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

Find of the Year 2023: the candidates

Ho-ho-ho, it's that time of year again! The time to traditionally decide which has been the best find of a Mini based car in the past 12 months. We've been doing it for the last 13 years, but this is the first time the poll is sent to the Maximum Mini Newsletter subscribers first. But... the more the merrier, and the better for the poll's results, so let me know what you think, too. 

You will know the drill by this time: the car with the most votes simply wins the 'Maximum Mini Find of the Year 2023' title. Over to the five selected candidates: Just drop me a line below, on Facebook or through my e-mail to tell me which of these is your favourite.

A Siva Buggy that has been hiding in a barn since 1982. Full story here

A Mk1 Biota put away in storage by its first owner in 1974! Full story here 

The first of the Bulanti Minis resurfaced in Australia in February. Full story here

 Not exactly a barn find, but thorough research revealed this Mini Marcos to be the 

actual 1967 Targa Florio car. Full story here

Original USA sold Ogle SX1000 has been languishing in Pennsylvania. Full story here

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

Bulanti straight from the moulds

A rare picture taken in Annangrove, Australia in 1971, where Brian Rawlings built his Bulanti at the time. Rawlings' workshop Bulant Motors was located next to Amaroo Park raceway in New South Wales so track testing wasn’t too much of a hassle. 

Apart from the aluminium prototype only two more production cars were made with fibreglass bodies and I think the one seen here has to be one of these. Is the white car on the second pictures the same? The last picture was sent to me some years ago and I don't know its source, so do let me know if it's yours. More Bulanti articles can be found here. 

A rare Bulanti is made in Annangrove, Australia in 1971

Picture Mark A McGuire / Aussie Independant Car Community

Same car or another? Just three Bulantis were made 

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Bulanti builder calls in!

Things can go rapidly on the net. I have been trying to find out more about the Bulanti, built Down Under in the early 1970s, for years without much result. But when I posted this article (click), some really cool replies were sent over to here from Kevin Boole (see here) and Henry Draper (see here), unspinning great tales about the dartling Bulantis. This time it gets even better, as Bulanti designer and builder Brian Rawlings calls in from Australia! Brian writes:

"Hi Jeroen. A friend sent me the article on the Bulantis. I am sorry to hear Graham had passed away, he was a really nice bloke and a true gentleman. I built the cars and BAL 551 was the aluminium prototype, Grahams green car was number 2 and I remember making the manifold for the turbo. The photo of the red car was taken the day of the mag article from the control tower at Amaroo Park car track, me in the car I think and my dog Bo." (click here to see both car and dog)

"I have read your book and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for including the Bulanti in the book. Incidently the cars before the coupes were called Bulants and a couple of French flower growers I knew saw the prototype being built and said it needed to sound more continental and exotic so hence the 'i' was tacked on. There were only three coupes built; red, green and a brown car which clobbered the wall at Amaroo Park during private practice. It was repaired and then sold. I went back to building clubman sports cars for racing, similar to Lotus 7 type vehicles. I read the three cars went to Melbourne but I don't know any more than that. Regards, Brian"

And a bonus picture of the Bulanti at Amaroo Park raceway 

Bulanti owner calls in

Wow! This is what I have set up this blog for. Kevin Boole, who sent me his lovely Bulanti story (see here) e-mailed me earlier today, writing: "It is amazing what the world wide web can do to aid research", only to receive another message from Australia two hours later that threw a new light on the case.

This time it came from Henry Draper. Henry wrote: "Hi Jeroen, I have just looked at your blog re Bulantis. I am the owner of two of them and also some body moulds. I have had the original alloy bodied one for a few years. It is the one shown in the youtube hillclimb shots (as here). I have never had that one running, it needs some work but is complete. The other I have only bought recently from Sydney. Unfortunately I got very little history with it as the owner was in a nursing home with Alzheimer and his wife and son could not tell me a lot. It did come with a spare Cooper S motor and a turbo set-up which perhaps indicates it is the car in your blog. It is painted purple now though! I did get this one running and have driven it a few hundred yards but no brakes and it had been unused for some time so it also needs some TLC."

"I don’t know when this will happen as there is quite a list of projects here. I have just bought a JCW Mini Challenge race car to play with (and a written off one for spares) and I also have 1964 Morris Cooper S historic racer, 1961 Morris Mini Minor tarmac rally car, Mini Marcos, Ex works (maybe) rally car and a brand new 1978 mini Pick-up shell - never used. When the weather is better down here and I have time I might be able to get the Bulantis out and take some pics for you if you are interested."

You bet I am! Thanks Henry, and Kevin once again!

One more historic picture of the Bulanti prototype. New pics are 

hopefully to follow from current owner Henry Draper

The tale of 'Bull Ant' the Bulanti

Over to Australia, from where news from one of only three built Bulantis has come to the light. Thanks to Kevin Boole, who read my request for information here, and sent in a great story and wonderful pics to tell me that the third car was registered 'CMI-495' and sold new to his friend Graham Jones, who sadly passed away in 2002. According to Kevin, who acted as a passenger regularly, the bright green Bulanti was a rather frightening machine despite its tiny size. This is the great story that he wrote, illustrated with some of the pictures he sent:

"Graham first came across Brain Rawlings and his garage at the entrance to Amaroo Park Raceway in 1970, a motor race track in the suburbs, north-west of Sydney, NSW, Australia. We were all mini owners, having just left school and now earning money. We had a variety of Mini models ranging from a Mini 850 sedan and panel van, Moke, 997 Mini Cooper, 998 Mini deluxe and 1275 Cooper S models filling the garages and street. We were intrigued by the Clubman's that Brian was building and one time we stopped to look at a new Chocolate car which he called a Bulanti. This car was registered BAL-551 for road use and based on the Mini. This one was also raced, setting quite quick lap times around the 1 minute mark at Amaroo Park."

'BAL 551', the aluminium bodied Bulanti prototype was used on both road and track

"I do believe that this car eventually was damaged in an accident, but most likely would have been repaired. One of our associates Graham Jones decided from the outset that he would like to buy one of these cars and so set in place the process to buy one. Graham had only recently purchased an ex NSW Police highway patrol Mini Cooper S, which was always the fastest of all our street cars. But Graham, not satisfied, always wanted to go faster. The Bulanti was the vehicle for that. He traded his Cooper S plus extra money to become the proud owner of one 'Kermit Green' Bulanti which was given the name Bull Ant or The Frog because of its bright green and frog like appearance. I can’t remember if Graham was given a choice of colours as the third Bulanti was bright red. The colour for these two cars was inside the fibreglass gel coat, as opposed to the first aluminium car that was painted."

Graham Jones's bright green Bulanti became known as 'Bull Ant' or 'The Frog' 

That's Graham with his then-new Bulanti to give an impression of the car's size 

"You will note in some photos the Bulant Motors Logo that was place on the vehicles on the nose, steering wheel and wheel centres. This was Brian’s logo that was on his business and work van which is also in one photo. Graham’s garage was large enough for 3 to 4 cars and the Bulanti took pride of place, with his parent’s car often relegated to the street. Over many nights and weekend the car was fitted out with its mechanicals and things to make it worthy of registration. Much unregistered testing on the roads occurred on those late nights."

Graham discussing the car at Brian Rawlings'. Note superb Bulant Motors works van in background

"The only failing of the car was that Graham always wanted something more powerful than anybody else. The motor was bored out from 1275 to 1310 with dynamic balanced components and high compression head and a lumpy camshaft. Graham did not realise that a standard motor in such a light car would have been probably just as effective and more reliable. But the car performed extremely well on the road when it was being reliable. A bit of a firm ride and no suspension travel was overlooked as it manoeuvred in and out of traffic. The engine did have overheating problems but the addition of a front mounted almost horizontal radiator with electric fans overcame this problem. Reliability became a problem and Graham was always tinkering on something, especially the twin carburettors, to make it just right. As a passenger it could be quite frightening sometimes. Quick acceleration combined with low seating height, can made occupants feel vulnerable to other taller road users."

All very seventies: rear slats, matt black rear end plus colour codes wheel centres

"As we all moved away from minis and bought newer larger cars, Graham still held on to the Bulanti, but more as a second vehicle. His last effort to make the car even faster was to fit a turbocharger that was smuggled back in from the USA by one of us for Graham. This made the Bulanti quite potent on the road. It must be noted that Graham was quite often pulled over by the police just to look at the car and possibly issue some warnings as to speeding or excessive lane changing. The car languished in the garage from then on. After getting married, children, family life and cycling took preference. The Bulanti was eventually sold via a local newspaper advertisements and went locally to another owner in the 1980’s. The Kermit Green Bulanti has not been seen since then. One of the cars is still supposed to be in Melbourne with the moulds, but I was never able to make contact with anyone knowing anything about the Bulanti at the business mentioned."

Holes in the rear end dissappeared on 'production cars'. Engine was difficult to reach

The simple lay-out of the dashboard. Note wide sills, making interior even tinier

Merry Christmas

Looking forwards to welcome you in the new year. I won't be here until then.
Oh - and don't forget to give the Maximum Mini Christmas puzzle a try!

Pictures and imaging: Jeroen Booij

Australian rarity

The more obscure cars are; the more I tend to like them. Well, not all, but for Mini derivatives that certainly goes. And the Australian Bulanti Mini definitely fits the bill.
The car was dreamt up by Brian Rawlings who had previously worked for other cottage car manufacturers Down Under but came up with his own Mini based sporty in 1971. The aluminium bodied prototype was featured in my book (as photographed by Craig Watson of Autofan fame), and can also be seen in this youtube movie.
However the production cars that followed came with a fibreglass body. 'Production' may be a bit of an exaggeration though, as manufacture was limited to only two more Bulantis! I particularly like Rawlings reasons for that as he was quoted: "It was just too much trouble. All the fiddly things like getting the noise down, doing the electrics and upholstery and one bloke wanting ashtrays in it, get you down." That's character.

But strangely I have never seen current pictures of the other two cars. One of these was being registered 'BAL 551' on New South Wales plates and featured in a couple of Australian magazines of the day. I spent a small fortune on Sports Car World magazines (it's particularly the postage to Europe that makes it hefty) but couldn't find any information on the third car. Who knows if these crazy little Aussies survive?

                                                             'BAL 551' in its heyday