Al's Sarcon Scarab is still alive

The power of the internet! Hardly two weeks after Alastair Cox' search for his old Sarcon Sacarab was made public here (click), the car is found. Current owner is Dave Hayes, who wrote: "Hi Jeroen, I just saw the Maximum Mini blog - I still have the Sarcon Scarab that I bought from Alastair. It's still in more-or-less the same condition that I bought it. Cheers, Dave."

I love it when things work out as you hope they do!

Dave in the alloy bodied Sarcon Scarab that was owned by the Cox family for several decades

Picture courtesy Dave Hayes

Old Sarcons never die - where is Al's Scarab?

Alastair Cox and his father owned a string of interesting cars, not just Mini based ones, and every time Al drops me a line it makes me smile. His latest email was about the ultra-rare Sarcon Scarab (two built, Al's car known as the prototype a.k.a. the Whippingham Wrogue) they had for many years. It's the one featured in the original Maximum Mini book. Al wrote: "Please find attached a couple of photos of the Scarab from 1979, shortly before it went on the road. At some point I think I'll need to buy this car back. Sadly. I don't think I'm quite over it. You know how it is. The car in Belgium would be a close second…"
Have you seen Al's Scarab, then do drop me a line like he did.

The alloy bodied Sarcon Scarab prototype was also known as the Whippingham Wrogue

Picture courtesy Alastair Cox

These photographs go back to 1979 wen the car was nearing completion of its restoration

Picture courtesy Alastair Cox

While this is what it looked like when new. It was probably campaigned by Alan Staniforth

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

And this is what it looked like when Al sold it in 2007. He'd love to know where it is now...

Picture courtesy Alastair Cox

Sarcon Scarab (1 of 2) for sale again

Almost a one-off - the Sarcon Scarab that was built in the earliest of the 1970s by Sarcon Ltd 'Manufacturers of racing car chassis and fibreglass specialists' in Yeadon, Leeds. The one below actually is the only 'production car' with fibreglass body - the only other Scarab existing came with a body in alloy. I still do not know whatever happened to the company but fact is they closed very soon after the car's launch. This one was sprinted and hill climbed in the 1970s, registered 'CBH 336K'. Unfortunately the registration is not attached to the car anymore. It ended up in Belgium in the 1980s with the idea of restoring it. A year and a half ago the current owner decided to sell it never the less (click here) but he didn't get much response. He's now flogged it over to Milko Colsen in The Netherlands who's just put it on the market again. On these pages - click here to see the advertisement.  

Swoopy lines, Terrapin base. Windscreen plus surround are only parts missing

Picture courtesy Milko Colsen

The Mini engine is a standard 1000 which needs proper fitting plus wiring

Picture courtesy Milko Colsen

Sarcon Scarab for sale

With only two cars built by the late Allan Staniforth between 1969 and 1972 it's not very often that you see a Sarcon Scarab for sale. Still then, the prototype was sold only four years ago with the original and complete set of chassis jigs and body moulds. Some years after that I found out that the only other (production) car, this one fitted with fibreglass body instead of aluminium as on the prototype, survived too. That particular car was sprinted and hill climbed in the 1970s by a chap named Rick Branson but went off the radar after that. Funnily it re-appeared not in the UK but in Belgium still in its original blue colour. The current owner told me he planned to restore the car but never got around to finish it. He has now decided to sell the car (click here for the advertisement). The price may be on the steep side, however you'll have serious trouble finding another one!

Sarcon Scarab survived in Belgium, but in poor state

A complete restoration was planned but never finished

Now for sale. It's almost unique but remains unfinished