with only the prototype being registered. Shearer found it back on a farm in Kent in 2017 (see here) and started a comprehensive restoration.

Unfortunately he never got 'round to finish that and the whole project is now for sale. It's not just the car itself, fully registered as a 'Nimbus Sprint' with full V5 logbook and all the paperwork. But it also comes with the original moulds, two engines and a whole load of bits and pieces. Ian's son Will: "The car comes with all other items required to get it on the road. There will also be a lot of materials that I am happy for the buyer to have too - things like GRP mat, microfibre filler additives, resins, and hardeners/catalysts. Also, the odd tool that I have no use for, there is a cylinder honing tool for example; basically I'd be happy for anyone buying to rummage through and take what they feel is useful to them. I have taken some photos of all the stuff that will be sold with the Boxer. Everything appears to be complete though it is spread all over! Dad was never one for being organized!"

See the full ad here.

A cover star in September 1986: the Boxer Sprint prototype before being registered
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

These are the moulds for the monocoque shell and clamshell front, included in the sale
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Designer Ian Shearer found the car back in 2017 and started a comprehensive redesign
Picture Will Shearer

Due to Shearer's unexpected death, the whole project is now offered for sale
Picture Will Shearer

Included also: one of two engines - this is a modified A-series
Picture Will Shearer

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Salt & Pepper Moke survives!

November 21, 2019, 2:41 am
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Well, well... Last week saw the revelation of the Fairley Spoke's previous life as a standard Moke used by the Beach Boys. This week has another amazing Moke discovery - the car used by Sammy Davis junior and Peter Lawford in the 1967 movie 'Salt & Pepper' (more here) has been unearthed.

I was contacted by Davis Guyan, who wrote: "I recently discovered your blog from June 2016 where you had photos of the Moke 'KOA 750E' (see here). I have owned the Moke since March 1991 and still own the car today. It does not look like it did in the film as somebody has reverted to the standard look. When I purchased the Moke the person I bought it from said he thought it was in the Bond films."

"The car is white but under the white paint there is yellow paint. I have been trying to research its provenance and I recently acquired a heritage certificate from Gaydon and when it left the factory in 1967 it went to the BMC Publicity Department. It was last MOT’d in 2009 to take it to Longbridge for the 2009 IMM to celebrate the Mini's 50th anniversary. It has spent most of the time in my garage off the road. We also took it to Salou for the 2005 IMM which was quite a feat as its an 850 automatic. I also own a shorty Mini and a standard Mini and have been a Mini enthusiast for many years and previously owned a Mk1 Mini and a Mini van and have attached some photos of my Moke as it is today. If you have any more photos of my Moke or information I would be interested in finding out all I can about my car. Many thanks for any help you are able to give me. David Guyan"

I also asked David what he planned ever to bring the car back in its mad movie splendour now that he knows of its movie heritage. He replied: "That's under review at the moment. I am yet to decide. I had hoped it was one of the Bond Mokes as they weren't as outrageous and could be driven with less impact. I am being told I should bring it back to its Salt & Pepper glory. I will let you know if I do."
In the meantime I have sent over hi-res pictures to David, so at least he can recreate the vehicle if he ever wants to. Perhaps there are readers out here who can help also. Feel free to drop a line below.

The Salt & Pepper Mini Moke from a promotional picture of United Artists
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

And the car as it is now, owned by David Guyan and unrecognizable as the movie car
Picture David Guyan

This photographs shows the dashboard with all its modifications made for the movie
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

These have gone also, but you can still easily see that they were once fitted to this car 
Picture David Guyan

The owner was told the Moke was used in one of the James Bond movies - not quite
Picture David Guyan 

Loaded with every extra available at the time and more - this certainly was a mad Moke
What would you do if you had it? Bring it back in its former glory? I would!
Picture Jeroen Booij archive


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Le Mans '66 - an update

November 26, 2019, 3:30 am
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It seems to me that Le Mans '66 was pretty good received, and I have received a multitude of comments from people who’ve seen the movie, all very positive. When I went to the theatre myself I had not too much of an idea what to expect, though. Admittedly, I had become a real Le Mans ‘66 anorak and I was afraid the movie could only disappoint. But I really loved it and highly enjoyed the movie myself. The filmmakers did a terrific job in recreating the 1960s atmosphere with even the pit boxes and grandstands on Le Mans’ start/finish line (known to have been completely rebuilt in the early 1980's) largely reconstructed in Southern California. I knew these so well from pictures, so to see them now recreated on a big screen was quite something. No sight of a Mini Marcos anywhere in the movie though, but hey, I wasn't expecting that either. Thanks for everyone sending over film clips from Youtube showing my car in action in the actual race – some of them being new to me, and Renaud Surteauville for sending over the press card of the film premiere at the Le Mans museum - a copy of the original Le Mans 1966 press card!

But how about the car then? Well... Painting it was supposed to be the next step and with the primer now (hopefully) fully dried out I contacted my Marcos mate Joost, with whom I prepared the car’s body and put it in primer last December. We had a jolly good time doing that and I was looking forwards to having a similar kind of experience. But when I rang him in the summer to see if he could come up with a date anytime soon, he had to disappoint me. Having just bought a house needing renovation and busy with work and his own cars, he couldn’t see any time soon for painting mine. What’s more: the spray cabin we’d hired previously needed work too, with the owner having no time for that right now. We've come up with a new date though: March 2020.

Then there's the car's mechanicals. As you may remember I made an arrangement with mechanic Philippe Quirière, who runs Mini World Center in southwest France, but disillusion number two was on its way when I contacted him, too, in the summer asking to come over with the car in September. Philippe wrote: “Sadly, it's not possible for two reasons. Unfortunately the crankshaft takes me an incredible time! The machining is turning out to be very complicated and very expensive, surely the most expensive Mini crankshaft ever! But we agreed, so I decided to go all the way with this unique model. But the most important thing is that I'm expanding my garage, and to this day the lack of space, is too risky for a job like this. The building will be finished within three months, so we can finish this unique project in good condition.” So there we go. Even though I would not have preferred it, I have now even more time to prepare things really well. Stay tuned.

Ford vs Ferrari vs Marcos, an original Brockbank cartoon of 1966
Picture Brockbank / Jeroen Booij archive
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Beach Car becomes most expensive Mini ever

November 27, 2019, 4:12 am
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Remember this article of some five years ago? A Mini Beach car then caused a bit of a shock in the Mini community when it was sold in Monterey, California for no less than $165,000. The auctioneer's fee of 10% came on top of that, making it without a doubt one of the most expensive Minis ever to be sold. I was contacted by the car's new owner from Florida some time later, who said: "I am the crazy person who bought the Beach Car at the auction in Monterey. Yeah, I know...crazy money. What can I say? It seems people are judging me fairly harshly. I don't care what they think."

Fast forwards to yesterday, when another Beach Car was sold in an online auction in the US. This time for the price of - sit for it - $230,000. The car, it must be said, seems to be in an absolute time-warp condition and is believed to be in single family ownership since it was new in 1962. The build records indicate it was the third to last Beach Car built on March 19th in 1962 and painted Smoke Grey with a Snowberry white roof. The odometer reads out just over 3,000 miles and by the looks of it that could well be genuine. So, a rather unique car indeed. Worth the money?





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Lolita Mk2 in old pictures

December 4, 2019, 2:25 am
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I was donated a lovely old picture of the Australian built Lolita Mk2 (see Maximum Mini 1 for full story and beautiful picture by Craig Watson) recently and ended up finding several more at Aussie motoring press agency Autopics. The Lolita was designed and built by Henry Nehrybecki's and Ian Pope's 'Lolita Automobile Developments' in 1967. The car came in the Can Am-fashion of the late 1960s and used some innovative ideas. The 1310cc Cooper 'S' engine was canted much forwards and came from the rally Mini of Australian race ace Bob Holden, who took the Mk2 to the tracks, too.
The car later received an Alfa Romeo 1500 engine, but was restored to its former glory in the 2000s with another Mini 1380 unit. By the time Maximum Mini volume 1 came out in 2009 it was owned by Greg Neal, but I'm not sure if he still has it?

New (to me) photograph of the Lolita Mk2 in action on an Australian track in the late 1960s
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

But more have been unearthed by Autopics. This is the car at Warwick Farm in 1969 
Picture Autopics.com.au

Same race, it seems. The car was driven by Aussie legend Bob Holden here
Picture Autopics.com.au

Bathhurst, 7 April 1969, with Bob Holden behind the wheel once more
Picture Autopics.com.au

Warwick Farm, 5 September 1970. Holden racing for Lolita Automobile Developments
Picture Autopics.com.au

The Lolita Mk2 appears to have been modified here with aluminium spoilers?
Picture Autopics.com.au

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Unipower GT websites fall over each other?

December 6, 2019, 3:18 am
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A plethora of pages dedicated to the Unipower GT has found its way to the world wide web in the last couple of years, with a new one being launched this week, claiming to be the only official site.

From the message I received: "The intention is to build on this initial content and maintain its currency to make it interesting for all going forward."

But wasn't just that the idea of the earlier ones, too? First there was the website of Portuguese Unipower owner, racer and enthusiast Rui Sanhudo, by now pretty much outdated but still going strong online. When UK based Unipower owner and enthusiast Tim Carpenter started a new fresh website a couple of years ago I was very keen. Tim owns his car for a long time, but only started using it more fanatically since he rolled it out of its long-term hiding place more recently, by which time he found there was no good information to be found online, too, filling in the gap.

Not much later UK based Unipower owner and well-known figure in classic Mini circles Peter Flanagan started a Facebook page for fans of the Unipower GT, which soon grew to hundreds of members and opened up lots of new information, too. A separate Facebook Group was started some time later by Pete for members only. They are another up-to-date source for anything Unipower.

And now there is the new website started by Unipower owner and enthusiast Gerry Hulford, who ran a Unipower GT register back in the 1970s and 1980s and who owns the original factory records. A couple of years Gerry told me that these records would be donated to the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, but I don't think that ever happened. Gerry now wrote: "I would like this website to be a portal for the sharing of information for the benefit of all", and "I have deliberately avoided providing details of the cars/owners themselves as I have always maintained confidentially of all ownership details for obvious reasons."

But with all the information already online, a proper register of cars actually may just be the only thing missing? I have once started to make a database with cars, put in order by their chassis numbers, but thought I'd better leave this to the dedicated Unipower owners / fans. What do you think? Is it good to have as many enthusiasts making their own club / register / database / page, or should they all join forces?

Click on the links below to take you to the websites as mentioned above, to see them for yourselves

unipower-gt.com
unipowergt.org.uk
unipowergt.uk
Unipower GT Facebook page
Unipower GT Facebook group

Finally, there is by now quite a lot of Unipower information on these pages, too.
This link sends you to all the 82 Unipower GT related articles that I wrote in the last 9 years or so.


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Wellington mystery Special survives - only just

December 9, 2019, 6:42 am
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When Jud Chapman saw a car he didn't recognize at the local wrecker's yard in Horopito, New Zealand, he took some photographs of it and posted the picture online. it didn't take me long to recognize the car as the mysterious 'Wellington Special' described in Maximum Mini 3 and also here with a picture of Graeme Farr. Graeme was quite sure the car had been scrapped after having photographed it in the 1990s, but apparently it survives - only just!

And that was not all to the story. Another New Zealand enthusiast, Bob McBurney, saw the pictures, too, and also recognized the car as he'd even been a former owner. He added: "It's an Eclipse based on an Austin 1300 floor pan supposedly to look similar to a Lotus Esprit. I was told it came from Britain as a kit with 1100 or 1300 floor pan and running gear, but I'm not sure. It was in primer when I got it and had pop up headlights using a wiper motor. I ran my 1430 mini motor in it for a bit of fun. Guys didn't know what just passed them! I owned it over 30 years ago but it had rust in the floor pan so I moved it on. It definitely turned heads, pity the floor pan was rotten. Amazing it's still around, I totally forgot about it. I would have liked to know who built it."

So there we go again... Who knows more about the car that's now identified as the Eclipse? And last but not least - will somebody see the potential of it and save it from the scrappers after all?!

Wellington mystery Special is found at a wrecker's yard in Horopito, New Zealand
Picture Jud Chapman

This is the same car decades ago, and believed to have been scrapped since this picture was taken
Picture Graeme Farr / Jeroen Booij archive

It has much deteriorated since but at least survives. We now also know it was named Eclipse
Picture Jud Chapman

Austin 1100 base is visible in original Blaze Orange. Somebody save this vehicle!
Picture Jud Chapman

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Christmas offer 2019

December 11, 2019, 7:57 am
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When Christmas nears, it has now become a tradition to offer Maximum Mini books with a discount, to all of you who haven't got them yet, or who'd like to give one to somebody else. You'll get 25% discount on Maximum Mini 2 and 3. All prices below include postage and packing in a purpose made box. Drop me a line on jeroen at jeroenbooij.com with your wishes and I'll send you a payment request.

This offer starts today on Wednesday 11th November 2019 and runs until 25 December 2019.

To the UK

£26.25 for Maximum Mini 2
£30.00 for Maximum Mini 3
£52.50 for Maximum Mini 2 & 3


To Europe

€33.95 for Maximum Mini 2
€37.50 for Maximum Mini 3
€63.75 for Maximum Mini 2 & 3


To the US

$46.50 for Maximum Mini 2
$52.50 for Maximum Mini 3
$93.75 for Maximum Mini 2 & 3


To Japan

¥5,500 for Maximum Mini 2
¥6,000 for Maximum Mini 3
¥10,500 for Maximum Mini 2 & 3

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What is the Find of the Year 2019?

December 12, 2019, 1:31 am
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It's time to introduce you to the nominees for the 'Best Find of 2019', a contest held on Maximum Mini every year. Once again I picked out what I believe to be the 5 best finds and discoveries made in 2019. It's up to you to decide which one wins the title.

You will find the cars that have made it to the contest below. To vote simply drop a comment below stating your favourite (click here if you read this through an email message), or do it on my Facebook page (here). The one with the most votes wins - it's simple as that. Now, over to the candidates:

Long search ends in a London shed: MoBi One finally found. Full story here and here

Rumours of its survival came true: Australia's sports car 'Project X' survives. Full story here

The British-built ASP 1300 racer appears to be alive in Kansas, USA. Full story here

Unrecognzable as such but this really is the Salt & Pepper Mini Moke. Full story here

A surprise find at a New Zealand wrecker's yard: the Wellington mystery Special. Full story here

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Season's greetings

December 23, 2019, 4:23 am
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A merry Christmas and a happy New Year with lots of Mini (based) motoring to all Maximum Mini readers and fans. Thank you for your support in 2019 and don't forget to vote for the 'Best Find of 2019' (click here).

One little scoop for the new year already then - The mysterious Swedish Ogle SX1000 seen below (full story of it here) has been tracked down! All about that, and much more Maximum Mini articles are to follow in 2020. Have a good one!

A possible 'Best Find of 2020' already? - this Ogle SX1000 has just been found. More to follow
Picture Jeroen Booij archive / Teknikens värld

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Happy 2020 from Maximum Mini

January 6, 2020, 1:40 am
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I wish you all of the best for the New Year! The Maximum Mini weblog is now in its 10th year and with almost 1100 articles online an ever-growing source on anything about Mini based cars. I hope to continue doing it in 2020... and beyond.
You chose 'Project X' as the Best Find of 2019 with over 54% of the votes, so congratulations to the car's owner who I'd love to get in touch with. Due to all the December hoo-ha I had no time to make a Christmas puzzle so sorry for that.

Dented and scratched, but still alive - Project X was found in Australia after many years
Picture Jeroen Booij archive via Daren Worboys 

The car when it was just finished in 1965. Let's hope it will be restored now!
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

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Add-a-car on the move!

January 7, 2020, 12:40 am
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Moving images of 'Add-A-Car' have made it to these pages before, but another cool video has now been unearthed. To freshen up your memory - Add-A-Car was a Mini-based town car that could be turned into a six-wheeler, as built by the boys of Daventry's Southbrook Comprehensive School for the BP Buildacar competition in 1978 (click here to see the earlier film clip). Thanks to a number of readers who made me aware of it, new footage is now added below. It fully shows the many uses of the vehicle with teacher and pupils demonstrating it. Great stuff! Still it does raise the question: Could the car survive? 


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Project X owner speaks

January 8, 2020, 4:25 am
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Thanks to Daren Worboys I have now come in contact with Jason Rooth, who is the current owner of Project X - Maximum Mini's Best Find of 2019. I asked Jason to tell a bit more on how he found the car. This is what he wrote:

"A friend of mine (Ivan Glasby - RIP) was a custodian of it for many years. He showed me it and asked if I knew what it was. I didn’t have a clue. After that visit to Ivan I then bought every copy of the magazines (Sports Car World) that were to do with Project X. There were a few stories that I heard of how he got the car but what I think is right is... a guy in the garage across from him had it out the front of his shop in the weather for a while. Ivan took a look at it and first noticed that it had a Mini front subframe in the rear - mounted backwards. He was then interested in keeping it out of the weather. The guy let him take it home to store it. It was there for at least 5 years - that I know if. After Ivan passed away his son tried to track down the owner. Which he did. I met the guy who told me that it was originally destined for garden art - as it meant nothing to him. I made him an offer and bought the car. Since getting it home I tried to find out more info on the car. I also wanted to track down Mike McCarthy. I found out that he had passed away. I remembered a post on the Ausmini forum where a guy had the front headlight buckets. I messaged the guy on the forum with no luck, so I looked in other places. I think that I stumbled across your site with Daren's name. I then found him on Facebook and messaged him. After chatting he filled in some blanks and posted me the headlight buckets. Now I am looking for parts before I start restoring it."

It turns out that Jason is a great Mini enthusiast who bought his first Mini 20 years ago: "I have around 19 now. Mostly Mini-matics. I live in Melbourne, Australia and I’m starting a business (Grouse Garage) that will create turn key Minis - ie completely restored Minis that people can hop in and drive. Modernized with air-conditioning, power windows, power steering and a good audio system." Seems to me that the car is in very good hands. Thanks Jason, please keep us posted!

The car's late (co-) creator Mike McCarthey behind the wheel of Project X in 1966
Picture Pedr Davis / Marque Publishing via Neil Griffin
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Autocom Mini Buggy found - goes to France

January 10, 2020, 12:22 am
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When an unusual Mini based Buggy came up for sale on a well-known auction website last week, I missed it. But fortunately Lucien Vaast from France did not. He acted rapidly, made an offer and won the auction. Next, he drove over to Brighton with a trailer and secured the car to his home in France. However, Lucien did not know what he'd just bought! Did I? Yes, I did. Lucien had just become the owner of an ultra-rare Autocom Mini Buggy - one of just two made in 1991 by Neil Greenaway and Peter Altass in a place called Combe Martin in north Dorset.

When I was looking for one to photograph for my book 'Maximum Mini 2' it proved to be quite a challenge to find one, and I eventually ended up with the son of one of the notorious Kray twins (click here if you've never heard of them), who'd just purchased one and was happy to drive it over to the Ilfracombe seaside, yards from his deluxe bungalow and just miles from where it was made. That was a memorable day.

I think the red car I saw then was the second Autocom Mini Buggy made, with the earlier one being blue with a blue softtop plus yellow bonnet and roll bar. Later I managed to find a set of pictures of that car, registered YUO 495T - also the one used on the car's very simple brochure of which I'd also found a copy. This is the car which Luciano has now. I understand he is planning to restore and enjoy the buggy - it looks in a fairly good condition to me!

The lights of Brighton in the background and ready to go off to France here
Picture Lucien Vaast

Lucien Vaast of France bought an Autocom Mini Buggy without knowing what it was
Picture Lucien Vaast

Just two were made in 1991 in Devon. The other one still lived there when I photographed it
Picture Lucien Vaast

Lucien's car was last taxed in 1998, so has been off the road for over 20 years
Picture Lucien Vaast

It does appear to have stood the test of time pretty well though. A restoration is planned
Picture Lucien Vaast

This picture of the same car shows it when it was new in 1991. Not much has been altered 
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

It's great to learn that this car has survived, too. Even the blue top could still be the same?
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

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South-African 'Formula S' racers used Mini bits, too

January 13, 2020, 2:05 am
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An interesting message came in from Shane of South-Africa. He wrote: "Hi Jeroen.  When I was just getting into Minis in the 1980's in South Africa I met someone who was involved with a small motorcycle engined series. The unlimited class was very unique in that they used two mini subframes welded together as a very simple chassis. As a youngster I was taken by how simple it was and got a copy of the 'plans' and have attached a copy for you - one for the records? Many thanks, Shane

I'd never heard of these formula S racers before, but I had to think of the Mead Special, also made in South-Africa (more here). Could there be any link between them? Shane replied: "The Mead Special looks to be an interesting car and far more advanced than the 'Formula S'. There were several running in a series. They used the subframes as shown in the plans but had coil over shocks and mostly had air cooled motorcycle engines of 900 to 1100cc driving a Mini diff with chain drive. These usually had little or no bodywork. Sadly I can't find any photos, the ones I have are from the smaller engined 'Formula M' that can be found on the internet but no trace of any of the Mini based versions. I also believe that the person mentioned in the pack is no longer around. Please keep finding these interesting Mini based cars - I hope to have a design of my own added to the list one day. Regards, Shane."

So... anyone out here who knows more about the Formula S cars and wether some of them were possibly Mini based?

South African Formula S racers used Mini subframes, but reader says most used motorcycle power

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Zagato Mini Gatto scale model - but where's the real deal?

January 14, 2020, 1:58 am
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Janet Miedema, who runs a company named Rialto Models got in touch recently. She wrote: "I have read your article about your discovery of the Morris Mini Zagato 'Il Gatto' in a shed in Italy with interest. Is there any news on the car since that time, could it have been restored since? Some time ago I developed a model of the car in a 1:43 scale."

I replied to Janet that I was shocked to find out that the car was sold in 2012 (click here) in a pretty sorry state while it had passed through 3 or 4 ownerships in the years preceding. This while I had made such an effort to track it down and would have loved to have become the owner. Shortly after that I got in touch with the new owner, Simone Bertolero, who seemed eager to restore the car and even received some help from its designer Ercole Spada (click here). Things looked good, but not for long. When I contacted Simone more recently, he replied to me with three words: 'Sold to USA'. I asked for more information, but then the answer was 'I haven't the contact anymore'. And there the trace ended once more. Somebody who knows where in the US it is now? Meanwhile, we can enjoy Janet's lovely scale model, as below, and for sale here.

Zagato Mini Gatto as a 1:43 scale model by Rialto Models looks great
Picture Janet Miedema

The real car was missing for decades, until found in a Milanese shed. It supposedly is in the US now
Picture Janet Miedema

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Aussie Twini breaks in hill climb

January 17, 2020, 2:27 am
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This movie clip of an Australian Twini was flashed over to me, and I understand it was taken at the Huntley Hill Climb in New South Wales last September. The car is said to use twin Cooper 'S' units and weigh 550kgs, but that's all. When you watch the video you'll see it goes off like a rocket but the climb seems to end not quite so good unfortunately. Any further info would be much appreciated!

Australian Twini on chunky slick tyres is an Australian hill climber
Video Imavoiding / Youtube

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Mini Marcos racer no longer a mystery

January 21, 2020, 2:34 am
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When Karsten Stelk sent me an old image of a Mini Marcos being raced he added 'Hope a new one for you...". Well, it was as I'd never seen this picture before and didn't know anything else about it. Thank you very much Karsten, but was there any more information available? All that he knew was that it was an original picture (no reproduction) which he'd bought together with three other 1967 Le Mans photographs.

The hunt for more information was on, and I received help from several others. First question: was this even Le Mans? Despite the Dunlop bridge I wasn't very sure about that. And I wasn't on my own. After scoring out all the possibilities (there has been a great of number of Dunlop bridges in use on racing tracks) we concluded that this had to be Montlhéry. And Gérard Boulin was the one to confirm that, coming up with a very similar picture of another race, taken at the very same spot at Montlhéry.

After that it was a matter of searching at races held there at around 1967 - aided also by the Ferrari 250 Le Mans of Scuderia Filipinetti. Eventually I found that this picture was taken during the Grand Prix de Paris of 12 May 1968 at Montlhéry. Peter Raphael drove the Mini Marcos there and I'd love to find out a bit more about this. All I could find is a hazy picture of the car in Portugal with a lorry of 'Gontune Racing'. Who's next?

Grand Prix de Paris, May 1968 - Peter Raphael on Mini Marcos. He came home 12th overall
Picture courtesy Karsten Stelk

Englishman Peter Raphael raced his Mini Marcos in the 1967 season throughout Europe, here in Portugal. Who knows more about the man and the car? Was Gontune Racing Raphael's business?
Picture courtesy Team Mini Blogspot

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Ranger Cub found for sale

January 23, 2020, 2:10 am
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A rare Ranger Cub has found its way to Ebay, and it's one I'd never seen before. The Mini based three-wheeler is located in Gainsborough and the seller writes: "Registered in 1978 (S) and will need re-commissioning. 1st owner using a 1959 Austin 7 Mini as a donor (I still have the original ID available...)" I have no idea if that means if the car actually still uses a '59 Mini as its base (and with the registration number just not visible we can't find out either), but that would be worth checking, I'd say. See the ad here.

A Ranger Cub three-wheeler (there was alse of 4-wheeled variant) is offered for sale
Picture Ebay

Registration is just not visible, but it's not a car that I have seen before
Picture Ebay

It looks complete but won't come cheap. Ranger Cub's are pretty rare though
Picture Ebay

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