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Happy Easter 2018
I have some very good news coming up about the Le Mans Mini Marcos project soon, but will be hunting eggs this weekend first. Oh, more information about the picture below is welcome, too. It was...
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The Unipower GT - size wise
Thought Minis and Midgets were small cars? Think again. The picture below - taken from The Motor magazine - shows that a Unipower GT is in fact quite a lot smaller. Lower at least! I've added another...
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Le Mans Mini Marcos: Progression, finally!
Yes, this is the update on the Le Mans Mini Marcos project that I promised last week. There is news, and it's good news, too. Some of it focusing on the car's past, as I am continuing to research its...
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Butterfield Musketeer prototype snapped
While reading about the Tornado Talisman recently I came across some cool pictures of the car in its prototype stage at Williams & Pritchard's workshop in Edmonton, London in 1961. But hang on,...
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Stimson collection up for sale
Paul Wylde reports about a collection of six Stimson Mini Bugs in Bedfordshire that he's been offered recently. He wrote: "I have been contacted by a guy selling his late dad's collection of Mini Bugs,...
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When a Porsche designer retires...
It's surprising how many great names in the world of automotive design have been involved in Mini based cars. ex-Lotus men such as Brian Luff, Paul Haussauer, John Frayling and Arthur Birchall. But...
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Oldest known Mini Marcos is under restoration
An interesting message from Japan comes from Bunzo Yasuda, who - just like me - is restoring a Mk1 Mini Marcos. His car was imported from the UK in the 1990s when it still wore its registration 'BYA...
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Peel Viking: the Dutch demonstrator (3)
Ah - the Dutch Peel Viking that went back to its original caretaker after a 49-year hiatus. Read all about the car's history in part 1 here and to find out about its survival and re-discovery click...
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Beaulieu goes Mini based
Last week I received a message from Tony Salter, who is organizing the Mini Cooper Register’s Beaulieu day on 10 June 2018. He wrote: "Each year we try and focus on a particular group of Minis and this...
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The Bee Gee's Broadspeed (3)
Two more pictures have emerged of the Broadspeed GT owned by Bee Gee's drummer Colin Petersen (more of them here and here). Said to be the last GT built, the car was registered GKV 55D and was last...
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Japan Unipower GT is alive and well
It was a long time since any news was heard from the red and silver Unipower GT (chassis number 4) that was previously owned by Simon Lee of Salisbury, who was the chief engineer at Janspeed at the...
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Le Mans Mini Marcos: floor repairs
Time for another update on the Le Mans Mini Marcos project. I am ever so happy with my new body builder, who is doing a fantastic job so far. After having filled a majority of the holes in the correct...
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Earley Heerey GTM resurfaces in South-Africa
Mini based cars are everywhere and Leon Daniels recently found an early Heerey GTM in South-Africa. He wrote: "Whoops, I did it again! This was going cheaply so... I am asking around if anyone knows...
View ArticleBlyton Park 2018 is on its way
It's about time I started writing something about this year's Blyton Park action day, isn't it? To be honest, I wasn't expecting to come over to this lovely event this year. I'd used up my ferry ticket...
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Another Beach Car resurfaces in southern France
Another Mini Beach Car, one of 14 made, resurfaced in the south of France recently, when it was offered for sale and sold swiftly. Beach Cars are a rare species and when one made it to auction in...
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Biota's aerodynamic testing
Rob Mellaart, who worked as an apprentice at Biota's in Dinnington in the late 1960s/early 1970s, dug up two fascinating pictures of a Biota Mk1 car on the motor way during aerodynamic tests. The car,...
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Blyton Park 2018: the people
A report in pictures of what was - by far - the sunniest Mk1 Performance / Maximum Mini Action Day at Blyton Park so far. For now I'm focussing on the people who took their Mini based cars to...
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Blyton Park 2018: the cars (well, some of them)
Last week we saw some of the people coming over to sunny Lincolnshire, now it's time for a closer look to some of the cars, notably Tim Harber's Biota, Frank Hubbard's Oyler Contessa and Tim...
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The Mini based Beach Buggy that never was
Remember former Lola engineer Peter Comben and his home-built MiniSprint? (Click here for the full story). Well, the Sprint wasn't his only Mini based creation. The man built a beach buggy, too, using...
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Barn find: another Peel Viking
Stop press! Another Peel Viking has emerged from a barn! You will remember the one that I found recently in Germany (full report here), just months later it's time for a similar car. I got in touch...
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