Maximum Mini

Wednesday, 25 May 2022

Stimson Safari Six turns up at show

You may have come across one or two Stimson Mini Bugs, but chances of it being a Mk1 are very low. The early Mk1 cars were only built for a very short period of time in 1970/1971. Of the approximately 180 Bugs built in total, just some 20 were Mk1s with their sharper body edges and different detailing. Survivors are very rare.

But one great looking example of such a car has turned up recently in the East of England. Multiple Stimson car owner and great enthusiast of the marque, Paul Wylde, contacted me about it: "Hi J. Look what has just come out of its hiding place. It's been locked away for years and the best one I have seen. It's a Mk1 Minibug that's been in the family of the owner for years and he will not part with it. I have only ever seen one other Mk1 survive."

The car's owner added: "We've had the car in the family since the early 1980s. I'm just trying to decide what to do with it. It was in my late dad's garage and has not run for years." I love it!

Rare Mk1 Stimson Mini Bug survives in what looks to be a great condition

Picture through Paul Wylde

Roll over bar and plastic windscreen were original extras at 7 and 8 pounds respectively

Picture through Paul Wylde

Now that's simplicity! This Mk1 Mini Bug looks very original to me

Picture through Paul Wylde

Engine is an 850 from a 1961 Austin Mini and the car is registered as such

Picture through Paul Wylde

Monday, 23 May 2022

Could this wreck be Laurence Harvey's Mini Margrave? UPDATE: Not Harvey!

I may be on to something here. A Wood & Pickett Mini Margrave that has been offered for sale on Ebay recently could hide an intriguing past as I think its original owner may have been the actor Laurence Harvey. Harvey reputedly had Wood & Pickett commissioned to coachbuild not one but two Mini Margraves for him back in the late 1960s. The cars had minor differences and were registered 'KUM 1' and '1 LPJ' at the time. The latter was deep dark brown in colour and famously used in a W&P promotional picture with John Paul (click here) while it was also used in promotional photo shoot when Harvey picked it up.

Later a number of Wood & Pickett Minis made it to the Mini Festival at Brands Hatch. Harvey's '1 LPJ' was there together with a sister car registered 'SLW 25F', and I believe this may very well have been 'KUM 1' on a new registration. The two look very similar to me, perhaps only apart from their registrations. Both have no mirrors, no arch extensions, a sun roof, the same grille, same chrome side strips, same badges, same aerial, same Shadowlite windows and of course those oblong headlights and spots in the grille. Do have a good look at the pictures and let me know what you think.

UPDATE 13:20: Stop press. 'KUM 1' was not sold to Laurence Harvey when it was new but to His Highness Mohamed Bolkiah of Brunei!

That's a Wood & Pickett Mini Margrave with the oblong headlights conversion

Picture Ebay

Just like Laurence Harvey's. As a matter of fact I believe these two actually are the same

UPDATE: Not Harvey's but His Highness Mohamed Bolkiah of Brunei

Picture Jeroen Booij archive / Ebay

Actor Harvey had two Minis converted by W&P at the same time. 'KUM 1' was one of them

It was seen on Wood & Pickett's price list for 1970 as shown here

UPDATE: Not Harvey's but His Highness Mohamed Bolkiah of Brunei

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

The same car again in front of Wood & Pickett's Park Royal, London premises

UPDATE: Not Harvey's but His Highness Mohamed Bolkiah of Brunei

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

And the other one when mister Harvey collected it at Wood & Pickett's in 1970

The actor had just broken a leg. This car was registered '1 LPJ' but wore fake plates 'LH 1J' too

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

'1 LPJ' was also famously used on this Wood & Pickett promotional picture with John Paul

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Over to the Mini Festival at Brands Hatch, supposedly 1968 but probably later. I think the car on the left is 'KUM 1' re-registered 'SLW 25F' as it is virtually similar. Harvey's other Margrave on the right

Picture Jeroen Booij archive / The Filby Files

Same plate. 'SLW 25F' is still with the Mini Margrave from the Ebay ad

Picture Ebay

So... is 'SLW 25F' actually 'KUM 1' as it was commissioned by Laurence Harvey?

I cannot be 100% sure but I do think it is

UPDATE: Not Harvey but His Highness Mohamed Bolkiah of Brunei

Picture Ebay

Friday, 20 May 2022

Dutch Mini Marcos history unravelled (1)

When Mini Marcos-aficionado Joost van Diën suffered from Corona a month ago and had to go in quarantine for some time, he decided to see if he could find out a little more on the background of his yellow Mk2 Marcos. After all he knew the car had probably spent all of its life in The Netherlands, but its history was still mostly unknown to him. Well, he got more than he bargained for after asking around. In fact he got in touch with the family of the car's original owner, Kim Koopman, who were equally surprised to find out the Marcos survived as Joost was to hear from them!

The man himself had passed away, but his relatives were eager to arrange a meeting and so Joost went over to catch up with the family and the man who'd helped Kim to build it: Thys Pollé. Thys remembered the car particularly well and was happy to be interviewed. He told Joost that he and his mate Kim went to the London Motor Show in 1967. Together they ordered a new shell in early '68 through the newly appointed Dutch concessionaire Sportscar Import in Haarlem, not far from where they lived. In fact they ordered two shells, one for another friend too, both in yellow. They were told there was a delivery time of 6 to 8 weeks, but when the duo hadn't heard a thing after 13 weeks of waiting, they decided to write to Jem Marsh. A neat answer was typed out on Marcos Car Ltd. paper but still the two men had to wait until mid-1968 for the body to arrive in their hometown of Halfweg. But then the build started using Kim's 1965 Mini Cooper as a donor vehicle. There are some pictures of the build, as there are some of Kim driving the just-finished Mini Marcos on the Zandvoort track in order to get his racing license in early '69!

It takes the Dutchmen another two years to get the car fully ready for racing, but then it's looking mean with flared arches, metallic blue / matt black paint applied by their mate Piet Walraven and the 12" rose petals taken over from Tonio Hildebrand's Broadspeed GTS! (here). What's more: the Marcos is by that time equipped with a Don Moore tuned 1295cc 'S' engine, which came through the ART (Algemeen Racing Team) and it was believed to be very quick, too. The Marcos made it to a number of races throughout the '71 racing season, all at Zandvoort, and finished second in class in May while coming home 6th overall in August that year. The Koopman's turned out to have plenty more pictures of the Marcos being raced and in the pit at Zandvoort. One shows it on the track with the white/green ART Mk1 Mini Marcos also. Kim Koopman sells the car in 1972 never to see it again. But its history does not end there. More to follow!

That's how the shell arrived from the UK to The Netherlands. It remains unclear if this is the Koopman car or the second one sold through Sportscar Import of Haarlem at the same time