Some interesting news has found its way to me regarding the Reptune GT, the Mini based sports car made in the Canada of the mid-1960s by the late Dennis Prophet (more here). First, a message came in from Joy Prophet. She wrote: "Good day Jeroen, My name is Joy Prophet and I am married to Louis Prophet, Dennis's youngest son. We just got to see the lovely article you wrote about dad. Thank you for that. But I would like to talk to you about an article you wrote about Stirling Moss's Ogle SX 1000 Mini (this one here). We may be able to shed some light on the history of this car. Feel free to call me or Louis to discuss. Sincerely, Joy Prophet."
And so I called Joy first and then Louis to hear what he had to tell. He said: "Ah, the Ogle SX1000. Dennis bought that car from Stirling Moss. This must have been in the early 1960s. Dad had bought this car and had brought it over to Canada. He ended up using that to build a plug for the Reptune GT, which you will be able to recognize in it. But they also stripped it of its interior and I still have the upholstery. I don't know where the mould for the GT ended up. But the Ogle got sold to Bob Dogson and I remember he was in this big building when we dropped it off. He had crates full of Lotuses of which he didn't even know what colours they were. It was in Burlington. I still have a shell of a Reptune GT that's never been built up as I have the upholstery of the Stirling Moss car."
Well, that was an interesting phone call!
I never knew the Reptune GT actually had ties that were that close to the Ogle SX1000, but now that I have looked better I feel stupid never to have made the connection before. Even the kink in the rear side window is there. I have looked up some pictures of both models from the same angles to show below. Have a look yourself. It would also be interesting to find out more about the history of the Moss Ogle, since it appears to have made its way from the UK to Canada while it's in Japan now (click here), although without its original interior or so it seems. Meanwhile, the moulds of the Reptune GT have been unearthed also, but that's for the next time!
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And so I called Joy first and then Louis to hear what he had to tell. He said: "Ah, the Ogle SX1000. Dennis bought that car from Stirling Moss. This must have been in the early 1960s. Dad had bought this car and had brought it over to Canada. He ended up using that to build a plug for the Reptune GT, which you will be able to recognize in it. But they also stripped it of its interior and I still have the upholstery. I don't know where the mould for the GT ended up. But the Ogle got sold to Bob Dogson and I remember he was in this big building when we dropped it off. He had crates full of Lotuses of which he didn't even know what colours they were. It was in Burlington. I still have a shell of a Reptune GT that's never been built up as I have the upholstery of the Stirling Moss car."
Well, that was an interesting phone call!
I never knew the Reptune GT actually had ties that were that close to the Ogle SX1000, but now that I have looked better I feel stupid never to have made the connection before. Even the kink in the rear side window is there. I have looked up some pictures of both models from the same angles to show below. Have a look yourself. It would also be interesting to find out more about the history of the Moss Ogle, since it appears to have made its way from the UK to Canada while it's in Japan now (click here), although without its original interior or so it seems. Meanwhile, the moulds of the Reptune GT have been unearthed also, but that's for the next time!
Take a good look at the Reptune GT (left) and the Ogle SX1000 (right) and see the similarities
Pictures Jeroen Booij
Front and rear of the Reptune GT have been heavily modified but the Ogle was used to plug a mould
Pictures Jeroen Booij
Different front end doesn't give away the Ogle breeding easily. This Ogle was used to plug a mould
Pictures Jeroen Booij