Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #100

 

 Maximum Mini Find of the Year 2025: These are the candidates

Camber GT and Maya GT: windscreen and its origins

Twin-engined Bufi-Mowog in action in 1968

Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #47

Found film footage identifies that Peel Viking

New pictures of Scottish Stimson Mini Bug racer

Unmolested Mk1 Mini Scamp for sale

Works transporter Scottish style

This picture, shared on Facebook recently, was just too good not to show here also. That's the Stimson Mini Bug racer of Vince Gonelli on the back of a Ford Thames van that was converted in a pick-up. Gonelli ran Custom Hot Rodding in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the Scottish agent for the Stimson cars. He was undoubtedly on his way to or from an autocrossing event here. Love it! More pictures and info about Gonelli's Stimson agency here . Could his old racer 'SSF 872H' survive?

Custom Hot Rodding works van and racer on their way in the early 1970s

Picture Facebook

Autocrossing 1967

Thanks for several messages with links to two lovely videos from the 1967 Players No.6 Autocross Championship, showing some great action filmed that year. There's a number of Mini based cars to be seen in action and one of them is the infamous 'Golden Egg' as it was raced by Paul Kerridge. I'd like to do a more comprehensive article about that car soon.

Other brief but worthy appearances were filmed in Stafford and come from a Peel Viking with (fake?) number plate 'RED 1' (it's not this car is it?) and a typical autocross Special made by getting rid of as much of the Mini's bodywork as possible. Like Kerridge, the guy who races that thing is really pushing it! Last but not least there's what looks to be a home made but never the less very nice MiniSprint registered 'TON 1', too. Enjoy!

7616 RW became better known as The Golden Egg, raced by Paul Kerridge

Picture Roscoe Films / Hamish Racing / Youtube

This Ogle SX1000 was very successful in the hands of Kerridge of Shellford

Picture Roscoe Films / Hamish Racing / Youtube

It was built up using a crashed Mini Cooper with 1275 tuned by Don Moore

Picture Roscoe Films / Hamish Racing / Youtube

But what have we got here? Yes, that's a Peel Viking. Not so sure I've seen this one before

Picture Roscoe Films / Hamish Racing / Youtube

Could 'RED 1' be its real registration? Could it be this car in an earlier stage?

Picture Roscoe Films / Hamish Racing / Youtube

One of quite a few autocross Specials build from a Mini with very little bodywork left

Picture Roscoe Films / Hamish Racing / Youtube

It looks like a number of similar cars: the Clegg Special, Nova Special or LEDA1 

Picture Roscoe Films / Hamish Racing / Youtube

And another super cool registration: TON 1 is on what looks to be a home made MiniSprint

Picture Roscoe Films / Hamish Racing / Youtube

Video Roscoe Films / Hamish Racing / Youtube

Video Roscoe Films / Hamish Racing / Youtube

Autocrossing a Peel Viking

Stephen Callow recently contacted me about Timeire, the Special built by Tim Conroy (see here), but the conversation moved towards Peel Vikings soon and more particularly towards Vikings on the Isle of Man. Stephen owns a Viking himself and lives on the island. 

But before describing his and other Peels from from the Isle of Man, let's have a look at one local car first that was perhaps a bit of a legend on the island for a while. Stephen sent over an interesting picture of that: "This was Mike Hewison’s Viking local autocrosser with some flames!"

I did recognize the car from a shot in The Filby Files, when Peter Filby wrote about it: "There's only one example left on the island and, as you can see from the action shot, it's got much the same problem as a Manx car, only at both ends. It's path in life is as a very quick autocross Special shared by James Howe and Philip Speedie. I know it's quick because the lads let me trash it around a large field recently vacated by several cows. Dung racing I think they call it."

I think Hewison must have crossed it after Howe and Seedie did? I also have a picture in the files of what is believed to be the body of this particular car, but I can't remember where I got it from, so do let me know when it was you. Stephen said: "Must be tucked away in the garage with Mike’s other Mini’s – he has a lovely Sprint and some nice Mk2’s." As always, more information is much welcome.

A Peel Viking autocrosser on the Isle of Man, as it was raced by James Howe and Philip Speedie

Picture The Filby Files / Jeroen Booij archive

This surely must be the same car? "Mike Hewison’s Viking local autocrosser with some flames!"

Picture courtesy Stephen Callow

And is this the body of the same car again? I forgot who sent it to me...

Picture Jeroen Booij archive / source unknown

Dutch Twini scrapped - but picture emerges

Years ago I was told about a one-off twin-engined Mini special, built in The Netherlands in the early 1970s by the late Jan Slotboom. Arch Mini enthusiast Sipke Blom was the one to tell me about it and also added that he'd owned it at one time and - to his own shame - scrapped it. He really regretted that and also for not even having a picture of it either.

But I did find out a little more, as I contacted the son-in-law of Slotboom back in 2015, who remembered it well then. He told me: "It started when we found out about rallycross in the UK, broadcast by the BBC television. We really liked it and helped to promote a similar series in The Netherlands. David van Lennep was the main promotor behind it. At first it was all very amateurish, but then there was the Dutch ace driver Jan de Rooy who had a four-wheel driven DAF."

"My father-in-law thought he could make something like that and came up with the idea of the Twini, which used two 1100 engines. It was made with the rally cross in mind and I remember we tested it on the A50 motorway here in The Netherlands, which was under construction at the time. It came with a simple aluminium body and was very fast. It did especially well in the mud, but there were always troubles to synchronize the gearboxes. My father-in-law passed away in 1991 and the Twini went on to Sipke."

Sipke Blom now contacted me again as the son of the man I spoke to, now found more on the car after all. Sipke added: "He says there are more pictures and even film footage which I hope to see soon. This photograph was taken at the Valkenswaard circuit in 1971, when the car came first in the Special class at the Dutch Rallycross championship. The two 1100 engines came with very special cylinder heads with the biggest valves I have ever seen, even in 1300 engines. Although I still very much regret to have scrapped the car, the son has now at least become really enthusiastic and I hope to see more of it soon."

Dutch Twini was built with Rallycross in mind and won the Special class in 1971

unfortunately it was scrapped later in the 1990s

Picture via Sipke Blom

The car's builder Jan Slotboom, seen here, was a real British car enthusiast

Picture via Sipke Blom

"The 1100 engines came with very special cylinder heads with the biggest valves I have ever seen"

Picture Sipke Blom

Mystery Mini derivative (46)

Another mystery Mini derivative and yet another autocross Special. No information is known about this one, so feel free to help with anything. People, location, details. All I recognize is the A-series engine and the Dunlop wheels. Most of this autocross Special is also still shrouded in mystery, as is this one and this one...

UPDATE 21 January 2021: Correct picture source now added. Have a look at Jalopydays for much more pictures like this. Thank you Shirley for allowing me to use it. The car is not an autocross racer but an autograss racer.

A Mini based autograss Special, somewhere in the UK in the late 1960s / early 1970s

Picture Shirley Dalley / Jalopydays

Autocrossing an early MiniJem (4)

I would never have thought the MiniJem to be a suitable contender for auto crossing but, hey, I was wrong! A single photograph of a Mk1 Jem doing just that (click here) proved it could be done not so long ago. And it even lead to former owners coming in and telling about the restoration of the car (here) or about flying it at high speeds over dirt tracks (here).

Now… these great photographs of another MiniJem doing the same thing were unearthed recently. And I'll be damned if this isn't another rare Mk1! The pictures were taken by Chris Higginbotham in the mid-1970s on a track named Warburton. But that's just about all that we know. Wouldn't it be nice if more info on this one followed, too..?

Action! Another MiniJem in a field. This was at Warburton and the car looks like another Mk1

Picture Chris Higginbotham

Added air holes and knobbly tyres. Could this MiniJem have survived the rough mid-1970s?

Picture Chris Higginbotham

Red paint is coming off, but that doesn't withhold this car from flying over the fields

Picture Chris Higginbotham

Autocrossing a MiniJem (4)

I would have believed that auto crossing a Mini Jem was something unheard of of, but that proved to be a mistake. We saw a Jem in fields and on the grass track here, here and here. And that wasn't all of it. Chris Higginbotham shared some photographs of another Mini Jem being used non anger for just that. It's a Mk2 I think and the track is Warburton, but there's no more information than just that. But then this went for the other car until recently…

Mini Jem in action during an auto cross in the mid 1970s. Red paint is coming off...

Picture Chris Higginbotham

...Knobbly tyres and added holes. Could this Jem have survived the 1970s at all?

Picture Chris Higginbotham

These pictures were taken at Warburton track but that's about all we know

Picture Chris Higginbotham

Autocrossing an early Mini Jem (3)

And the messages regarding the Mk1 Mini Jem that was auto crossed in the late 1970s and early 1980s continue to come in! (See here for part 1 and part 2). This time the news comes from the Hawkins family themselves, who auto crossed it. John Hawkins wrote: "Hi Jeroen. Great to see your articles. Here's our part. Jeff Hawkins was a local clubman driver from Neath, South Wales. He crossed over from road rallying to autocross which was popular in the 1970s to mid 1980s. He was employed at Cam Gears/TRW at Resolven and they sponsored the car. The Jem was bought for £150 via Motoring News as a basic rolling shell which had been used for autocross. It had a hand beaten basin for the drivers head to clear. It was featured in Rally Sport magazine quiz which asked 'What type of car is this?', complete with Cam paint colours."

"We developed the car by swapping all running gear from our Mini. 'S' front brakes, alloy rear back axle, full cage, which was our own design, with the top extended to top subframe mounts. This was to stop the windscreen moving, as pointed out by Ian, as the front pillar had internal damage. Engines ranged from 1,310 - 1,340 - 1297 to 1293. Jeff was a class E BTRDA champion front wheel drive over 1300 class. We also built our own Mk2 Mini Jem road car, which we purchased from London. This was registered 'AAR 8K', which we eventually sold in the 1970s in the Cardiff area (that raises another question!-JB). I have attached two photos but am in the process of digging out more. Thanks. John." Well, thank you John, for clearing up a bit more of a most intriguing autocross entry!

High flying Jem: Jeff Hawkins auto crossed the Mini Jem and had no fear in doing so!

Picture courtesy John Hawkins

Jeff Hawkins worked at Cam Gears/TRW and became BTRDA champion in the front wheel drive over 1300 class - Class E. Seen here with one of his trophies and the Mk1 Mini Jem

Picture courtesy John Hawkins

Autocrossing an early Mini Jem (2)

Earlier this month, I wrote about an intriguing photograph of a MiniJem Mk1 in a 1978 autocross - see here. I hoped somebody would recognize the car and tell a bit more about it. Well… I didn't have to wait long! Ian Davies wrote: "Hello Jeroen. Thank you for you interest in the autocross Jem. I have attached some images of the car as I bought it, then a few of it in restoration, though the methods used are a bit primitive, the end result was acceptable. The original semi short stroke engine was built by Bob Fowden in Llanelli. He is still rallying!  I ran the car with a 998 on twin SU carbs. The early Jem had real issues with headroom, especially when wearing crash helmets, hence the roof bumps. Jeff Hawkins and his brother, John I think?, used the car in the BTRDA autocross champs for 1977, '78 and '79. He told me that he actually made money from sponsors and prize money! If I remember right, he won his class in the 1979 championship."

"I took the car to Le Mans in 1989 and used it for 6 months on the road, then was tempted to sell after trying out the white Mk2 in the image. This belonged to Chris Merrick from Stroud. He went on to hillclimb in the British championship for many years and now circuit races a historic single seater. I am in the process of rebuilding the Mk2 to carry on hillclimbing. I currently hillclimb a single seater in the 1100cc class, quick enough but the cars lack character. Hope this info is helpful and good luck with the Le Mans Marcos. I used to own a very early Marcos chassis 6009. Sold to fund house purchase - it was a small house!" Thank you very much Ian, for this lovely story. And keep in touch if you ever come across another Mini-powered hill climber!

UPDATE 27 March 2017: More old stories from the horses' mouth about this car. Click here

Another photograph of the car at the Wildcam Autocross, this one dates back to August 1977

Picture courtesy Ian Davies

This is how Ian found the car in the 1980s, still in its autocross livery and needing serious work

Picture courtesy Ian Davies

The methods used were a bit primitive, says Ian, 'but the end result was acceptable'

Picture courtesy Ian Davies

The roof bulges, added for head clearance, gave the car a new nickname: Mae West

Picture courtesy Ian Davies

ACY 33E in april 1989 - taxed and MOTd again. The wind screen proved a headache as the car had been rolled at some time in its life, pushing the pillars out of line

Picture courtesy Ian Davies

The wheel arches needed serious repair, too, as the fronts had been cut to accommodate

 13" mud and snow tyres!

Picture courtesy Ian Davies

May 1, 1989 at the Singleton Park Show. Ian changed they colour from light blue to dark green

Picture courtesy Ian Davies

September 1989, just before the car was sold. It supposedly lives in japan now. 

Let me know if you have seen it recently

Picture courtesy Ian Davies

Ian's Mk1 Mini Jem, together with the Mk2 Mini Jem of his friend Chris Merrick

Picture courtesy Ian Davies

Autocrossing an early MiniJem

We saw Mike Brown's MiniJem moulds and possible works racer earlier this week, but how about this photograph, sent over to me by Nick Yarrow? It's of a Mk1 Jem being autocrossed at Wildcam in 1979. Driver is believed to be Jeff Hawkins, who was the BTRDA Autocross champion of 1978. I couldn't find anything else on him in the Maximum Mini files, but did find another photograph of a Mk1 Jem in autocross. This one taken much earlier, in July 1967 at Orchards. It may be the same car? Registration is 'OLL 390E', which is a London number issued that same year. Who knows more about it or them?

UPDATE 15 March 2017: Ian Davies shares his anecdotes and photographs of the car with us! Click here

UPDATE 27 March 2017: More about the car from the Hawkins family themselves. Click here 

Early MiniJem being in Wildcam autocross in 1979. Does it survive?

Picture via Nick Yarrow

And could this be the same car, snapped 13 years before? Registration is OLL 390E

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Racing a Stimson Mini Bug - not without trouble!

You think buggies are for posers? Think again as some were raced. Stephen Lawrenson got in touch recently to tell he owned a Landar R7 at one stage and carried on about his adventures with a Stimson CS+1 - the competition version of Barry Stimson glorious Mini Bug. Stephen bought that car after he'd heard of autocrosser John Bevan's exploits in one. He wrote: "I wanted a Marcos but couldn't afford one, when I read about Johns Bevan's Stimson. I thought now this could be a good thing to race because it was so light. The donor car was a 1962 Mini Cooper 997 but I used a 1071 S engine and sprinted and hill climbed the car for two years when the body was shot after me rallying the car for two or three years prior. I then changed the engine to a screamer 999S to race in up to 1000cc, which proved to be a good idea. With help from a friend we built it up from my Cooper. I managed to get a sponsor with MiniSport of Padiham to help with the cost of racing."

But then trouble started. Stephen: "John Bevan's car was sponsored by Cars & Car Conversions back in the early '70s and he used this car to win a championship in either '73 or '74, I think in autocross at a National level. When I bought my car it was the same as John's but when we went to an RAC meeting  they said it was a go-kart because the wheelbase was too short! We contacted Stimson in Portsmouth but they didn't want to know. I said they would be when I contact the RAC to say that John's car was illegal and the winning car was a go-kart. They then said not to say anything and made extension brackets to lengthen my car. It only needed to be 1" longer. We did the change to the radius arms and had to make mudguards to comply with the regulations as well. I hill climbed and sprinted the car for 2 years with class wins with a Cooper S 999. Then I sold the engine and wheels and the body to my friend Eric who converted it to a road going Stimson. Then I bought the Landar R7 in 1975/1976…"
Thank for sharing your stories and pictures Stephen!

Stephen Lawrenson at speed in his Stimson CS+1 racer, built after John Bevan's

Picture courtesy Stephen Lawrenson

Lightweight and short wheelbased - only a go-kart was shorter - just an inch...

Picture courtesy Stephen Lawrenson

Sponsored by Mini-Sport - the car's lengthened wheelbase is good visible here

Picture courtesy Stephen Lawrenson

Especially when you compare it to John Bevan's unaltered car on this picture

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Mystery Mini derivative (31)

This is certainly not the best designed of Mini derivatives, neither the prettiest. The idea must have been simply to take an axle grinder and get rid of as many original body parts as possible, loosing as much weight as possible but not too much of the basic structure. Wings were replaced by something preventing the mud from flying into your face, and there must have been something of a 'rear deck'. Is it named 'Fargo Tiger'? The paint scheme certainly fits that name. But for the rest this is an unknown car at an unknown autocross event, probably somewhere in the 1960s...

UPDATE 8 April 2013: Richard Hawcroft wrote: It looks to have started life as a van, judging by the wheel base – look at the length of the sill. I think he's right!

'Fargo Tiger' autocross special is, erm, somewhat rough around the edges

Picture courtesy Richard Heseltine

Mystery Mini derivative (25)

Well well. Here is the 25th mysterious Mini derivative that I'd like to share. And there are many more Mini based cars of which next to nothing is known - by me at least. This 25th certainly fits that bill, too. It came via regular reader Roald Rakers and may not be the prettiest of cars, but then beauty is in the eye of the beholder I hear you think. And right you are, as this oddball is interesting never the less. It looks to be an autocross special and is said to be Mini powered, although the front suspension appears to have been sourced from another car. Could it be another Status Minipower chassis (one here and perhaps another here), built up by a privateer in the 1970s? All I have is a name, and what a name it is. This, boys and girls is the Gallopping Maggot. It has 'Chess Valley' written on its Spartan body, which may suggest something about its wherabouts? Who knows more about it?

'Galloping Maggot' looks uncompromising. could its chassis be a Status Minipower? 

Picture via Roald Rakers

Mystery Mini derivative (13)

Attention to all mudpluggers: what is this car? It is said to be Mini based, and the wheels certainly give an indication to its motorisation, but that is all I know. Could it be one of the twelve chassis, built by Brian Luff in the early 1970s to become a Status Minipower? Fact is that some of these very ingenious chassis' were built up with self-designed bodies and used for autocross racing. So who will say?

Could this Mini based autocross special be based upon a Status Minipower chassis?

Whatever happened to Bufi Mowog?

I love magazines. Motoring magazines. Old motoring magazines, and have far too many.
Hot Car is a favourite publication as it wrote a lot about unusual and DIY-built stuff of the sixties and seventies, when wrecked Minis were cheaper then chips.

One of the more obscure cars that made it to the hallowed pages of that mag was a mean looking Mini derivative with the incredible name 'Bufi Mowog' that came with twin engines and was meant to terrorize autocross. In fact it even made it to the October 1968 cover of the mag under the telling heading 'Twin-engine Terror'. According to Hot Car the mean looking chariot was built in three years time in Barnt Green near Birmingham by "Rally Champion Tony Fisher and Dave Butterworth. 'Fi' for Fisher, 'Bu' for Butterworth and Mowog for all those BMC parts."

The four wheel driven car was powered by a 1071 Cooper S engine from "a works prepared Alpine rally car" at the front and a blown 1100 with automatic transmission at the rear. It must have been a pretty scary machine to drive but reputedly it did dominate the Nationbal Autocross championship during the season.
The strange thing is that it never reappeared after its Hot Car claim to fame. Was it wrecked? Could well be. But it could just as well have been driven into a shed after its late sixties autocross victories.

Could Barnt Green still be hiding its outlandish automotive secret?

A ghostview drawing of the frightful Bufi Mowog

Courtesy of Hot Car magazine