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Broadspeeding to Blyton Park

March 13, 2015, 4:06 am
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Imagine this: a car, which was restored in the UK many moons ago, can now be found in a workshop at the other end of the world where they speak a different language, eat sushi and are carrying out another restoration. This all to get it ready for our Blyton Park event in May (details here). I am very happy to have it on the Maximum Mini display, together with a range of other exiting Mini derivatives. More to follow.

Broadly speaking this will be a stunner. And you can see it in the flesh in May
Picture Jeroen Booij archive



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Peter's pristine Mini Jem

March 17, 2015, 5:36 am
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Peter Warren got in touch about the MiniJem he has been restoring. A 1972 Mk2 that looked rather terrible when he bought it a year and a half ago. Peter wrote: "Just thought you may like to see my Mini Jem just finished restoration today. I know this car is known to you in a more dilapidated condition but it's now back on the road ready for its new owner." Unfortunately Peter is not able to bring it over to Blyton Park in May as his son will be getting married in the very same weekend. Good excuse! But then, by that time the car may have found a new owner who will bring it over to Lincolnshire. It would be terrific to see it standing next to the Mk1 Mini Marcos in a similar light blue colour that will be attending...

Good looking Mini Jem Mk2 was fully restored over the last year and half 
Picture courtesy Peter Warren 

 It has a 1275cc engine now and comes in Sebring Blue with a black interior 
Picture courtesy Peter Warren 

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Don't buggy about: Nimrod or Stimson?

March 18, 2015, 2:22 am
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Over to world's largest auction place where everything is for sale. Well, not everything but you'll find quite a lot there. How about two Mini based buggies? One is a Stimson Mini Bug in bright light blue, the other a rare Nimrod in faded red. Both have been on the marketplace before and both come with appropriate 1971 plate and would do nicely at the Maximum Mini display at Blyton Park. The Stimson is located in Wolverhampton; the Nimrod in Spalding - that's pretty close by! Which one do you prefer? The Nimrod's ad can be found here, the Stimon's over here.

This Mk2 Stimosn Mini Bug comes with 998cc engine with magic wand
Picture courtesy ebay.co.uk

It looks nice, although seller says it 'needs a few hours to make perfect'
Picture courtesy ebay.co.uk

A Nimrod is pretty rare thing with only about 15 built and few survivors
Picture courtesy ebay.co.uk

This one uses an 850 engine which supposedly 'runs like a clockwork'
Picture courtesy ebay.co.uk

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Land's End - John O' Groats in an RTV - without sight!

March 20, 2015, 3:44 am
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By Toutatis, is this cool? Reader Jonathan Webster just made me aware of this film footage, unknown to me before. It shows a 16-minute documentary about a 1988 charity drive from John O'Groats to Land's End, sponsored by British Gas. The vehicle of choice is an RTV - the Rough Terrain Vehicle built by Scamp boss Robert Mandry, remember? What's more - the car was driven by an ex-rally driver named Peter Wood who was blind! He drove the RTV, navigated by Gabriel Hartley and his son Tom, not on public roads but on forest tracks, over beaches, disused railway tracks and meadows. He managed to do it in 14 days and raised almost a quarter of a million pounds in total.

Apart from the several land speed records set by Mini based sports cars, this is the second Mini derivative involved in an unusual record that I know of. There may be even more..? Thanks to this new website, dedicated to the RTV for uploading the video.


Video courtesy roughterrainvehicle.co.uk / youtube.com
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An Ibis in Japan

March 24, 2015, 7:21 am
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You and I know that quite a few Mini based sports cars made it to Japan, but I was surprised to learn an Ibis is cruising the country - despite the fact that it comes from New Zealand, which isn't too far away. We had some nice film footage here of the Ibis not too long ago, remember?

Now, Eiji Watanabe got in touch to tell me about the Ibis he used to own. He wrote: "Hello mister Booij. I always see your blog happily. There is an Ibis, which you wrote about the other day, in Japan. It is registered as 'Austin Elf' and the first Japanese owner obtained it in 2006 when it was red. I got on a little, and bought it next. I completely restored in about 2010 and painted it beige-grey and gave it Abarth-like modifications. I handed it over to the next owner in 2012. I do not know who owns it now but I'll see if I can find some more information." Thank you very much indeed!

The Ibis came in red when it first came to Japan in 2006
Picture courtesy Eiji Watanabe

Mini engine is clearly visible here. Note long bonnet
Picture courtesy Eiji Watanabe

The car uses a full fibreglass monocoque with moulded-in seats
Picture courtesy Eiji Watanabe

After the restoration it was painted in a shade of grey/beige. Where is it now?
Picture courtesy Eiji Watanabe


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What happened to this ex-works Unipower?

April 1, 2015, 2:43 am
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Pete Flanagan's restored Unipower racer will be one of several star attractions on the Maximum Mini display this May, but here is some more on an ex-works Unipower racer. It's the car used by Piers Weld-Forester in a string of events throughout the 1969 season. That car was later sold to Stanley Robinson who continued to campaign it, now together with John Blanckley. They took it to the Targa Florio, to Spa and to the Nurburgring, where they came second in class and 32nd overall during the 1000 kilometers race of May 1970. Later John Blanckley bought a crashed Brabham F2 car and put its 1600 Ford FVA engine, the gearbox and rear suspension into the Unipower and continued to race it for another season.

What happened to the works Mini engine? Ex-Deep Sanderson owner Richard Graham wrote to me with the answer: "On another subject, that of the Robinson/ Blanckley Unipower, I can add a little bit to your history: when John Blanckley modified the car to take an FVA engine, I bought the works 'S' engine from him in 1972, and put it in a racing Mini Cooper 'S'. It had a Weber IDA, titanium alloy pistons and a special very high final drive (hardly a surprise). Its last race (which was..?) must have resulted in a damaged gearbox, as I had to put in a new set of s/c gears,- as well as a lower final drive and LSD for normal UK racing circuits."

Thanks very much Richard! I wonder what happened to the rest of the car? Meanwhile I have found some pictures of it in the files, still with the Mini engine in it or so it seems with that 'Unipower BLMC' name at the front. They were taken at the Nurburgring and at Mugello in May and July 1970. Enjoy them.

Here at Mugello in july 1970, where it did not finish. Who are those two men?
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Thundering through the Carousel at the Nurburgring in a Unipower GT must be nice
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

And here passing the big Ferrari 512 of John Surtees - well, in the Nurburgring pit lane
Picture Jeroen Booij archive



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Happy Easter!

April 5, 2015, 6:28 am
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You didn't miss this one on the egg hunt, did you?


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Méan Sonora: when a restoration becomes a recreation

April 8, 2015, 3:29 am
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Méan Sonora restorer Louis Lempereur got in touch for an update on his Mini powered and one-off Sonora and he certainly doesn't take half measures. He wrote: "Dear Jeroen, some updates about the reconstruction of the Méan Sonora Mini. First, thank you for having selected the Méan Mini for the 'Find of the Year' competition (I haven't - you, readers, have!). I was pleased to win it, also thanks from the friends of the Méan Group here and of many other supporters. It gives me much energy to go ahead with the reconstruction. This is more a reconstruction than a restoration! We use the old chassis as a mirror for the new one while most of the parts I dismount are in a bad shape and just a few can be restored, most of them will need replacement."

"The Mini subframe is just one of them, as it was damaged and badly repaired. It was probably so when the car was built back in 1969! We will now work on the suspension, bearings, brakes, steering… Hoping to mount the wheels and have a rolling chassis soon, but there will be much more to be done! As it was impossible to get the wheelbase from the Méan documents, we assembled the body to measure it. Surprise! The left hand door turned out to be 3cms longer than the right hand door and the front hood was mounted tilted! So we had to improvise again and decided to move the Mini subframe 2cms to the back. At least, the suspension is now straight. Another major change was to set the Mini subframe 35mm higher in the chassis. With shorter springs, this will allow the car to be lower on its wheels. The picture of the original car shows it was very high ! This was due to the subframe being too low, and the transmission axles touching it!"

"Of course, I will keep you informed. Thanks again for all, and for your interesting mails about Mini derivatives. Louis" It seems to me that the car couldn't have ended up in better hands and I look much forwards to seeing the car in the flesh. I say Blyton park 2016!

The chassis was in very bad shape and so it was decided to build a new one and keep the original
Picture courtesy Louis Lempereur

The subframe was mounted tilted and was twisted. Remember the donor Mini came from a scrapyard!
Picture courtesy Louis Lempereur

Just one among many surprises: the car came with three 5.5" and one 4.5" wheels!
Picture courtesy Louis Lempereur

To measure the wheelbase the body needed fitting. It turned out the left door was much longer
Picture courtesy Louis Lempereur

Relocated subframe and altered chassis means shorter springs, too...
Picture courtesy Louis Lempereur

...But then, the suspension is totally straight now!
Picture courtesy Louis Lempereur

The new chassis, made in a purpose-built jig looks very light - and strong
Picture courtesy Louis Lempereur

And here the central part of the chassis is now also finished. So far, so good...
Picture courtesy Louis Lempereur

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Resurrected Ogle SX1000 now for sale

April 9, 2015, 5:04 am
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I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon this advertisement for an Ogle SX1000, for sale with Miniya Ai Fragile in Japan. Some eight years ago I saw the same car tucked away in a Tokyo barn with flat tyres gathering dust. Back then I could not even see it had a lovely red interior! It wears chassis number 43 and according to the seller uses a Kent tuned 1100cc engine, which I remember from when I saw it. They say it has been fully restored. Asking price? 5 million Yens - some 28,000 GBP at the moment…

Pretty colour for an Ogle SX1000. What's the history of this one?
Picture courtesy Miniya Ai Fragile

 Engine bay looks spic and span. 1100cc is supposedly Kent tuned
Picture courtesy Miniya Ai Fragile

 Where will it drive to now that it has come up for sale?
Picture courtesy Miniya Ai Fragile

 And this is how I knew it, spotted in a Tokyo barn back in 2007
Picture Jeroen Booij

'TGS 148' was looking pretty much sorry for itself back then
Picture Jeroen Booij

Ogle horse stood fierce even under layers of dust
Picture Jeroen Booij

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Maximum Mini poster available at Blyton Park

April 22, 2015, 6:35 am
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I'm going to Blyton Park and I will bring with me... a great new poster with all the cars as featured in Maximum Mini and Maximum Mini 2. These posters come in A1 format (594 x 841mms) and will be available in a numbered and limited edition at £5.99 each.

Below a full list of the cars that you will find on it:

• ABC Tricar • ABS Freestyle • AEM Scout • AF Spider • Alto Duo • Andersen Cub • ASD Hobo • ASD Minim • Aurora BMC • Autocars Marcos • Autocom Mini Buggy • Beach Car • Beach Car prototype • Biota Mk1 • Biota Mk2 • Boro GT • Broadspeed GT • Broadspeed GT Brian Foley • Brookwell Trifid • Buckle Monaco • Bulanti • Butterfield Musketeer • Camarotta • Camber GT • Codford Mini • Coldwell GT • Cox GTM • Crayford Mini Sprint • DART • Davrian Mk7 • Davrian Mk8 • De Joux Mini GT • Deep Sanderson 105 • Deep Sanderson 301 • Domino Pimlico • Ecurie de Dez • Elswick Envoy • ESAP Minimach GT • Fisher Spyder • Fletcher GT • Foers Nomad • Gecko • Gitane GT • GP Yak • Greenwood Mini ‘sidecar’ • GTM Coupé • GTM Rossa • Hrubon Phaeton / Schmitt • Hustler 4 • Hustler 6 • Hustler in Wood • Hustler Sprint • IGM Minbug • Jackson Sportster • Jiffy • Jimini 1 • Jimini 2 • Kingfisher Sprint • Landar R6 • Landar R7 • Lawther GT • Libra Magnum • Lolita Mk1 • Lolita Mk2 • Magenta • Martini Mini ASC • Maya GT • McCoy GT • Metron • Midas Bronze • Mini Beaver • Mini Jem Mk1 • Mini Jem Mk2 • Mini Marcos Mk1 • Mini Marcos Mk4 • Mini Marcos TransXL • Mini Mare • MiniSprint (rep) • MiniSprint racer • Minissima • Minus Maxi • Mosquito • New ERA Mini • Nimbus Coupe • Nimbus Don Parker Special • Nimrod • NJC Mini • Nota Fang • Ogle SX1000 • Peel Viking Minisport • Pellandini • Phoenix • Quasar-Unipower City car • Radford Mini De Ville Mk1 • Radford Mini De Ville Mk3 • Ranger Cub • Roles XS-3 Roadstar • RTV • Sabre Sprint • Saga • Sarcon Scarab • Scamp Mk1 • Scamp Mk2 • Scamp Mk3 • Sekura Mini • Siva Buggy • Siva Mule • Status 365 • Status Minipower • Status Sabot • Stewart & Ardern MiniSprint • Stimson Mini Bug • Stimson Safari Six • Stimson Scorcher • Stimson Trek • Taylorspeed Mini Jem • Terrapin • TiCi • TXC Tracer • Unipower GT Mk1 • Unipower GT Mk2 • Unipower GT works racer • Whitby Mini-Warrior • Wildgoose Brent Super VEB • Wildgoose Popular 2 • Wood & Pickett Mini Margrave Mk1 • Wood & Pickett Mini Margrave Mk3 • Zagato Mini Gatto

Exclusive Maximum Mini poster, available from your's truly...


And to show you its size, here with your's truly…

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Looking back at Blyton Park 2015 (1)

May 6, 2015, 12:00 pm
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The Mk1 Performance Conversions / Maximum Mini Action Day 2015 took place last weekend at Blyton Park and was another smashing hit. Several people had postponed their entry in the days prior to the event, which made me kind of anxious and we didn't really need our sunglasses (putting things mildly), but despite all that we saw a good turn out of Mini derivatives never the less. In fact there were more interesting cars then I can describe in one blog article, so this is the first of my posts about it - a second will follow later this week, probably a third, too. So let's have a look with the pictures below as a guideline.

My old friend Geoff Hunter (more here) turned up with his lovely Ogle SX1000
Picture Jeroen Booij

Geoff has restored the car recently and Blyton Park was its first longer trip since
Picture Jeroen Booij

Geoff owns the car since 1963, seen here that year with his wife behind the wheel
Picture courtesy Geoffrey Hunter

Writer, journalist, GOMW chairman and ex-Deep Sanderson owner Guy Loveridge is another enthusiast Ogle owner and hopes to have his racer ready for next year's event.
Picture Jeroen Booij

You may know Wil Ker's Nimbus Coupe and that's Wil standing behind it (right). The other man must have been a bit of a surprise for him, though…
Picture Jeroen Booij

…It's Ian Shearer who designed the car back in the early 1980s and now decided to come over (he lives in France most of the time) and have a look. Ian had some great tales to share!
Picture Jeroen Booij

That's Ian with the prototype in 1983. Or actually it was the car he built for himself which more or less accidentally made it to production. A story I'll keep for the near future!
Picture courtesy Ian Shearer

One of Ian Mitcheson's TiCi's was featured in Maximum Mini 1 - he owns three!
Picture Jeroen Booij

This particular car, with ultra-rare hardtop, was actually driven by Sir Stirling Moss at the car's launch
Picture Jeroen Booij

Moss with dolly birds and the car (behind) with the Westminster Palace as a backdrop in 1973
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Perhaps not a real Mini derivative anymore, but too cool not to share here: Pat Ford's KAD space frame racer boasts over 200bhp from a 2.1 litre XE engine
Picture Jeroen Booij

 Co-organizer Pete Flanagan brought his Janspeed tuned Unipower GT and what a treat 
it was to finally see it in the flesh!
Picture Jeroen Booij

Pete did a terrific job on the car's restoration - in fact it's still not totally finished, he says
Picture Jeroen Booij

But it went well on the track, despite a water loss issue from the header tank
Picture courtesy Andreas Klein

Pete's Unipower would have been the obvious winner for 'Best Mini variant' but that title went to this barn find Peel Viking. Only just unearthed but MOT'd and seen driving on the park this weekend!
Picture Jeroen Booij

The Peel's early history is shrouded in mystery, but hopefully we can find out more. I will do a separate article on the car soon, with all known details so you may be able to help, too…
Picture Jeroen Booij

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Looking back at Blyton Park 2015 (2)

May 8, 2015, 1:37 am
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Over to more Mini based cars, seen at Blyton Park during the Maximum Mini / Mk1 Performance Action Day of last weekend (click here for part 1). I agree with Ogle-owner Guy Loveridge who said: "Really great gathering, which the weather did NOT spoil!". TiCi owner Ian Mitcheson wrote to me: "Blyton Park seems to have established itself very quickly" and I can only confirm that. Let's make the 2016 version even better.

Goff Allen's stunning Mini Jem Mk2 came over fresh from its restoration
Picture Jeroen Booij

Back in 1968 Goff bought another Mini Jem from Robin Statham, he shows the original invoice here
Picture Jeroen Booij

He paid 225 pounds for the shell at the time and swiftly built it up from an old Mini. The car was registered XWW 98G and Goff wonders what happened to it after he sold it in 1971. 
Picture Jeroen Booij

Surprise! Colin Baines brought over his Broadspeed GT replica. The car was built in a record time prior to the show, using an original wrecked car from Japan as a template. 
Picture Jeroen Booij

Other then the original, Colin, who owned a Broadspeed GT in the late 1980s, has decided his new car will have a full fiberglass body. And except for the doors, that's just what it is!
Picture Jeroen Booij

You will know that Neville Trickett has relaunched the MiniSprint for some years now and this is a stunning example of one such recently built cars
Picture Jeroen Booij

The primrose yellow suits the car particularly well and is great with the blue/grey interior, I think. But then open the bonnet and you find a seven-port cylinder head...
Picture Jeroen Booij

And what's better then one Trickett MiniSprint? Another two of course!
Organizer Mark Forster's blue car on the left 
Picture Jeroen Booij

While this one is owned by journalist Keith Mainland, here with his lovely wife Angélica,
 who is a veteran on the Carrera Panamericana road race
Picture Jeroen Booij

Ed Darwinkel's beautiful Midas Gold was driven all the way from Rotterdam 
- via Calais-Dover - a 500 mile trip
Picture Jeroen Booij

What would the Blyton Park event be without father and son Wilkins? This is Nick in the Biota Mk2...
Picture Andreas Klein

...And that's Derek in the ex-Cars and Car Conversions Cox GTM, of course driven on the track
Picture Andreas Klein

Another car that was seen on the race track was Paul Ogle's Fletcher GT - 49 years after it was raced for the last time at the Nurburgring - see here
Picture Jeroen Booij

Parting shot - a GTM Coupe, which gave its owner a huge smile on the 
Blyton Park track - that's what it was all about!
Picture Jeroen Booij

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Marcoses gather at Japan Mini Day 2015

May 12, 2015, 2:37 am
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While we had Blyton Park, Japan had its annual Mini Day - the 23rd in row and this time held at Tsukuba Raceway, some 75 kms from central Tokyo. This year saw a particularly nice gathering of Mini Marcoses: six of them in various guises made it for the nice picture below. I recognize some of these cars - the first in line actually is Maruyama's infamous Ford powered 'Shelby Special', while the second and third have come past here, too. Oh - and there appears to be a Mini Sprint at the bottom - maybe this one? When I was in Japan in 2008 I saw two very nice Mini Marcoses, too, but I don't think these made part of the line-up seen here. Perhaps readers will know where these cars are now?

Six Mini Marcoses (and a MiniSprint) in a row along the Tsukuba race track
Picture courtesy Alec Classic Mini 古都鎌倉ア

This Mk2 Mini Marcos was for sale with Turtle Trading in Tokorozawa some 7 years ago
Picture Jeroen Booij

While I spotted this one on Fuji Raceway: a very nice Mk3. It was race prepared
Picture Jeroen Booij

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Maximum Mini posters ready for shipment

May 13, 2015, 5:11 am
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Maximum Mini posters, A1 size - 594 x 841mms, are now ready for shipment to just about any address in a strong carton tube. Prices are £5.99 / €8.50 / $10.00 for the poster itself, but postage makes it more. Including postage and packing they come at:

To the UK

£13.50 for 1
£18.50 for 2
£23.50 for 3
£28.00 for 4
£32.00 for 5

To Europe

€18.50 for 1
€26.00 for 2
€33.00 for 3
€40.00 for 4
€46.00 for 5

To the US

$30.00 for 1
$39.00 for 2
$47.00 for 3
$55.00 for 4
$59.00 for 5

If you want more, just let me know and I'll make you a nice price. All messages please to jeroen@jeroenbooij.com

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Swiss Stimson found - but who knows more about Swiss Mini Bug coffee bar?

May 18, 2015, 4:59 am
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A very nice Stimson Mini Bug has come up for sale in Switzerland, which makes me wonder again about the Swiss-built Stimsons, imported as kits by Carrosserie Brühwiler in Luzern. See here for some more information. Was this car one of the official ones? It may well be. The car appears to have the same kind of spats around the rear wheels as the one on the official picture. Oh - and this one in Switzerland seems to have them, too. But then there's this little plate under the bonnet saying 'Hesteller (builder): Lehner + Kocher'. Who were they? Another plate, on the car's body, says 'Another moulding by Fauchon Plastics Ltd'.

I asked Barry Stimson for a little clearing up and he said: "The Swiss bug looks nice...but sounds a lot of money (they ask 12,500 Euros-JB). Fauchon Plastics is the company I got to mould most of the production cars from plugs and moulds of mine. They moulded Mini Bugs simply for us. They did not have any rights to sell mouldings direct. I may have agreed that they could badge to say 'Another moulding by Fauchon Plastics' - I don't remember… it was all a bit laid back at that time. If it helped them I probably said okay. Or… I suppose they could have sold mouldings without my knowledge, but I don't think so."

But Barry wouldn't by Barry if he didn't come up with a nice little fun fact: "I had only one agent in Switzerland but I also remember there was a coffee bar, in Zurich I think,  called The MINI BUG. The table napkins had graphics depicting a Mini Bug....and a real Mini Bug, minus engine, set on a plinth or pole in the centre of the shop. I don't have any pix anymore…"

Now wouldn't it be nice to learn a bit more about that..? Who can help us with pictures or more information?

Swiss Stimson Mini Bug looks very nice. Note rear wheel spats and front spoiler
Picture courtesy mobile.de

Asking price of 12,500 Euros seems somewhat on the steep side though
Picture courtesy mobile.de

Was it a 'Carrosserie Brühwiler' car? It is said to have a 1976 registration...
Picture courtesy mobile.de

…and a 998 engine. Unlike Mini Bug in Swiss coffee bar, which came without
Picture courtesy mobile.de

Fauchon Plastics did most of the mouldings for Stimson's cars, but didn't sell bodies. Probably
Picture courtesy mobile.de

But who were Lehner and Kocher? Privateers building a Mini Bug for themselves..?
Picture courtesy mobile.de



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One Unipower GT that does survive in Spain

May 20, 2015, 3:28 am
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Not much information comes with these two pictures, but at least it's good to see that 'B-570090' survives. Or seems to do so. It's one of several Unipower GTs that came to Spain. Here's another Barcelona-registered one, plus one from Madrid and another on Madrid plates. Even Spanish EU commissioner Miguel Arias Canete has one! And then there were several Unipowers that were raced in Spain. This one in the '68 Barcelona 6-hour race and the one below at an unknown place and time. More info? You know where to find me.

Barcelona-registered Unipower is one of several cars that made it to Spain
Picture via Xavi Enrich

Dusty but looking good. Who knows more about this Unipower?
Picture via Xavi Enrich

This is believed to be another Spanish Unipower GT, but again, there's no more information
Picture source unknown


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IMM 2015 Lithuania in pictures

May 25, 2015, 3:55 am
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To be honest I didn't plan to come over to Lithuania for the International Mini Meeting (IMM) that took place on a peninsula near Zarasai in the north-eastern part of the country. But when MINI invited me to go it was a chance I had to take, and I am glad I did it! It was a fantastic weekend with several people being brave enough to drive their Mini derivatives over from thousands of miles, too. This is my photographic report about it. 


My favourite derivative duo of the event: the Mini Jem Mk2 of Andy Tyndale and 
Mini Marcos Mk3 of Guy Humphries. Great seeing you there chaps!
Picture Jeroen Booij

The boys drove London-Brighton just prior to bringing the cars over to Lithuania - a jiffy!
Picture Jeroen Booij

Guy showing his latest feature on the Mini Marcos. Air conditioning! And it had three internal positions too: Cabin (as shown); Feet (inside part turned down); Rain (inside part turned up)
Picture Jeroen Booij

Guy and Andy also took the cars to the Autotest to race against each other
Picture Jeroen Booij

The course was very narrow but the boys were pretty quick. Andy was slightly faster if I recall right
Picture Fabian Kirchenberger

But Guy's performance was least as impressive, flying the flag for England
Picture Fabian Kirchenberger

Speaking about impressive: how about a Freestyle driven over from Somerset?! I understand it was the company's owner Dave Smart who did just that, but unfortunately I didn't catch up with him
Picture Jeroen Booij

Now that's a neat idea. And very cheap too!
Picture Jeroen Booij

Your source for obsolete spares - and knowledge! Nick Rogers and Co. were there, too
Picture Jeroen Booij

Another brave traveller - the Mk2 Scamp of Alan Bland, all the way from Cumbria
Picture Jeroen Booij

Alan also took his Scamp to the auto testing track and certainly knew how to use the handbrake!
Picture Jeroen Booij

I catched up with Jouke Boersen and girlfriend Daphne of The Netherlands who brought over their Mini Marcos - an ongoing project with lots of work carried out yet
Picture Jeroen Booij

It's yellow now, but it's had several colour changes throughout the years, as Jouke shows here. 
Thanks for the coffee mate!
Picture Jeroen Booij

Another Mk4 Mini Marcos was bought in Sweden by Jan Pettersson just prior to the event. He lives in France and will now be driving the car back to his French home!
Picture Jeroen Booij

Jan told me he doesn't know much about the car's history but this sticker may suggest it was an original import to Sweden. More info here
Picture Jeroen Booij 

It has a full roll bar and there were several indications of attempts to make it lighter. For racing?
Picture Jeroen Booij

Unusual but very nice rear lights, too. Who knows the source of these?
Picture Jeroen Booij

Nice Dutch registered Domino Pimlico on 13 inch wheels
Picture Jeroen Booij

And a neat Midas Gold convertible from Darmstadt, Germany
Picture Jeroen Booij

MINI of Munich brought the Mengers four-door Mini over to Lithuania, previously seen here
Picture Jeroen Booij

And they were so kind to lend me and a colleague this car to tour Lithuania. This local lady liked it
Picture Jeroen Booij

And then she wanted to show us her place and offered us coffee and biscuits. There was, however, a bit of a language barrier - putting things mildly
Picture Jeroen Booij

Fortunately this duo of youngsters walked past and were happy to act as translators. After the coffee we gave them a ride to their home in the Mini, which they loved!
Picture Jeroen Booij

Lithuania is beautiful and the Lituanians are friendly people. The event took place on a peninsula close to Zarasai which turned out to be a fantastic spot for a meeting like this
Picture Fabian Kirchenberger

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Radford Minis reappear in all sorts of conditions

May 29, 2015, 2:27 am
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Three Radford Mini DeVilles have reappeared recently with all of them totally different in appearance and condition. First of all there is a rare Mini traveller based DeVille about to be ready from a total refurbishment. You may remember a French registered car turned up in the UK some three years ago (see here), but this one seems to be slightly earlier. According to Steve Burkinshaw 10 Travelers and / or Countrymans may have been converted in total, of which he knows about 5 survivors. The one below was new to me. It's a cracking car in deep black with the signature wicker work and some unique features, like the split 'clam shell' tailgate with low window and ivory leather interior, which suits it beautifully. I understand the car is in its last stage of a full restoration at the moment - and still is in the UK. It will be great to see it back on the road.

Left hand driven, like the French car that came to the market three years ago
Picture courtesy Neville Smyth

It is believed some 10 Radford Mini DeVilles came as a Traveller or Countryman
Picture courtesy Neville Smyth

This car is almost finished after a full refurbishment. Note the 'clam shell' tailgate
Picture courtesy Neville Smyth

Interior was given the full Radford treatment, too, including burr walnut and electric windows
Picture courtesy Neville Smyth

Secondly, a Mini DeVille with 1071 power has been found in a derelict state and is also bound to be brought back to its full former glory soon. The car is right hand driven, bronze coloured and said to be complete. Last but not least a well-known 1967 coachbuilt Mini with the hatchback and Mercedes headlights conversion has come to the market and has already been sold again. The car in question is believed to have started life as a Wood & Pickett Mini Margrave that was later given a makeover by Radford and Co. The vendor, based in Scotland, advertised it with some gorgeous pictures!

Golden discovery: Morris Cooper 'S' by Harold Radford, soon to be restored
Picture courtesy Neville Smyth
 
Work in progress. This one is right hand driven and comes with 1071 engine
Picture courtesy Neville Smyth

Duotone green/silver is great. Mercedes headlights, but fortunately not the Mercedes grille like this one
Picture courtesy carandclassic.com

The advantage of a full Webasto roof: you can make some great pictures of the sumptuous interior
Picture courtesy carandclassic.com
 
Hatchback conversion is said to have been carried out later in its life by Radford
Picture courtesy carandclassic.com

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Landar R7 found in German lock-up

June 1, 2015, 5:31 am
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A Landar R7 (one of 4 built), which turned up in a German television show last week could be a car that previously made it to these pages (see here and here) but I'm not sure. Reader Thomas von Kreisler thinks it is. He wrote: "I found the lost Landar R7. It is in Düsseldorf Germany since the 70s. The owner hill climbed it and it has been in his shed ever since. He is in his seventies now and sold it in a television show in his yard for € 5500. The car has an A-series 1275 engine (possibly Formula Junior) with Hewland gearbox, which was missing although a box of ratios came with the car. Best wishes - fantastic books - thank you for the nice work, Thomas."

I found out that the show is called 'Der Trödeltrupp' ('The Mess') on channel RTL2, which broadcast the episode with the Landar last Friday, but unfortunately couldn't any more information on the car in relation to the programme. I did find one picture of it, which shows the car with a white body. Could it be the car from the brochure as shown below? That appears to have been white, too.


This Landar R7 was supposedly sold for 5500 Euros from a German lock-up
Picture courtesy Good Times Fernsehproduktion

The car shown in the brochure and a few magazine reports was white, too
Picture Jeroen Booij archive


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Mystery Mini derivative (42)

June 4, 2015, 2:51 am
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It's been a while since a mystery motor made it to these pages, but here's another. This car was spotted at the London to Brighton Mini Run, last May and I am rather intrigued by its odd shapes and proportions. The registration TNG 696G was issues to a red Morris Mini Estate in 1969, but that is hardly recognizable, isn't it? The flowing wings reminded me of the Austin A40 Dorset, but according to Craig Jarrett, who also spotted it at Brighton's Madeira Drive, most of the mods where carried out in fiberglass. Answers, so far, have not been given, while there was an extensive build sheet placed in front of the creature. Somebody must have read that…?

Long nose with separate wings and headlights, wood, wicker and a top hinged tailgate... 
Picture source unknown

…the 1969 Morris Mini Estate is not easy to recognize in this intriguing creature
Picture courtesy Jono Barber

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