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
1 LPJ WAS SOLD ON TO AN EDINBURGH GENTLEMAN AND IT WAS PARKED EVERY NIGHT IN PRINCES ST OUTSIDE A SHOP CALLED ROMANES AND PATTERSON.
ReplyDeleteIT THEN HAD THE REG NO CHANGED TO 1 RJX
I think that there were two 1 LPJ cars. The picture from Brands Hatch is 1968, they only held Mini Festivals in 1967 and 1968. The car next to the Oldsmobile has Dunlop D1 wheels and waistline trim. The car showing Mr Harvey with the broken leg has Minilite wheels and no waistline trim.
ReplyDeleteAlways interested to read a theory. From my knowledge (so far, willing to be corrected) Lawrence Harvey had two W&P Mini's, a 1966 Austin Cooper S registration NPL 660D in a Rolls Royce golden sand colour with a red leather interior and a 1970 Mk 2 1275 S painted in Sable brown to match his Rolls Royce Cloud 3. The Mk 2 S is photographed with the reg LH1J but after Harvey's death was sold to Albert Montague and had the registration AM 77. The car later was sold again to someone in the Isle of Man where it was re-painted Snowberry White. The last reg number seen on the car was HCC540J. The mini in the WP advert and the John Paul promotional photo have vinyl going down to the boot lid, neither of Harvey's minis look like they did.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing the gold mini with the initials LH on the driver's door parked at film studios in Elstree around 1971. Sion Blake
ReplyDelete