Ogle prototype resurfaces - not for the faint-hearted

An Ogle SX1000 that was a bit of a mystery to me for many years has now resurfaced. I was made aware of the car when I was sent a picture of it back in 2013. The car was then spotted when its elderly owner, mister Colin Wells, went to a parts shop and a Maximum Mini reader saw him and had a little word. Wells kept the car for the next few years, owning it for more than 50 years in total. But being now almost 90 years old he stopped driving and so the time had come for him to part with it. Two weeks ago a new owner was found in great Mini enthusiast Andy Varnam.

I'd already noticed that the car's front as well as it's rear lights had been changed, and there were some other unusual things, too. These changes were mostly made by mister Wells who seems to have kept the car on the road on a shoestring. But this Ogle is a bit of a special one anyway as it appears to be chassis XPT1 - that has to be for Experimental Prototype number 1. Together with an even earlier second prototype that makes it Ogle history. 

There's no doubt the car is overdue for a major restoration, though, and in the two weeks that Andy now owns it he certainly hasn't taken half measures. By this time he's separated body and chassis - or what is left of that. Mister Wells, at some point, decided to sandwich the original steel (Mini) floor between layers of fibreglass matting underneath and inside. That may have kept the Ogle together, but when taken apart the remaining floor turned into dust! No problem for Andy, he says, who's cracking on with the restoration at a pace you won't believe. Once a new floor is fitted he is hoping to build it up this summer again and aims for September to have the car ready! He's keeping the 998 engine it came with, which was rebuilt not too many miles ago. Keep up the great enthusiasm Andy!

This very tired Ogle Mini - used as an everyday car for over 50 years - is in fact a prototype

Picture courtesy Andy Varnam

Andy Varnam took it over from Colin Wells, who is now approaching 90 and stopped driving

Picture courtesy Andy Varnam

This is the picture I was sent in 2013. Note changed rear light clusters and modified front

Picture Richard Hawcroft 

Here in Andy's garage, the modified front is better visible here. Restoration about to be started

Picture courtesy Andy Varnam

Andy started with taking it apart two weeks ago, the rear lights one of the first things to go

Picture courtesy Andy Varnam

And it didn't stop there. Over the years loads of modifications had been carried out on this car

Picture courtesy Andy Varnam

But the most revealing job came when the body was separated from the chassis...

Picture courtesy Andy Varnam

The original steel floor, sandwiched between fibreglass matting, was non-existent anymore. Just dust!

Picture courtesy Andy Varnam

Front subframe is still held with bits of the chassis. Andy will keep the 998 engine

Picture courtesy Andy Varnam