Dikki Nener contacted me about a mysterious coachbuilt Mini that has come up for sale recently. It looks not unlike a Wood & Picket Mini Margrave, but must have been built by a different converter. There is a badge on the car of 'MM Coachtrimmers of Watford', but this doesn't ring any bells here. There's the one-off MM Mini Land Rover and the Mini Mouse with its 'MM' badging (see Maximum Mini 3 for both), but these seem very unlikely to link to this car if you ask me.
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But the Watford link may prove to be more revealing, since NJC Car Conversions Ltd. were also based in Watford, and the NJC Mini they built also had many similarities to the W&P Mini Margraves. Dikki said: "Yes I was just thinking the same, but there seem to be a lot of trimmers around the Watford area even now... But maybe it was pre-NJC and made by one of the founders? It looks to have been commissioned by H.R. Owen through Heron, which was also owned by HRO."
A rusty rolling shell with some of its interior still in place - the Mini is worse for wear as it sits now. But it comes with a few photographs taken in its heydays in the mid-1970s when it looked very distinct. The car came deseamed with an ivory coloured fabric roof, widened arches, Champagne coloured paint and a lavish interior in what looks to be ivory leather, walnut veneer and brown velvet. The finishing of the fabric roof is not unlike that used on NJC's Minis either...
Who knows more about this interesting car..?
Mystery coachbuilt and Heron-supplied Mini looked like this in the mid-1970s. Not a W&P
Picture via Dikki Nener
Front breaths Wood & Pickett but it's not that. Badging says 'MM coachtrimmers of Watford'
Picture via Dikki Nener
Not quite so lavish at the moment although it must be a challenging project
Picture via Dikki Nener
Champagne colour seems nowhere to be found now. Interior is partly there
Picture via Dikki Nener
MM Coachtrimmers Watford. Who were they? Is there a link to NJC Car Conversions Ltd.?
Picture via Dikki Nener
Lavish interior is clearly different to that of Wood & Pickett, but also to NJC Minis
Picture via Dikki Nener
Ivory leather, brown piping, walnut veneer and brown velvet. This was not everyday's Mini
Picture via Dikki Nener
Note similar finishing of fabric roof on c-pillar of NJC Mini (left) and mysterious MM Mini
Pictures Jeroen Booij archive / Dikki Nener