Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #126

New Zealand racer Rhubarb 1 survives

New Zealand Status Minipower info found

New Zealand mad Mini Coupe used Atkins supercharger

Le Mans Mini Marcos - 60 Years ago exactly

Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #94

The story of Malcom's Marcos

Mystery solved: meet the Needham GT39

A Mini Coupe in an Australian forecourt...

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 #30

1970 Stunners: Sonny and his Unipower GT 

Agricultural mysteries: frontal-, central and rear wheel driven

Mini Trafalgar Coupe in Australia

Graham's mad Minis, Marcos and Ogles

About seven years ago I wrote about the mad Mini engines built by Graham Cooper (click here). In an old baptist chapel in Sedgley, West Midlands, Cooper (no relation) built some truly overbore engines with 1400; 1450; 1465; 1500; 1520 and even a 1556cc version, based on a 970 'S' block, using 170 thou thin-ring sand cast pistons and a unique Laystall Engineering crank. According to Car & Car Conversions magazine it was even reliable! There was also a much-modified Mini with a chopped, deseamed, lowered and much-raked body and I thought I'd never find out more about that.

Wrong. I was lucky to finally get in touch recently with Graham, now in his mid-80s. Although he owned dozens of Minis, he does remember that particular car: "I was building the engine for myself, just to see what could be done. A chap named William Cole came in and just said: how much is that gonna be? I want it and I'm gonna pay for it. He did the body that you have seen on that picture. The engine was dead reliable, we only kept on changing the head gaskets because they blew out at 8,000rpm. When Car & Car Conversions wrote about me, that was good, but we couldn't cope with the work. I was a one-man band, you see, with just my wife doing the accounts."

I also found that Graham had raced both an early Mini Marcos as well as an Ogle himself at Mallory Park in 1966! Unfortunately he doesn't remember much about the Ogle. Or actually: the Ogles, as he owned two of them: "I was buying and selling the odd car at the time and had two Ogles. They just went to people who wanted something else. But I don't even remember what colours they had." And the Marcos? "Well, that got out of control and ended upside down. There was no roll cage and it had pushed a round hole just above my head."

Thank you never the less Graham!

These are not Graham's cars, but the man did race both a Mk1 Mini Marcos as well as an Ogle in the UK

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

The mad Mini GT 1500, with 1556cc engine by Graham Cooper and body by Bill Cole

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Spring 1966: Cooper at Mallory Park in the Mini Marcos, which ended upside down

Picture Andrew Griffiths

Bill Buckle passes away

Another legendary motoring man who fitted in so well with Maximum Mini has left us today at the age of 96: Bill Buckle, who designed, built and marketed his coupe version of the Mini from his Brookvale BMC dealership in Australia: the pretty Buckle Monaco. After having visited the 1953 London Motor Show, Buckle came up with the idea to launch a fibreglass bodied car in Australia. This became the 2.5 litre Ford Zephyr engined Buckle Coupe, which was made in very small numbers. His next vehicle, the Goggomobil Dart, was a real hit with about 700 made. 

In 1966 Buckle announced the Monaco as a conversion for the Mini. For $400 you could have your Mini or Mini Cooper converted in a sleek coupe with fibreglass roof. This new roof was made of polycarbonate and was supported by added hoops. The standard Mini front screen was raked back to give the body better aerodynamics. The rear screen was made of polycarbonate, while the side screens were Perspex. Around 30 Monaco’s were built, most based on Australian-built Mini Cooper S's.

Bill Buckle (left) in conversation with another legendary Aussie Mini man: Brian Foley

Picture Jeroen Booij archive, source unknown

The Buckle Monaco made its debut at the 1966 Sydney Motor & Boat Show

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

'Wheels' magazine was the first to test drive the car and this was its cover shot

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

'BB 818' was Buckle's demonstrator which featured in a great number of ads and articles

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Mini Coupe - made by Browne & Sons Ltd.

This car has found its way to Maximum Mini several times before. Last time was in 2015 (click here), when it was offered for sale in Connecticut, USA. I always thought it to be an ABS coupe-conversion but its background story was slightly different. ABS boss Tony Bucknall told me at the time it was made from the same moulding, but: "This is one of the conversions done by a company in Norfolk. I purchased a really strange set of body kit moulds and the roof moulding from a gentleman who had ceased trading several years prior. The only images I have seen where that Clubman which was used on a black and white advertising flyer."

Well, now that the car has been offered for sale once again, this time with auctioneers Barret Jackson, the mystery of that Norfolk company seems to be solved. From the ad: "The roof was replaced with a fiberglass unit. This alteration changed the roofline behind the front seats, making it more streamlined. The work was done early in the car's life in Norfolk, U.K., by Browne & Sons Ltd." The car was sold in auction last weekend, see the ad here.

This 1975 Mini Coupe was made by Brownse & Sons of Norfolk in the UK

Picture Barret Jackson auctioneers

The car supposedly made it to a flyer also. Anyone here who has a copy of that?

Picture Barret Jackson auctioneers

ABS took over the roof moulds and made a few also, but it remains a real rarity

Picture Barret Jackson auctioneers

Mystery Mini derivative (68)

This car fits in perfectly in the series of DIY Mini Coupes from exotic origins: a fastback Mini from Ecuador, built from a Mini Pick-up and said to be photographed in 1970. Unfortunately that's also just about all we know. The picture, posted by Richard Baltus, is not clear enough to make out the driver's name. Guayaquil is a city in Ecuador - can we assume that it originated from there?

There are not too many racing tracks in Ecuador, or so I understand and best known is Potrero de los Funes but that didn't open before 1987. There is also the Autodromo Yahuarcocha, which opened in 1970 so that could be it. However, there must have been various road races also and this shot looks as if it may very well have been taken on one. Who knows..?

Ecuadorian Mini Coupe seen at around 1970 and supposedly based on a Pick-up

Picture Richard Baltus

Mystery Mini derivative (66): Mad NZ Mini Coupe

This Mini coupe could have been made for Mad Max. In fact, it was spotted by Andrew Griffiths, who wrote: "Sorry I have no details. It's a sort of evil brother to the DART, haha!" Its body is seriously lowered, deseamed and comes with raked screens, air ducts everywhere, deep-dish wheels and a much-modified nose, not to mention the supercharger sticking out of its bonnet!

So what is it? The number plate looked from New Zealand to me, so I contacted my NZ friend Graeme Farr to see if he knew it, and this is what he came up with: "I have never seen or heard of that car before a few weeks back when I saw that photo. I think it was taken in Auckland. Someone commented that they used to walk past it when they were a kid. It is really ugly! The blower looks like a Roots type one - maybe off a Commer two stroke diesel truck. They were used here mostly as concrete trucks - had lots of torque for getting up hills. Cheers, Graeme." 

Now. Who knows more about this intriguing creature from New Zealand?

UPDATE 14 April 2021: A comment from Robert Robinson: "One of my mates had one of those in the early 1970s. Known as a Chevron Vampire V6 (which they weren't), basically a chopped Mini with some custom panels front and rear. There weren't many around. They were a little light on the steering at speed and my mate took his flying off a corner on the Scenic Drive in Waitakere. He extracted it and re-built it too."

Mad Max' Mini coupe? The evil twin to the DART? New Zealand Mini is certainly special

Picture Roly Turner via Andrew Griffiths

It appears to have a big (Wade?) supercharger sticking out from the bonnet

Picture via Graeme Farr

Ecurie de Dez demonstrator - maroon or green?

The lovely photograph below of Dez Higgins' Ecurie de Dez Mini 2+2 was shared recently by Malcolm Savage. He wrote: "This is an official publicity shot with a local South Australian tv personality. Funnily enough I saw one in a used car yard in Adelaide maybe fifteen years ago."

I wonder what the colour of that car was. Could it have been British Racing Green, as the one used by larger-than-life character Jack Kaines (full story here)? It's also probably the same car that was used for a test drive in Wheel-Spin magazine of October 1967, which even put it on its cover. It's purplish maroon there, but I'm not so sure if that was the car's real colour as it seems to have been inkted in. Who knows?

UPDATE 17:00: The lady is identified as tv personality Anne Wills, who wasn't afraid of some motor promotion (click).

Shiny as a mirror. South Australian tv personality (who?) sees herself in smooth boot lid

Picture via Malcolm Savage

Same car, same photoshoot, I think. But what was the car's paint colour?

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

 Maroon-ish colour here seems to have been applied in picture?

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Buckle Monaco wins at Aussie show

A Buckle Monaco is a rare car. So the one that had been in Meaghan Lucas' family for so many years certainly was a coveted car. However, it needed work. Lots of work. And so Meaghan and Co. started a restoration many years ago, only to have the car finished last weekend for the All British Day in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia. Meaghan wrote: "After 12 years of on and off restoration, my late dad's Buckle Monaco is out in public for the first time. I cannot thank my hubby James enough for helping me complete my dad's biggest project and dedicate the result to him. It was just so good! Even with only two hours sleep on the Saturday night it could not ruin it. The Monaco picked up a 1st place on its first event. The positive feedback from people was so overwhelming, it’s going to take days just to digest it all!"
Meaghan was happy to share the images here, so here we go. Thanks and congratulations!

This Buckle Monaco was restored by Meaghan Lucas over a 12-year period

Picture courtesy Meaghan Lucas

The car made it just in time for the All British Day in Parramatta last weekend

Picture courtesy Meaghan Lucas

Meaghan's father Kevin Lucas owned the car but he passed away before seeing it restored

Picture courtesy Meaghan Lucas 

The rare Monaco Mini coupe is now fully resplendent and looks awesome

Picture courtesy Meaghan Lucas

And all the hard work was rewarded: 1st place in class in the show and shine competition!

Picture courtesy Meaghan Lucas

Classic Mini Coupes

There have been several coupe variants on the classic Min saloon now. I thought it would be nice to see all of them together. So... left to right:

Top row: New ERA Mini Coupe, Buckle Monaco, Ecurie de Dez 2+2

Middle row: Automotive Refabrication Coupe, ABS Mini Coupe, homebuilt creation

Below: Mini Trafalgar Coupe 

Oh - there have been several more projects... Which one is your favourite?

Mini Trafalgar Coupe unveiled

It's not too often nowadays that a brand new Mini based car is launched, but it's the case now with the Mini Trafalgar Coupe, built and marketed by Garage Minimum of Kanazawa in Japan.

The car made its debut at the 25th Japan Mini Day last weekend. As you can see it is a fastback Mini in the style of the Buckle Monaco, Ecurie de Dez 2+2, New ERA Mini Coupe, Automotive Refabrication Fastback Mini and ABS Mini Coupe. But it's fully built by Garage Minimum itself, which based its demonstrator on a 1994 Mini Mpi. It certainly looks good. First the roof of the donor Mini was cut off half ways, the rear screen pillars were slightly raked, and the shape of the new roof was made using steel strips, sheet metal and filler. Next a mould was made from that to fabricate the actual roofs in fibreglass.

Garage Minimum now offers replicas to customers, priced at ¥ 700,000 for the conversion. Contact them here for more information.

UPDATE 12:20: Another message from the manufacturer: "I am now manufacturing No. 2 car. It is planned to sell with a complete car. I think that it will be finished around January next year. Car No. 3 is ordered by another customer, and it will be produced after that."

A brand new Mini based car: the Mini Trafalgar Coupe by Garage Minimum

Picture courtesy Garage Minimum

Fibreglass roof is one part and is beautifully fitted to cut and shut Mini shell

Picture courtesy Garage Minimum

Smooth conversion with no roof guttering and seams at the back

Picture courtesy Garage Minimum

Mini based coupes came from the UK and Australia - this one is Japanese

Picture courtesy Garage Minimum

Donor vehicle was a 1994 Mini Mpi, roof was cut half ways and rear screen raked

Picture courtesy Garage Minimum

The new roof shape was now fabricated. Note modified rain gutter

Picture courtesy Garage Minimum

Next, a mould was made to reproduce more Trafalgar Coupe roofs

Picture courtesy Garage Minimum

Seen here fitted to the demonstrator before being painted and finished

Picture courtesy Garage Minimum

Japan Mini Day 2017

Japan Mini Day is always good for some Mini derivatives. And with the show in its 25th year it was bound to become a good one this year, at the shores of Lake Hamanako in the Shizuoka prefecture. The majority of the pictures below come from the Young Mini Club of Hong Kong. Thank you so much for uploading them!

Is this four-door car a Mini Mengers creation? I don't think so, but you may know?

Picture Piyo Yee / Young Mini Club

And how about this cool Mini coupe? A Buckle Monaco? An ABS Coupe? I'd love to know

UPDATE 23 november: it's a brand new Mini derivative! All here

Picture Piyo Yee / Young Mini Club

Heerey GTM 1-3 has to be a rare sight in Japan. This is a 1970 car

Picture Piyo Yee / Young Mini Club

And is that an Ibis or an RD Wasp? I think the latter. Here is an Ibis that made its way to Japan

Picture Piyo Yee / Young Mini Club

There were several Mokes with hardtops. I think this one is by Fibreglass Canopy Sales of Wahroonga, Australia

Picture Piyo Yee / Young Mini Club

And another one. This one looks to be a Duncan Hamilton variant of the late 1980s?

Picture Piyo Yee / Young Mini Club

These ladies sell ice cream from a very fitting Whitby Morrison Mini ice cream van

Picture Nobuhiro Okitsu

Mister Maruyama's well-know Mini Marcos may be Ford powered, it's a lovely thing!

Picture Piyo Yee / Young Mini Club

This car is another regular at Japan's Mini meets. The (Mk4) body is said to be fully carbon fibre

Picture Piyo Yee / Young Mini Club

Japan Mini Day would not be Japan Mini Day without at least some MiniSprints!

Picture Piyo Yee / Young Mini Club

The number of MiniSprints in Japan is remarkably high. Who built all these cars?

Picture JMSA

And another, now clearly based on a younger shell. Note that all wear wide arches

Picture Piyo Yee / Young Mini Club

Bonus photograph: this Unipower GT was also seen at another meeting in Japan last weekend

Picture Yoshi Tsuji