How an unbuilt TiCi in the USA links to Brabham and McLaren

Avid Maximum Mini enthusiast and multiple Stimson cars and TiCi owner Paul Wylde wrote to me a while ago: "How about this then J. The rights to the TiCi were sold back in 1974 and now live in the States with a man who brought them back in 1974 along with a car that he still has. I have asked him for more info too, as he was a good friend of the designer. He used to visit the factory in Bourne when they were making them on several occasions and there is a connection with James Hunt with them too." 

Well, that was interesting! Here's what followed from the man in question, Rodney Butterfield: "My car was acquired direct from Anthony Hill himself when I was at Loughborough University in Leicestershire in 1974. He lived in the adjacent village and that’s also where all the remaining assets of TiCi were stored when the company was liquidated. I began to build the kit in 1975 using the mechanical parts from a Austin Mini Van that I owned at the time. Interestingly the Mini Van was one that I’d bought from another F1 race mechanic when I went to work at McLaren Racing in 1972, and it was the ex-Brabham parts collection Van before being relocated to McLaren at David Rd, Poyle trading estate. I now believe it was the test mule that was used at McLaren to get downforce numbers for the rear wings and which is featured in a photograph of that testing expertise to be found in the McLaren history books. Kinda cool story all these decades later. I never completed the build I’d started in the 1970’s, partly because it was too small to take my 6’2” frame, but I’ve kept this TiCi ever since, and it came to the USA with me when I moved here in 1992. It’s now stored in the restoration shops I own in Forest City, North Carolina. That’s the whole story. I probably still own the company name of TiCi as I bought all the remaining assets out of the bankruptcy in 1974."

What a great story! I'd seen a picture of the Mini Van with massive rear wing for aerodynamic testing before and include a copy below. It makes this TiCi not the first Mini based car with a link to McLaren cars. The Gordon Murray-built IGM Minbug was of course another. And there was also the one-off Twini-Scamp built by McLaren engineer John Hornby. Thanks Rodney and thanks Paul!

Together with the rights and assets, this unbuilt TiCi was sold to Rodney Butterfield in 1974

Picture Rodney Butterfield

The build was started in 1975 and the car was brought along to California in 1992, but never finished...

Picture Rodney Butterfield

..."Partly because it was too small to take my 6’2” frame, but I’ve kept this TiCi ever since"

Picture Rodney Butterfield

The car was acquired direct from designer Anthony Hill who lived in the adjacent village 

Picture Rodney Butterfield

The Mini mechanicals came from a an Austin Mini Van "bought from another F1 race mechanic"

Picture Rodney Butterfield

It was in fact this: the ex-Brabham parts collection Van and later McLaren test mule Mini Van!

Picture Hemmings