Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #111

Chasing the Peel Viking of Hadleigh

Mysterious Radfords: the real deal?

Mysterious Radfords: the real deal?

Wow! Is this a Fabar Filipino Mini?

Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #78

John Lennon's Radford Mini De Ville replica is a real stunner

Julien Vernaeve passes away at 94

Yet another Mini based oddity from the BP Build-a-Car Contest

Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #41

Yet another Ogle SX1000 barn find!

New info on Prince Troubetzkoy's coachbuilt Cooper

Great film footage of Australia's fastest Mini in 1968

John Lennon's Radford Mini: a replica is in the making

This posting about the Radford Mini De Ville of John Lennon keeps on drawing attention and comments since it was posted almost 10 years ago now. Meanwhile we know a little more about the car (click here) but it seems unlikely to ever resurface again. 

In that light Fred and Tony Waters of Nippy Cars in Somerset have been asked to build a replica of it, including the hatchback door, Aston Martin DB5 rear lights, pitch dark 'Shadolite' windows and all the other special (Radford) features it had.

Fred wrote the following: "We don't often speak about the cars we do but this one deserves an exception. In 2021 we were asked to do a replica of John Lennon's Radford Cooper 'S'. Not too much was known about the cars details and only a few grainy pictures and short cinefilm clips of it exist, many stories of the car existing and its demise float around. I'm proud to say my dad has done an amazing job making a steel tailgate for the car, Aston Martin style rear lamp clusters, all correct and original Radford parts are being used where possible. It wasn’t planned to announce the build just yet but things happen. I’d like to take the chance now to thank Chris for entrusting us with the build, he’s very excited about the progress and so are we. Pictures will follow but not just yet. Stay tuned, but here is one to wet the appetite."

It seems likely that the car will debut at the London Classic Car Show in Olympia next month when the three existing Beatles Minis are announced to be on display.

UPDATE 1 March 2023: The show is over and the three original cars were there looking splendid. Unfortunately they weren't joined by the Lennon replica for reasons known to those involved alone.

Aston Martin rear lights, hatchback, piano black paint: John Lennon's Mini will be replicated

Picture Nippy Cars

The fantastic four

Not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 fine coachbuilt Minis are lined up in the showroom of Woodham Mortimer in Essex now, or in their own words: "The finest Collection of Minis in the world has now landed at our Chelmsford HQ". All four of them are stunning cars which certainly don't come cheap. If they do sell for the prices mentioned they will break all records. The cars are:

BGJ 947B

1964 Austin Cooper 'S' based Radford de Ville hatchback, sold new to the UK and seen in a number of period publications. Asking price £240,000.

CPF 3H

1970 Morris Cooper 'S' based Radford / Freestone & Webb Mini de Ville hatchback, sold new to France. Asking price £155,000.

YYU 292H

1969 Morris Cooper 'S' based Wood & Pickett Mini Margrave, owned by a number of celebrities in the UK. Asking price £140,000.

LCV 236E 

1968 Morris Cooper 'S' based Wood & Pickett Mini Margrave, left hand drive and originally sold to the US. Asking price £140,000.

The fantastic four: coachbuilt Minis join at Woodham Mortimer's shop in Essex

Picture Woodham Mortimer

Summer 2022 - the show is on

It's summer and it's showtime once again! I have been sent lots of pictures of cars making it to shows in the last month or so and share some of the best of these here, together with some more bits and pieces that may interest you folk. I hope you'll enjoy them - and keep those pictures coming. 

Over in Australia this Jem was spotted last month by a friend of Ogle owner Neil Griffin. Neil wrote: "Jeroen, a friend who now lives in South Australia saw this at an impromptu car show over there." 

I think it's a Taylorspeed built car?

Picture via Neil Griffin

Neil Kilbane of Ireland spotted this 1977 Jimini Mk1 "Came upon it at a car boot sale about 25km from me. The guy said he had it for 20 years but never had it on the road. He was looking for €3500 for it!"

Picture Neil Kilbane

Not one but two Mini Ice cream vans with 'Batman' bodies by Whitby Morrison. One of them is owned by Andy McPail, who took this picture on a show at the British Motor Heritage Centre in Gaydon

Picture Andy McPhail

US reader Burton Reif attended the Mini Meet West in Kingston, Washington with his Ranger Cub, which he drove from Portland Oregon (previously seen here). He was surprised to see a Mini Marcos Mk4 driven all the way from Sacramento, California!

Picture Burton Reif

And a picture from the other side, giving a better view on Burton's Ranger. This photo was taken by the Marcos' owner Michael Kimball who is a keen Mini Marcos promotor in the US

Picture Michael Kimball

Three coachbuilts in a row! Gorgeous Radford Mini De Villes left and right with a Wood & Pickett Mini Margrave in between them, all three absolutely stunning cars owned by one and the same enthusiast

Picture George Knight

Mini Jem racer Pete Crudgington took this picture at Castle Combe of his own racer (left) back to back to the Mini Marcos Mk3 of Sam Polley. Both race in the CSCC Swinging 60’s Series

Picture Pete Crudgington

Ever saw a Status 365 from the underside? I hadn't! Stimson-fan Paul Wylde took this picture while his mate's Status was placed on the lift for some work to be carried out

Picture Paul Wylde

Another Mosquito came out of its hiding in July. Damien Lescroart wrote: "I knew about the existence of this Mosquito for years but never found any info or pictures of it. It appeared today"

Picture via Damien Lescroart

Mark Glasher's pretty Unipower GT made it to the prestigious concours d'elegance of the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June. It came out in a class for mid-engined 1960s cars

 Picture DrGrumoLunatic / Youtube

A well-used Birchall McCoy was seen at a show not far from my place in The Netherlands recently. It's the only McCoy that I have ever heard of in my country, and I really should have been there!

Picture Erik van den Eijnden

Also in The Netherlands, this Ogle SX1000 is in for a brake overhaul. Oh, hang on, it's my own car!

The full Cooper 'S' braking system was incomplete and clogged but works fine again by now

Picture Sipke Blom

Maximum Mini fan Barry Tilbury has been collecting Mini variants for years now. But it was only recently that he managed to find a place to put them all together. Scamps and more here...

Picture Barry Tilbury

...And more! Hat tip to anyone who can identify all of them under those covers, they're all Mini derivatives... Barry wrote: "When are you in the UK next I would love you to visit" Great!

Picture Barry Tilbury

Barry's latest purchase is a very interesting Mk1 Biota, which now joins the others. The car was seen here before when it was found on a peacock farm in Wales back in 2014 (click here)

Picture Barry Tilbury

Ringo Starr's hatchback Mini restored

Right before the world got acquainted with Covid early last year, I was in the UK to speak to Steve Burkinshaw, the master restorer of coachbuilt Minis. Steve showed me around his workshop where one of the cars under restoration was the famous Hooper hatchback of Ringo Starr.

He usually doesn't restore cars for others, but when a Mini with a strong connection to The Beatles comes around he'll make an exception, so the Ringo Starr hatchback ticked all the boxes. As a real Beatles-fan it is a car he has loved for decades, but one he could never afford. But when the famous Mini was sold a few years ago, it was nothing more than logical that it ended up here after all. It was urgently in need of a restoration and Burkinshaw turned out to be the only one with the expertise. 

Steve told me: "It was bought by Geri Halliwell, you know, from The Spice Girls, and together with her husband Christian Horner they sometimes come here in one of those very special Aston Martins, to see how things are going. The whole street comes out to have a look then!” Previously, the couple also bought Paul McCartney's Radford Mini, which was restored in this workshop also. Steve: "Ringo only had his Mini from 1966 to 1968 and after him there were several owners who gave it a number of modifications of their own. I first saw it when it was owned by an antiques dealer, but by that time someone had already given it a makeover somewhere in the early seventies, all in the fashion of the day. They had removed the rain gutters; the original wheel arches and put it on polished Wolfrace wheels. The sidelights in the b-pillars were also removed with the holes filled, while the original Regal Red, a Rolls-Royce colour, was changed to blue with silver and later to red with silver. It was in a very bad state. A 1992 magazine article mentions how they carried out an earlier restoration and it's interesting to read how they got it wrong then”. 

That's all been put back now, and last week he dropped me another line: "I’ve now finished the work on the Ringo Hooper, which is being collected this Friday, I thought I’d never finish it!" It looks marvelous in pictures and I can't wait to see the real thing when traveling is allowed once more. Thanks Steve!

LLO 836D - Ringo Starr's Mini is fully restored to its original condition again

Picture courtesy Steve Burkinshaw

The hatchback conversion was famously made so that Starr could carry his drumming gear

Picture courtesy Steve Burkinshaw

The car has had a number of colour changes in the past and was restored at least once before

Picture courtesy Steve Burkinshaw

1275 Cooper 'S' power, naturally. Steve's attention to detail is fantastic

Picture courtesy Steve Burkinshaw

The car's interior is luxurious but not over the top, typical for a Hooper  

Picture courtesy Steve Burkinshaw

'Mister Margrave' Steve Burkinshaw in his workshop last year. Ringo's Mini at the back

Picture Jeroen Booij

"It was in a very bad state and it's interesting to read how they got it wrong earlier"

Picture Jeroen Booij

John Lennon's Mini - green and a hatchback

The disappearance of John Lennon's Mini remains a great enigma. I wrote about it years ago, and judging by the number of clicks it keeps on receiving the article remains a Maximum Mini favourite (see it here).

All we knew for sure was that Lennon's Mini was a Radford De Ville, based on a 1965 Austin Mini Cooper 'S', registered LGF 696D and painted black. But now it seems that even that must be reconsidered. Keith Hawkins dropped me a line with two images attached, taken from film footage shot by John and Yoko themselves at John’s home ‘Kenwood’ in Weybridge, Surrey in 1968. This was done for a film project named 'Look at Me', which was recently remastered and published. Keith wrote: "Hi Jeroen, here they are, taken around 1968 I would think. Lovely colours, Lennon had great taste, regards Keith."

That surely must be John Lennon's Mini. But it's painted green and cream here, with golden Cosmic wheels like George Harrison's. What's more: it's clear now that the car came with the Aston Martin DB5 rear light units as Paul McCartney's Mini had them too, and with a hatchback door as Ringo Starr's! The best of all combined into one vehicle..?

UPDATE 27 January 2023: a replica of the John Lennon Mini is now in the making. Click here. 

John Lennon's Mini, shot by Lennon himself. Green, with Aston rear lights and a hatchback door

Picture 'Look at Me' via Keith Hawkins

These are film stills from Lennon's and Yoko Ono's 1968 project 'Look at Me' 

Picture 'Look at Me' via Keith Hawkins

Unique Radford Estate coachbuilt for Jack Heinz

I was contacted from Germany by Lupold von Wedel last month about a very special and unique coachbuilt Mini. It's a rare Estate that was built by Harold Radford back in 1964 and it's a stunning car in every sense. It comes in piano black paint and with wickerwork like Peter Sellers' Minis, unique 'clamshell' rear doors and a sumptuous interior that is stuffed with walnut veneer, ivory leather and ditto carpeting. The car was built for Henry John Heinz II, better know as Jack Heinz, of the Heinz sauces consortium, who kept it at his 18th century estate in Berkshire, UK for many years. The original registration 57 GGY must have been a reference to Heinz' famous slogan '57 varieties'. 

Von Wedel's daughter only became the third owner in 1989 but drove it for some 3,000 kilometres only since. Quite a lot of work has been carried out though by the Von Wedels. The car was repainted and rewired while the engine was changed to a 1275 and disc brakes were fitted at the front. The interior was part-reupholstered also. Von Wedel: "The original carpets were something like sheepskin and awfully worn and dirty. Heinz was a heavy smoker. The electric window system had to be changed. I was told that the original one was Aston Martin origin, I still have them and they are astonishingly heavy."

Lupold was also looking for some brightwork that's missing and was happy to hear the wicker was still available also, since the rear door need trimming to finish it off. He has thought about selling it to the BMW Museum in Munich but isn't totally sure if he'd want to part with the car yet. Unfortunately he hasn't found historic photographs of the car, but is keen to hear if everyone else may know it. 

Stunning interior in ivory leather and walnut. Wood can be even found on console, cubby box, heater

Picture Lupold von Wedel

Unique Mini Estate was coachbuilt by Radford's for Jack Heinz of Heinz '57 Varieties' fame 

Picture Lupold von Wedel

Peter Sellers' coachbuilt Minis must have been an inspiration for this Radford De Ville Estate

Picture Lupold von Wedel

Look at the detailing here, unlike any other Radford? Electric motors for windows were changed

Picture Lupold von Wedel

Clamshell rear doors have to be unique on a Radford too? Bottom door needs wicker to finish off

Picture Lupold von Wedel

Open them and find that everything is upholstered and carpeted in the luggage area, too. 

Picture Lupold von Wedel

For safety reasons, the Von Wedels had the car's original engine changed for a 1275 though

Picture Lupold von Wedel

Walkaround video shows the beauty of this unique car even better

Video Lupold von Wedel

France's coachbuilt Mini expert passes away (Updated)

It is with great sadness that I learned about the unexpected passing of Paul-Marie Jamet today. Paul-Marie contacted me about Taka-Hira Minis only a few years ago for the first time, and we exchanged information about them since. He knew an awful lot about these cars and was working on a book entitled 'La Mini Taka-Hira: l’élégance à la Française', of which he sent me a draught a year ago.

Paul-Marie owned a Taka-Hira Mini himself, which was the fabulous Cooper that had been bought new by Prince Igor Nikolayevich Troubetzkoy in 1964. He also managed to find another rare coachbuilt Mini some years ago: a 1966 Mini Cooper 'S' based Radford hatchback that had supposedly been owned by Prince Amyn Aga Khan, brother of Karim Aga Khan IV. That car needed a full restoration.

Paul-Marie chose a voluntary death last January, he was only 28 years old. His parents are planning to turn his car collection into a small private museum. I wish all the best to his relatives and friends.

UPDATE 16 June 2020: Enguerrand Lecesne writes: "I've made researches recently on these cars for my next book: in fact there are two different cars, the Troubeskoy one is a 997 Cooper of 1962 and Paul Marie got a '64 Cooper 998 owned by the brother of Raymond Sommer, the famous F1 driver. The two families were friends so, I think they wanted the same as the others!"

The Prince Troubetskoy Mini as converted by Taka-Hira and as owned by Paul-Marie Jamet

Picture Lambert Beaulaton

The Troubetskoys in the south of France in the 1960s. Paul-Marie did great research on the car

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Paul-Marie's Radford Mini hatchback supposedly had been owned by Prince Amyn Aga Khan

Picture Paul-Marie Jamet

Back from the UK - what a trip!

Having returned from the UK, I can look back on a week with some fantastic meetings but also with some real downsides, too. Things started pretty gloomy when the fuel pump of my beloved Saab decided the time had come to stop pumping fuel on the night before leaving for Calais. Thanks to my garage we could fit a new one just in time, but then I still wasn't prepared for the terrible traffic jam around Antwerp, which caused me to miss my ferry. And my first appointment. More trouble lay ahead, but let's focus on the good things first: the people I met. Thanks guys, you've been great! I took hundreds of photographs, so let's scroll through a small selection here.

That's Andrew MacLean of the Scamp Motor Company welding another chassis. He's done hundreds!

Picture Jeroen Booij

While this machine has made all the body panels for all the Scamps that were ever sold

Picture Jeroen Booij

Andrew then brought me over to a field where he knew one very special RTV had been parked up

It's certainly worth a story on its own

Picture Jeroen Booij

This man is mister Santos and he is the curator of the UK's largest classic car collection.

The warehouse behind him stores only one half of it, but was too big to photograph in full!

Picture Jeroen Booij

I was given a grand tour and was left amazed. While focussing on the top end of the market, this collection also houses some Mini derivatives. Hustler Sixes for example 

Picture Jeroen Booij

And how about this Wood & Pickett Mini? - a car that was previously featured in Maximum Mini

Picture Jeroen Booij

Master of the coachbuilt Minis is Steve Burkinshaw, here in his Hertfordshire based workshop. 

We had a truly lovely day and made some great plans for the future

Picture Jeroen Booij

The number of coachbuilt Minis that Steve restored over the last decades is quite unbelievable. 

And then the stories that he tells about them! 

Picture Jeroen Booij

A typical car you'd find in his front garden, one with great provenance. More special stuff behind

Picture Jeroen Booij

Over to the Midlands. Stimson-fan Paul Wylde managed to buy this Stimson Scorcher two weeks ago. Did he want to take it out for me to do a photoshoot? Oh, yes

Picture Jeroen Booij

And his mate George Marsh came over, too, bringing a beautifully built Domino Pimlico 

Picture Jeroen Booij

Next stop: Worcestershire, where I bumped into some genuine barn finds. 

Some real obscurities there! Recognize some?

Picture Jeroen Booij

The one I actually came for was outside. It's the long-lost Micron GT! More to follow

Picture Jeroen Booij

Havoc struck when, on a particularly dark and deserted Lincolnshire road, out of nowhere a couple of deer stood right in front of me while I traveled at 50mph, damaging my beloved Saab

Picture Jeroen Booij

One deer was hit at the right side and one at the left. I never found them as it was so pitch dark. 

These pictures were taken the next morning

Picture Jeroen Booij

Don't say I just hit a tree. My mate who is into the game trade told me this was the hair of fallow deer

Picture Jeroen Booij

ABS boss Tony Bucknall made up for it though, spending much of a day to show me around his place and talk about his passion for Mini derivatives. He has quite a few!

Picture Jeroen Booij

Oh, and did he want to push out the mighty CJC Bison for a full photo shoot, before I went to catch my ferry back? Of course he wanted that!

Picture Jeroen Booij