Meet the 1963 MiniSprint

You and I know the MiniSprint as the Neville Trickett Mini-variant with its low roof- and waistline, built from 1965-on. But did you know that two years earlier another MiniSprint had been there? Or, well, the idea for one? I didn't. Reader Kees Plugboer sent in an article from a 1963 magazine which mentions the car as an idea by a certain John M. Hill of Wednesbury, Staffordshire. The article also mentions "What we are doing is passing on a rumour for precisely what it's worth, together with some thoughts of our own."

It goes on: "The car is roofless, with a low laminated glass shield replacing the original screen and fixed side windows cut to give an uninterrupted line, racing car style. Low heavily bolstered hug'n'hold individual seats for the driver and one passenger replace the rather skimpy standard items, and a carefully shaped steel tonneau welded-in where the back seat used to be makes the entire tail-section even stiffer then it used to be."

"So you're sceptical. So you think the MiniSprint, even if it exists at BMC, will join the Issigonis beach car in the prototype garage as a one-off diversionary doodle? Frankly, so do we. But even if a production version never reaches your friendly Morris dealer, we see nothing tos stop you doing the job."

And indeed, I do believe that some cars like John M. Hill's MiniSprint did materialize, the creations by Paul Banham and Dierk Mengers spring to mind, but I wonder if there were any of them dating back to the 1960s also? Feel free to share what you know.

The MiniSprint, as thought up by John M. Hill in 1963 - 2 years before Neville Trickett's MiniSprint

Picture Small Car magazine, via Kees Plugboer

Unlike Trickett's MiniSprint this one came as a roadster or speedster. Well, I don't think it came...

Picture Small Car magazine, via Kees Plugboer