These days my mailbox gets jammed with press releases that are related to the upcoming Amsterdam motor show that is held close to my home. I am not much interested in the 'AutoRAI' as it is named but I'm sure I would have been 40 years ago, when Biota launched their car on this particular show, and brought over from Dinnington a Mk1 with hardtop giving the little Mini derivative gull wing doors. I have never seen such a hardtop fitted to a Biota and doubt if they ever sold any. But fact is that the little roadster managed to attract some buyers in The Netherlands, proving that marketing does sell cars!
I know of four cars on Dutch grounds and there may even be more. The yellow Biota Mk1 registered '48-72-RR' made it to my book as did the unregistered red car. That is in fact the very last Biota Mk2 ever built and comes with full Cooper S spec. It was never put on the road and remains unregistered to this day.
UPDATE 9 July 2012: Another Biota Mk2 surfaces in The Low Countries. Click here
Biota ad that proudly mentions the Amsterdam Motor Show
Dutch Biota Mk1 that made it to the book. It's a lovely car
Another Dutch Biota Mk1. Unfortunately I have never seen it in the flesh
This Dutch owned and registered Biota is a Mk1 with Mk2 nose
Still unregistered, the very last Biota resides in The Low Countries too
FA-91-80 was originally a '65 Morris Cooper S and was sold by the original owner via Marktplaats in 2010.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Any chance of more information on its current whereabouts?
ReplyDeleteHi, i have a Gullwing Hardtop if anyone would like pictures or spec.
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteI know this is along time ago but I am very interested in this hardtop.
You can contact me via the Dutch Biota website: http://www.biota-kitcar.nl/
Kind regards,
Peter
Thank you for your message. If you send me a picture or two and a few words about it at jeroen@jeroenbooij.com , I will add it to the for sale section of this website.
ReplyDeleteHi, I own the red Biota, as yet unregistered. I am trying to put it on the road and get a Dutch license plate. We have some difficulty getting the cooling right. Anyone else having this problem?
ReplyDelete