Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #121

More Mini Jem from Canada

Blyton Park Action Day 2026

New Zealand motoring history for sale

Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #24

Restored Méan Sonora BMC spectacularly presented

Events: from Blyton Park to Shelshley Walsh

New film footage of MoBi-One found

Season in swing

It's been some time since us like minded were allowed to meet up, so now that we are the Mini derivatives are coming out of their hiding again. Below some great pictures shared by others and brought together here for your enjoyment. Hope to see you at an event soon. 

Not one but two Minus Maxis at the Stoneleigh kit car show last weekend!

Picture Paul Wylde

And a lone TiCi in the morning waiting for its Mini based friends

Picture Paul Wylde

And flying the flag for the Scamp Owners Club: a lovely Scamp Mk1

Picture Rollo James Alderwick

More Mini based madness inside the agricultural halls: a Hustler Sports

Picture Richard Porter

A GTM at the Mk1 Performance day at Blyton Park 2022. What a paint job!

Picture Andy Barrass

Out for a sunny spin in his Mosquito: Damien Lescroart and daughter

Picture Damien Lescroart

Offered for sale in New Zealand: a genuine Broadspeed GT 

Picture Kelly Ann Brass

And a Broadspeed GT replica that has just been finished in Germany

Picture Doc Mabo

Blyton Park 2019

So I wasn't present at Blyton Park or at Stoneleigh Park this year. A shame, I know. But fortunately one of my most avid readers was there and sent over some photographs. Rolf Roozeboom wrote: "Miss you, Jeroen, but can manage without you!" Thank you very much indeed. Over to the pictures!

Local man Goff Allen has become a real regular at Blyton. This year his Jem won Best Variant

Picture Rolf Roozeboom

Now that's a wedge! Kevin Murray's Status 356 was a real crowd puller

Picture Rolf Roozeboom

Kevin managed to finish the car just in time for the event en ran it on the track

Picture Tony Bucknall

I understand that certain people in Scotland make jokes about the Status, hence its nick name

Picture Tony Bucknall

Not one but two MiniSprints from France! Brought over by Nicolas Pinon

Picture Matthijs Fokkens

And a lovely Mini Minus in its full fibreglass glory

Picture Rolf Roozeboom

Plus another. This one is owned by Jonathan Faulkner

Picture Rolf Roozeboom

Another Blyton regular and local - John Fischer with the Peel Viking rescued last year

Picture Rolf Roozeboom

Perhaps not the first choice to use as a towing vehicle!

Picture Tony Bucknall

Peter Skitt's Cox GTM is a lovely project car

Picture Matthijs Fokkens

Guy Loveridge brought over his Ogle SX1000. He wrote: the SX1000 is a lot more sorted now, had you down for some laps..."

Picture Tony Bucknall

Midas Bronze of Joël Notermans from Belgium

Picture Rolf Roozeboom

Organizers Pete Flanagan (left) and Mark Forster (right) with guest speaker Christabel Carlisle

Picture Rolf Roozeboom

Blyton Park 2019 - without me but with Maximum Minis

Oh dear, I should have mentioned this before! I am not going to Blyton Park this weekend for the first time in the six years existence of the Mk1 Performance Day. I am really sorry for all those who wanted to have a chat with me and talk Maximum Mini there, but I really need to focus on my work and save some money for the Le Mans Mini Marcos project. Making over the trip from Holland to sunny Lincolnshire is one of the highlights of the year but it's a costly affair also.

Fortunately I have spoken to several people who are going over, some of them who will bring their Mini derivative, too. One of them is Scotsman Kevin Murray who you may remember from his space framed racer (click here and scroll down to see the man at Blyton two years ago, and here if you want to know more about the car). Kevin has been working hard to get a Status 356 finished in time for the event and he appears to have succeeded very well. He sent me a little teaser of the car on the dyno and added: "A taster. Lovely flat torque curve and 82 bhp. Sufficient!" I asked for some more and he came with pictures of the car being loaded on his trailer and ready to be transported to Lincolnshire. So... Kevin and all others, I hope you have a great time at Blyton and don't forget to let me know how it was. I'll be there the next year once again!

Loaded up and ready to go to Byton Park this weekend: Kevin Murray's Status 356

Picture Kevin Murray

Although still unregistered, a Status 356 is a rare car, especially a finished one that drives too!

Picture Kevin Murray

Kevin will be driving his at the track this weekend. It produces 'a lovely flat torque curve and 82 bhp'

Picture Kevin Murray

Blyton Park 2018: the cars (well, some of them)

Last week we saw some of the people coming over to sunny Lincolnshire, now it's time for a closer look to some of the cars, notably Tim Harber's Biota, Frank Hubbard's Oyler Contessa and Tim Carpenter's Unipower GT.

Tim Harber had been trying to buy this Biota for the past two years, but it was only days prior to the Blyton Park event that he struck a deal. The car hadn't been on the road since 2003

Picture Jeroen Booij

It wears a Mk2 nose, but it is in fact a Mk1 car, perhaps a bit of a hybrid like this one?

Picture Jeroen Booij

Interior is all standard with the typical 'Clam seats' and unusual gearchange pattern

Picture Jeroen Booij

To Tim's own surprise the car started almost on the button. Engine is a standard 1100

Picture Jeroen Booij

When did you ever see two Biotas on the track? It happened at Blyton Park...

Picture Jeroen Booij

Frank Hubbard's Oyler Contessa was beautifully restored in under 18-months period. Body, with all seams removed and typical vinyl roof were in remarkable good state

Picture Jeroen Booij

All original parts that could be maintained were restored, only mod is that Frank didn't use the Wolseley Princess grille that it came with - he didn't like that 

Picture Jeroen Booij

It had just passed the 25,000-miles mark when Frank bought it. Interior is very richly equipped

Picture Jeroen Booij

Oyler of Halifax coachbuilt very few cars. This one came about in 1978. By 1981 they'd gone

Picture Jeroen Booij

Oyler's centre badge shows a naked lady. Not even a Rolls-Royce has that!

Picture Jeroen Booij

Tim Carpenter is seen here having thoughts on how to repair his car. What went wrong..?

Picture Jeroen Booij

Well, hammering it down on the track caused serious cracks in the top of the left hand side rear suspension mount, as can be seen here

Picture Jeroen Booij

Having planned to drive it back home to London that afternoon and not wanting ‘to sleep somewhere on a Lincolnshire airfield’, Tim took his car to the Mini grass track racers who were on the other side of the circuit. They welded in a new mount on-site!

Picture Jeroen Booij

A couple of days later I received a message from Tim: "My race fabricator friend made some really nice new suspension mounts for my car. When we looked, we saw that the other side was starting

to crack as well. The new ones are much more substantial so should last another 50 years at least!"

Picture Tim Carpenter

Blyton Park 2018: the people

A report in pictures of what was - by far - the sunniest Mk1 Performance / Maximum Mini Action Day at Blyton Park so far. For now I'm focussing on the people who took their Mini based cars to Lincolnshire, up next is a report with more about their vehicles.

After two years of negociating, the always enthusiastic Tim Harber had finally secured this Biota! The deal was struck three days before the event. More about the car in the next article

Picture Jeroen Booij 

Goff Allen and his MiniJem with my co-driver Rolf Roozeboom, who kindly invited me to join him to Blyton Park this year. I would not have been there without Rolf!

Picture Jeroen Booij 

I was really pleased to meet Frank Hubbard, who'd beautifully restored the Oyler Contessa coachbuilt Mini in less then 18 months. It's a real stunner - more to follow

Picture Jeroen Booij 

If you ever wondered where all the moulds for Mini based cars went: this is the man. Tony Bucknall of ABS Motorsports and partner Duls. Tony's latest acquisition: the Stimson Mini Bug moulds

Picture Jeroen Booij 

Tim Carpenter took his gorgeous Unipower GT to the track and certainly did not show it any mercy. It led to a cracked suspension strut, which was welded on-site. More to follow

Picture Jeroen Booij 

Bill Bell proudly standing next to one of six 1959 Mini Moke prototypes, which was used all day as a course car! On the bonnet the prize for Best Mini derivative, although I wouldn't class it as such!

Picture Jeroen Booij 

The Moke on the track with the day's co-organizer Pete Flanagan behind the wheel

Picture Jeroen Booij

John and Elaine Fischer had taken several of their cars to Blyton. They drove the Crayford Mini Sprint themselves. The car was restored in record time from total wreck to show stopper

Picture Jeroen Booij 

David Dunnebier and Peter Camping with Peter's trusty Midas Gold convertible. These guys make it from Holland to Blyton Park every year and are the ultimate Maximum Mini supporters!

Picture Jeroen Booij 

Alan Page with his Mk2 GTM Rossa. The car had just been finished from a restoration and now benefitted from 1380 power. It was used all day on the track, too

Picture Jeroen Booij 

Another Rossa, but this is a rare Mk1 with the original smooth front (and rear) bumper as designed by Richard Oakes. Owner Kevin Knipps standing proudly next to it here

Picture Jeroen Booij 

Peppermint freshness - lovely Heerey GTM owned by David Edwards had been to Blyton Park before but it was great to see it here again

Picture Jeroen Booij 

Tim Harber was not the only one taking a Biota to the event - Robert Scott was there also with his Biota Mk2, seen here during the parade lap...

Picture Jeroen Booij 

...And back to the paddock. Robert's co-driver had to get out to give him a little hand!

Picture Jeroen Booij 

Prizegiving! Left to right 'Jumping' Jeff Williams, John Fitzpatrick, Anita Taylor and Frank Hubbard, who won the Car of the Day title with his Contessa

Picture Jeroen Booij