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Tuesday, 4 October 2022

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

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