Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #105

Solved after 20 years! This is what happened to the Gitane GT

More North-American Landars - from Canada

Remembering Paul Ogle

Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #16

10 Years since SHADO Jeep find on Tenerife

In the mailbox: Paola GT, Sandringham Six, Phoenix City Car

Ogle SX1000 meeting: this summer

Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #12

Paola GT - closer to revealing its real identity

Phoenix City Car explained by its creator

Unipower GT of Ecurie Canada

An announcement from MAXIMUM MINI

MAXIMUM MINI is going to change.

The Maximum Mini blog was started in 2010. Some 1,600 articles have been published since. It has always been free to read to anyone, and all the stories of the past 13+ years will remain online to enjoy.

However, new articles won’t be free anymore. From now on Maximum Mini will continue in the shape of a paid newsletter. There are some very exiting stories on their way right now in the first issue: an update on the Le Mans Mini Marcos project, newly discovered photographs of a mystery Mini derivative and yet another re-discovered Ogle. Two new series about 1960s racers are in the making also. 

You can subscribe and will then receive the newsletter approximately 50 times a year. 

The price will be 5 euros per month, or 60 Euros per year. 

Just reply to me if you want to be part of it and I will send a payment request and put you on the list. 

I hope to be in touch soon, 

Jeroen Booij

Pete owned the Paola GT

Pete Rigby contacted me about the Paola GT that was unearthed back in 2018 (click here). He wrote: "Lovely to see the car again after all these years as I have a lot of happy memories in that car.

When I had it back in the 1970's it was similar to the the final picture you have but with black stripes up the front and Paola written in script on the nose. The car was pretty faultless I have to say with a very strong 1600 cross flow Ford engine. I don’t know what cam was in it but it ticked over like someone slowly beating a drum! Never ever had an issue with that engine other than the dry sump but that was only a connector that came adrift at Brands Hatch."

"The only issue I had was the gear linkage on 4th gear, which I never got right and I had to hold it in gear on the long straights. I changed ratios so that on circuits 4th was quite long but probably only 120mph flat out. Thruxton was near to my home so I spent quite a bit of time there with the car but it's best outing was Brands Hatch where it came into its own on the Indy circuit."

"I never really had enough money in those days to develop it but we had success with the car. I bought the car from Basil Pitt who I think is still hill climbing today and is really well known on the hills."

"I am surprised it ever ran with a Mini engine, I would have thought the car was way too wide for that but my memory of the car is probably quite hazy. I would love to see the car again as it was my first entry into driving on circuits and as I have said there are a lot of very fond memories and funny stories. As I say I will try and send you those photos I will dig them out and I will ask my friend who use to come with me if they have any."

Pete in the Paola Spyder back in the 1970s when it was Ford 1600 Cross flow powered

Picture Pete Rigby

"I'm surprised it ever ran with a Mini engine, I would have thought the car was too wide for that"

Picture Pete Rigby

Mini based Paola GT survives as Alfa based Paola Spyder

Well, well, Armando Loni certainly triggered my imagination when he wrote about a mystery CanAm racer with Mini engine... The only car that I could think of , which somewhat resembled his description was the Paola GT, as in Maximum Mini 3. But that was a GT with gull wing doors...

But then came the photographs. Armando wrote: "See photos attached. The owner is Lionel Weaver and he is absolutely okay with sharing the photos/his name/location/details on your blog. The car is located at in Ledbury, Herefordshire (where I live). His dad bought the car via Mike Thomas (whom you mention on page 91 of Maximum Mini 3), who raced it in the late 1960's. It won its class in the 1968 Weston-Super-Mare Speed Trials, so was built around then. His dad competed in the car at Prescott Hillclimb and Castle Combe circuits using the original Mini power but also a Lotus twin cam unit (it now has an Alfasud engine)."

"Lionel remembers the car originally had a roof and gull wing doors (!!!) and is quite possibly the same car pictured on page 91 of your book. He thinks he may have a photo of it in this form (somewhere)... It has been modified over the years, hence the aluminium bodywork. When his dad competed as No. 63, he renamed it Lemar (badge shown in photo). The photos show the car as purchased from Mike Thomas and with his dad at the driving seat."

"It still has the original screen, which is similar to that used on the GT. You can see the front wings are now separated from the body. More to follow... A."

This is the father of the car's current owner after he just purchased it 

Picture courtesy Lionel Weaver via Armando Loni

His dad competed it at Prescott Hillclimb and Castle Combe using the original Mini power 

Picture courtesy Lionel Weaver via Armando Loni

 But Mini engine was later swapped for a Lotus twin cam unit while it comes with Alfa power now

Picture courtesy Lionel Weaver via Armando Loni

 This is what the car, without its body, looks today. As spotted by reader Armando Loni 

Picture Armando Loni

Aluminium body is still there, but not the original GT body with gull wing doors. Badge says 'Lemar' 

Picture Armando Loni

A restoration is now underway. But owner has also Stimson Mini Bug and GTM to work on 

Picture Armando Loni

Unfortunately the car now comes with the four-cylinder of a Alfasud 

Picture Armando Loni

This picture was sent over to me by Armando, too. I do not know when it was taken 

Picture courtesy Lionel Weaver via Armando Loni