Thursday 22 September 2016

The sad remains of Blackwatch 1

It's not the first time a Mini based oddity ends up on Ebay in a real sorry state. That happened now to the vehicle known as Blackwatch 1. Conceived and built in Leeds on a 1975 Mini 850 base, the car used a three-wheeled chassis of steel tubing and plain sheet aluminum body with a flat glass windscreen. It was sold to a farmer in Northwich, Chechire in 2005 still with its registration LDN 295N, but moved on soon after that without the number. Now that it's offered for sale again in Tiverton, county Devon, it's even much more naked with not much of its mechanicals left. See the ad here. There was also a sister car, known as Blackwatch 2 and also a three-wheeler, now with the number KDN 595N. The last trace I have of that dates back to 1998. Who knows more?

The leftovers of Blackwatch 1. A unique Mini based three-wheeler using Mini 850 mechanicals
Picture courtesy Ebay.co.uk

It gave joy to someone one day, but that looks long gone now. Also: what happened to Blackwatch 2?
Picture courtesy Ebay.co.uk

9 comments:

  1. 2 wheels at the front and 1 at the rear?

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    1. hello graham thank you for the imforation on my blackwatch 1 that i have just bought and im going to restor the 3 wheeled mini based car do you have any more imforation on the blackwatch please ,regards barrie

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    2. Hi Barrie, how's the blackwatch project going? If you still own it and want to sell it I would be very interested in owning it again. Cheers.

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  2. hello i am the new owner of this blackwatch 1 ,it is a poor stake as you can see in the pictures ,but it is such a rare car i think it deserves to be saved i have applied to dvla for the v5c that has been lost the reg number that was present with the car is LDN 295N last taxed may 2012 ,but mot expied june 2007,DVLA Dates never add up ,i know there is also a sister car ,but not know for a few years now ,but still may turn up ,any imforation would be very welcome ie pictures or any imfo regards barrie

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  3. I am the owner of LDN 295N I bought this car in 2013 and have the V5 in my name. I was rather cross when DVLA contacted me to say that someone had claimed ownership. I had 14 days from their letter to respond otherwise the v5 would have been issued to the claimant. Just as well I was not on holiday. It is a strange and fragile system that allows ownership to be so easily lost. How can the registration LDN 295N have been with your car when it was with the car that I bought, together with the registration plates and V5?

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  4. hi anonymous this is very strange as they only made 2 blackwatchs i have the first one reg LDN 295N i can supply pictures ,can you ?also what have you put the registration plates on , DVLA are very intrested ,looking forward to you replys ,barrie

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  5. Hi, I owned this car (in Leeds) in 1990/91.
    I would be very interested in buying it again if it was to be available. David 07836 565342. Cheers.

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