Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #77

Not one but two Bulanti Minis found in Australia!

New pictures of that Mini Marcos in Africa emerge

A very sunny Cub Six, also known as the Sundancer

Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #71

 

Back to back: Midas or Marcos?

Mini Marcoses at Techno Classica Essen 2025

Aussie Nunan Special, back end finally revealed 

Hooper Mini Moke comes out for the season

Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #65

Spring is in the air: project cars update (Ogle)

Spring is in the air: project cars update (Marcos)

For sale: Mini derivatives Down Under

Reptune Gullwing: yes, they really were built!

Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #41

Yet another Ogle SX1000 barn find!

New info on Prince Troubetzkoy's coachbuilt Cooper

Great film footage of Australia's fastest Mini in 1968

Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #30

1970 Stunners: Sonny and his Unipower GT 

Agricultural mysteries: frontal-, central and rear wheel driven

Mini Trafalgar Coupe in Australia

Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #28

IMM 2024: full story from the Mini Ice Cream Van's owner

Ogle 70 Meeting at Knebworth Park coming closer 

A comprehensive look at 4 different Mini Moke based Roadsters

Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #23

Minis at the 'Ring (4): Martini Mini ASC in 1964

MiniSprint Travellers in Australia

What exactly is this mould..?

Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #2:

Celebrity owned Mini Jems

Is this the sole surviving Status RR Mini front end?

...And that's a period picture of it...

Famous Foley Broadspeed GT restored Down Under

DeJoux and Fang for sale in the Antipodes

New Zealand's best known Mini based sports car has to be the DeJoux Mini GT; Australia's the Nota Fang. And in both countries one of each is offered now for sale. The DeJoux is listed as a 1971 'unfinished project', but it seems that most of the hard work has been done to it and comes with a long list of brand new parts, including just about all the mechanical stuff needed as well as a laminated windscreen plus a mould for the rear window. It is fitted with a (non-homologated) roll cage. The price of 15,500 NZD seems absolutely fair to me. See the ad on Trademe in New Zealand here. 

The Nota is least as bright green in colour and was seen for sale at a show in the Sydney area recently. I don't think there is an ad for the car, but I seem to recall this to be a well-known car in Nota circles and I'm sure if you cannot read the phone number in the windscreen but are eager to contact the seller, you will be able to find him through the Nota Sports and Racing Cars Group's Facebook page here.

Made in New Zealand and now for sale in New Zealand: a DeJoux Mini GT

Picture Trademe.co.nz

A whole lot of work has gone into this car, but it needs some finishing touches

Picture Trademe.co.nz

Engine is a 1275 A+ from a 1989 MG Metro with a long list of goodies bolted on

Picture Trademe.co.nz

You'll have to like that: the interior is fully 'caged', modern racing seats added

Picture Trademe.co.nz

Made in Australia and offered for sale there now: a Nota Fang, one of 108 made

Picture Sydney Minis

Rear engined, these cars were built between 1968 and 1975 in Parramatta

Picture Sydney Minis

This surely looks to be another 1275 engine with another dual Weber carburettor

Picture Sydney Minis

The car was named the Nota Type 4 officially, but is better known as the Fang

Picture Sydney Minis

Easter racing through the 1960s

What to do in the long Easter weekend? Well, there was a time when you simply took your Mini based sports car, drove it to the racing track nearby, changed the tyres on the spot and gave it some good trashing during one of numerous Easter races organized. See a selection of photographs below. 

Have a good Easter!

Easter 1964, Bob Henderson in his Minnow GT at the Brands Hatch circuit

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Easter 1964 also, Chris Lawrence in the Deep Sanderson 105 at Mallory Park

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Easter 1967, Brian Foley behind the wheel of the Aussie Broadspeed GTS

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Easter 1968, Peter Garrad's girlfriend in the Buckle Monaco LMS at Hume Weir

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Easter 1972, Michael Gill in the Minilan at Bushy Park on Barbados

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Bulanti Mini SS resurfaces

A rare Bulanti Mini SS that hasn't been heard of for a long time resurfaced in the hands of Peter Della Valle last weekend. Peter wrote: "We finally have one of the three cars and most of the moulds home. Now to remove the rat poop and go through it. It looks surprisingly better than we thought it might. We have compiled a fair bit of information now but any more info/stories would be much appreciated."

The rear engined Bulanti Mini was made in a quantity of just three by Brian Rawlings, who ran Bulant Motors in Annangrove, next to Amaroo Race Park in New South Wales, Australia. This particular one is the first one with an aluminium body and it is also the car that was featured in Maximum Mini 1, as photographed by Craig Watson at the time. Peter ads it is fitted with 1000cc engine and he plans a restoration of the car: "I look forward to hearing more about the history of them and keeping a record as a lot of the people that were involved in these type of things are sadly getting old and we are losing knowledge."

I couldn't agree more. A bit more Bulanti history can be found here as a start.

Australian Bulanti Mini SS stood for many years but is now off to a new home

Picture Peter Della Valle

 'KGV 775' is one of just three cars made. The whereabouts of the other two are unknown

Picture Peter Della Valle

 This car was made with an aluminium body, 'production' cars came in fibreglass

Picture Peter Della Valle

 Peter's car was the one seen in Maximum Mini also, but hadn't been heard of since

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Summer's over but the pictures remain

That seemingly endless summer of 2022 has now really come to an end. These will probably be the last pictures of a lovely season, found on the web by myself or sent over to me by others. Enjoy.

Richard Ellis drove his Jimini to the south of France. The dog came along...

Picture Richard Ellis

...as came the roof tent. That's clever camping

Picture Richard Ellis

Mini based three-wheeler spotted by reader Chris Clifford earlier in September

Picture Chris Clifford

It's a Skip, one of 4 or 5 made in Durham in the late 1980s

Picture Chris Clifford

Paul Blank wrote: "This specially converted Mini Van was used for hot dog sales 1980s and 1990 in Perth, Western Australia"

Picture via Paul Blank

Paul: "Traded as 'Dan The Hotdog Man'. I found these pictures on Perth Reflects page, with no useful information. I remember the van being in use outside night clubs"

Picture via Paul Blank

Meanwhile, a Ranger Pick Up needing lots of work was found by Mark Law in Canada

Picture Mark Law

This lovely Ogle SX1000 changed owners for the first time since 1963! 

Picture CCK Historic

New owner Jason Dalton brought it to the workshop of CCK Historic for some tuning 

Picture CCK Historic

And the last ice cream of the summer of 2022 comes from a Vendavans Ice Cream Van

Picture Steve Rendle