Monday 4 April 2011

Today, 40 years ago

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

6 comments:

  1. FA-91-80 was originally a '65 Morris Cooper S and was sold by the original owner via Marktplaats in 2010.

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  2. Thank you. Any chance of more information on its current whereabouts?

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  3. Hi, i have a Gullwing Hardtop if anyone would like pictures or spec.

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    1. Hi,

      I 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

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  4. 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.

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  5. Hi, 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?

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