Commemorating the Maya GT's creator on World Animal Day

Today is World Animal Day, which just has to be a particular good day to commemorate George Holmes. Holmes was the man behind the Camber GT and it's later incarnation the Maya GT. That was in fact named after his wife’s riding horse and the car was given a new logo with a running horse, not totally unlike that of Ford’s Mustang. That's one. But what may make it even more suitable is that Holmes was tragically killed in a road accident in 1968 while driving his own Maya GT. He saw an injured bird on the road, stopped and went out to rescue it. But another driver had not noticed him and ran him over, killing him on the spot. What a sad end for a great animal lover!

Maya GT, named after George Holmes' wife's horse. He was killed rescuing a bird

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

I found that a great number of Mini based cars were actually named after animals. This is my list of them:

AF Spider

Andersen Cub 

Ashley Gnat 

Austin Ant 

BAL Salamander

BSE Badger 

Badsey Eagle 

Bandicoot Mini 

Banham Bat

Banshee 

Brookland Swallow 

CJC Bison 

Capricorn 

Cavallo Estivo 

Charlatte La Puce 

Dandy Dragonfly 

Deerstalker Mini 

Domino Pup 

Dougal Bug 

Everson Cherub 

Fargo Tiger Special 

Fireball Midget 

Firefly 

Flying Falcon 

Galloping Maggot 

Gecko 

Gnat 

Grantura Yak 

Hare 3-wheeler 

Hollier Mosquito 

IGM Minbug 

Ibis 

Kingfisher Sprint 

Ladybird Special 

Leonhardt Tiger 

Luna Bug 

Lynx 

MG Wasp 

MMP Gnat Sports 

Mamba BLMC 

Mini Beaver 

Mini Mongrel 

Mini Mouse (UK) 

Mini Mouse (US) 

Mini Mutt 

Mini Puma 

Mini Robin 

Mini Shark 

Mosquito 

Octapus 

Onyx Bobcat 

RD Wasp 

Ranger Cub 

Redbird Mini 

Sarcon Scarab 

Scorpion Mini 

Seagull 

Silver Flea 

Siva Mule 

Stimson Midi Bug 

Stimson Mini Bug 

Stimson Snow Bug 

Terrapin 

Wildgoose