Endless summer of 2022

August 2022 appears to have seen more classic car shows and meetings than the two years preceding it. A collection of sunny pictures made it to here a couple of weeks ago (click) - here are yet more of them that I came across or that were sent over in the last month or so. Keep them coming.

Matt Butler's son took his Siva Buggy for a trip. Matt: "Dad, can I borrow the Bug to go camping with a friend? Hmmm. OK - but be careful and don't go too far. One week later they're at the seaside!"

Picture via Matt Butler

Matt again: "England, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, France. Now at Calais, the adventure is nearly over. Don't doubt the next generation!" Well said and well done boys!

Picture via Matt Butler

A very nice Mk1 Scamp seen on Malta. I believe it is for sale, too

Picture via Andy Turner

Many more Scamps made it to a meeting in Stourport last weekend. 

This Mk2 was pushed to the limits during the event 

Picture Becca Sydney

The number of cars attending the Scamp meet was impressive. Here a nice Scamp six-wheeler

Picture Roman Byk

Speaking of which... This Andersen Cub six-wheeler on Spanish plates was spotted last week in France

Picture via Thomas Laurent

And yet another Anderson Cub six! This time on Portugese plates and spotted at the 

All British Field Meet in Ontario, Canada

Picture Burton Reif

Last weekend in The Netherlands - the Euregio Meeting saw Mini Marcoses, Midases and Pimlicos.

Unfortunately I couldn't make it to the event. One Midas owner drove all the way from Tallinn, Estonia!

Picture Rolf Roozeboom

The Causeway Coast Mini Show in Northern Ireland saw a variety of Mini derivatives. This is an Indespension Jiffy that was turned into a camper van. Nice!

Picture Neil Kilbane

These cars are facing the Atlantic Ocean. Here a Midas Gold convertible disguising as a Ferrari

Picture Neil Kilbane

A rarity on its own, this particularly good looking Onyx Tomcat also at the Causeway Mini Meet

Picture Neil Kilbane

The Whitby Morrison 'Batman Special' ice cream van of Andy McPhail at the 

Dorset Steam Fair last weekend. Look at that shadow!

Picture Andy McPhail

If there's one person who continues to surprise me with his finds in South-Africa it's Leon Daniels. 

This is his latest discovery: an Elswick Envoy in highly original condition

Picture Stuart Neil Greig

How about this for a parting shot? An RTV at the Scamp meeting in Stourport on a beautiful night

Picture Tyler Hughes

A Margrave Mini on Malta

Model car builder Max Derrez recently bought a book and was surprised about the sheer number of cars using the Mini's base. The one he ever came across was a Wood & Pickett Mini Margrave on the island of Malta when on holidays there years ago. "The owner told me he'd rather sell his wife than the car, or so he said to me", Max added. He didn't have any pictures of the car did he? Well as a matter of fact he did!

They arrived just a day later: "Hello Jeroen. See attached pictures of the W&P Mini that I saw on Malta back in 2001. These photos aren't very good as dawn came in when I took them. The car came with the Vauxhall grille and had all of its side seams removed, which must have been quite a job. As I wrote to you before, the owner knew he had something special. Very best, Max Derrez"

That is, of course much appreciated. Anyone here who knows more about this particular car, registered 'JAB 905' on the isle of Malta..?

UPDATE 13:00: Other fellow-Dutchman Henk van Brakel photographed the same car on the island of Malta in 1997 when it was still on its British plate: 'FOX 767L', added below now. Thank you!

Reader Max Derrez spotted this Wood & Pickett Mini Margrave on Malta back in 2001

Picture Max Derrez

Max wrote: "The owner told me he'd rather sell his wife than the car, or so he said"

Picture Max Derrez

Dark shadowlite windows, deseamed, fabric roof, Webasto and more... Do we know this car?

Picture Max Derrez

The car must have been a UK-import as Henk van Brakel spotted it on Malta on its British plate

Picture Henk van Brakel

Maltese Mini Marcos Mk1 now restored

When you ever make it to the island of Malta, be aware of two proper Mk1 Mini Marcoses there hitting the isle's twisty roads. I wrote about the purple one owned and restored by Kenneth Spiteri not too long ago (click here); Kenneth's friend Frank Agius has now finished the restoration of his Mk1 also. And it's a car we've seen here before, too, on old pictures taken by my late friend Rens Biesma in the 1980s (click). I've also seen some shots of it before the restoration was started and this car certainly looked to have led a hard life, so Frank did a fantastic job. 

He wrote: "Hi, after 4 years of restoration of this Mini Marcos Mk1 chassis number 6100, now I can say that it's nearly ready to start enjoying it, as my previous owners used to, when it was used as the first Mini Marcos raced back in the 1980's."

Well done to you and I hope you will be able to enjoy the car for many years to come Frank!

Then and now: there's about 40 years in between these pictures but it's the same car

Pictures Frank Agius (top) Rens Biesma (bottom)

Frank worked four years on the car's restoration and kept the wild and wide looks

Picture Frank Agius

Engine is a freshly restored 1300 with Weber carburetor 

Pictures Frank Agius

Wide arches have been retained, but the Alfa-Romeo lights it had in the 1980s have disappeared

Pictures Frank Agius

Interior is unrecognizable from what it was. The signature Mk1 dash had gone already

Pictures Frank Agius

Tight fit - roll cage and bucket seats don't leave too much room but must make it a dream drive!

Pictures Frank Agius

Maltese Marcoses unite

Kenneth Spiteri of Malta has been working hard on the restoration of his Mk1 Mini Marcos, and he's done really well. By the time you read this this the car is fully roadworthy including a purple paint job and a new Maltese registration, which reads out 'Marcos GT'. But Kenneth is not alone in owning  a Mk1 Marcos on the island of Malta. A sister model is currently being restored also by Frank Agius there, and it's one that we've seen on these pages before. My friend Rens Biesma, who used to live on Malta in the 1980s saw it there and photographed it at the time - click here. The orange car was a bit worse for wear at that time but appears to be well cared for now. We look forwards to seeing that back on the road, too!

Two Maltese Mk1 Mini Marcoses, Kenneth's car on the left, Frank's on the right

Picture Kenneth Spiteri

The orange car spent just about all of its life on Malta and was hillclimbed before

Picture Kenneth Spiteri

It is now being restored by Frank Agius, who's allready fitted 13" wheels and wide arches

Picture Kenneth Spiteri

Mystery Mini derivative (51)

Anyone who's been to Malta in the last couple of weeks? Kees Plugboer did so in the 1990s, when he spotted this unusual converted Mini. It looks to have started life as a Van, Pick-Up or Estate. But at one stage it was disposed of its roof and doors, received a different rear end, high sills and chrome grab bars plus a full-length hood. With all these mods, it was perhaps turned into some kind of Beach Car-esque commercial? Calypso Cruises, which still appear to exist, thought it may well be used as mobile advertisement. Now, questions are: was it a one-off and does it survive..? 

Here another Maltese Mini derivative, as spotted in the 1980s by Rens Biesma.

Mini commercial was turned into a 'Beach Car-esque' creature at one stage, used by Calypso Cruises

Picture Kees Plugboer

No roof or doors, different rear end, high sills and chrome grab bars. Was it a one-off?

Picture Kees Plugboer

Not so local Mk1 Mini Marcos

It seems that yesterday's Mk1 Mini Marcos was much appreciated by many of you, so why not show you another? This particular one was photographed by my friend, the artist Rens Biesma (who once made this!). Rens took these pictures when he lived at Malta in the 1980s. According to him the bright orange Mini derivative could be seen in several racing events on the island and was used hard, too! Although perhaps not so pretty as yesterday's car, once again this clearly is a very early Mini Marcos with all the correct features still in place. It's unclear what happened to it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was still on the island. Do let me know if you like these early Mini Marcoses as I have quite a few more images in the files.

Maltese Marcos sits very low and comes with very wide front track

Picture courtesy Rens Biesma

The body may look somewhat tired - under its bonnet it's all shiny!

Picture courtesy Rens Biesma

Datsun 240Z rear lights [update: they are Alfa-Romeo lights!] are not exactly gracious on tiny GT

Picture courtesy Rens Biesma

Car's interior is pretty much straightforwards, but then this is a racer

Picture courtesy Rens Biesma