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

40 Years ago: the end of Davrian

It's been almost exactly 40 years since Davrian Developments went into receivership. By that time in 1983 the Davrian Mk8 was in production and approximately 50 of these cars had been built of which only five were fitted with a Mini-engine, all of these having a chassis number starting with ‘DM’ for ‘Davrian Mini’.

The car on the picture below is one of them and I have had this shot for ages, but have never seen any other image of it, as I have never found out which of the Mk8s it is. Yes, that is a wild supercharger on the Mini engine! Another Wade like this one? Anyone who recognizes the car at all?

UPDATE 2 March: Pete Crudgington thinks it's Ian Hall’s car: "He is still around racing a V8 powered Darrian and prior to the Davrian he raced a Mini Jem and an Arkley Sprite. Graham Boulter shared another picture of the beast: "Photo credit to Andy Smart, location is Prescott Hillclimb" It's added below.

That's a wild Mini engine with big supercharger! The car is a Davrian Mk8

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

The same Davrian seen at the Prescott hillclimb, somewhere in the 1980s

Picture Andy Smart

Gitane GT - a bit more information

Tom Kenny is as eager as I am to find out more about the Gitane GT, of which just occasionally a snippet or a pictures comes up (see here). Could it survive? We shared information to see if that would bring up something new. It didn't. But Tom asked around in hillclimbing circles, which did bring a few insights that I'd want to share here, too, hoping they may get another ball rolling.

David Brown wrote to him: "I seem to remember seeing it in the early 1970s fitted with a supercharger? My initial thought is to say it was at Blackbushe, 1972-ish or possibly at Greenham Common. If it is the car I am thinking of something happened to the installation (the supercharger was mounted high up and I seem to think it came loose), it was a long time ago!" 

John Opie added: "I remember seeing it at Trengwainton hillclimb in West Cornwall around the mid '60s, and was impressed by it. I believe that it was converted from a fastback shape to this notchback."

Tom continued: "A follow up from Malcolm Mitchell led to Linda Collins. Turns out she was the daughter of the doctor who was an official at the events at Trengwainton and donated the programs on the death of her father. Only one was retained with entrants." However, nothing about the Gitane was found.

Meanwhile I was sent a link to a most interesting article on Joe Saward's F1 blog (click here). Joe wrote about Gitane instigator Gordon Fowell, who later made a career in Formula 1. This is what he wrote about the Gitane GT: 

"George Fowell Ltd was a company based in the unglamorous Birmingham suburb of Smethwick. It manufactured small plant machinery: dumper trucks, mini steam rollers and cement mixers. These were branded GF. The founder’s oldest son Gordon began working for the family business in the late 1950s, designing dumper trucks. In his spare time he competed with a Lotus Eleven sports car. The arrival of the Mini in 1959 gave Gordon Fowell an idea: why not diversify the business and have GF build a lightweight GT coupé, based on the Mini sub frame and running gear. It was in the same era in which Lamborghini was transforming itself from being a tractor manufacturer to becoming a supercar company so perhaps there was sound logic in the idea. The only difference was that Lamborghini had more money to play with. The GF coupé was given the rather exotic name of Gitane, the French word for gipsy. Creating the prototype proved to be sufficiently difficult to convince GF to give up on the idea, although the Gitane that was built was use quite successfully in hillclimb events in the late 1960s."

It goes on about Fowell's later adventures in selling audio tapes of racing engine sounds under the Goral name, designing F1 cars for Martini under the Tecno name and for Chris Amon plus the later Sana Formula Atlantic car and eventually the successful PowerJog running machine.

Although interesting it doesn't bring us much further. I'm sure there's more though, so if you happen to read this and know about the car, its checquered past or any Fowell relatives (Gordon Fowell died in 1999), do not hesitate. 

The Gitane GT seen in its later 'notchback' guise at Prescott Hill, now supercharged

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

It's engine in its original fastback styling and without the blower. That's a 997 with Weber

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Entered at the Nürburgring 1000 Kilometres in May 1962 where it did not arrive. I spoke to 2nd driver Dan Margulies not long before he passed away in 2010. He said he'd never even seen the car!

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Gordon Fowell went on to design this in the early 1970s, followed by the PowerJog

Picture Rainer Schlegelmilch / Motor Sport

Davenport Special - where are you?

Now that the Micron GT has successfully been found (more here), how about some other Mini based Specials from the same era? I'm sure there'll be more survivors, and perhaps the Davenport Special is a good one to start with. Remember the car? This is what I wrote about it in Maximum Mini 3:

What do you do when you want a GTM for drag racing but can’t afford a kit? You build your own car of course. That’s at least what Derek Davenport of Birmingham did in 1974. He built a space frame chassis from square section tubing to fit two front Mini subframes at the front and the back. For the body he made a model in plaster and polystyrene and used that to directly laminate the body parts in fiberglass. Next Davenport took a 1300 engine, honed it, fitted oversized pistons and Cooper ‘S’ rods, a hot camshaft and Stage 3 head and fitted a double Weber carburetor plus Shorrocks C75B supercharger. Hot Car magazine was impressed and wrote: “The finished article is superb. Much better than many kit car bodies we have seen. Looking at the car, it is difficult to believe that it was completely home built.” They even placed it on their December 1975 cover. Does it survive?

I still haven't heard a thing about its possible survival and still wonder if it does. The DVLA does not recognize the car's registration 'JOH 235N', but that does not say all, does it? It must have been an impressive machine with that engine spec. Another man involved with the body who was named in the article is Roger Hamilton. Birmingham man Derek Davenport would be around 70 years old now, I should think. Could he still have it tucked away in a Brum barn..? 

The Davenport Special - built by Derek Davenport in 1975. Does it survive?

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

On the cover of Hot Car magazine. Davenport and his Special, registered 'JOH 235N'

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

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

The Racing Reverend's Special

One comforting thought may be that, while the whole corona crisis drama continues to unfold, I will continue to bother you with my articles, here at Maximum Mini. As always, comments are appreciated - I'm also just doing this on my own from an isolated converted garage after all.

So how about this car? According to Craig Powers, who posted the picture, this was the second racing car built by the Reverend Barry Whitehead and known as the Reverend Barry's Special number 2, or RBS2. Whitehead was known as 'The Racing Reverend' or 'The Flying Vicar' from Standish, who spent more than 40 years working in the Church of England. It was his passion for motor racing and building his own cars that gave him the name though. He passed away in 2017 at the age of 86.

I found an obituary, written by his daughter Eve, from which I quote here: "He read Alan Staniforth’s book, High Speed, Low Cost, and went on to build 8 of his RBS cars, which he hillclimbed and sprinted. The first was a Mini-based thing, front engine, then numbers 2-8 were single seaters. Initially they were to be numbered MBS1 and so on, for 'Mini Based Special', until someone pointed out that 'Mad Barry's Special' might be a better fit. The name was therefore hurriedly changed to RBS, for 'Reverend Barry's Special', and so it remained. We all grew up, accompanying him to race meetings and we all took it for granted that “our father builds and drives racing cars”. It was only when I started to compete and work with him in the garage, that I realized the staggering level of engineering ability which was actually involved in building a car from an empty garage floor, to one which worked, was competitive, and in my hands, had an affinity for the Armco!"

"He was also very forward thinking – initially he used Mini engines which he supercharged, giving him a great competitive edge as he was still able to stay within 1100 class. When he knew the rules were going to change to enforce 40% extra capacity for a supercharger, he changed to a supercharged 750 bike engine – thus still able to stay in the class."

The late Alan Staniforth, who's Terrapins were an inspiration to the Reverend, once added to that: “The flying vicar was creator and conductor of one of the fastest and perhaps ugliest 1100cc hillclimb cars of recent years. It should be recorded that the Reverend Whitehead’s work on his car back at the vicarage changed it from being so unstable it once spun simply because he was changing from 2nd to 3rd on the straight, into a class winner. An amateur’s mega-leap by anyone’s standards."

The Mini based Reverend Barry's Special used 1100 power with supercharger

Picture Craig Powers

'The Racing Reverend' Barry Whitehead with one of his later cars. He competed for over 45 years

Picture Longton & District Motor Club

Jackie Oliver's GTM Rossa - still there

This message appeared here over eight years ago, when an anonymous reader replied that the GTM Rossa in question was built for Jackie Oliver to drive in the Mini and Mini derivatives race at the 2009 Silverstone Classic.

To further quote him: "Jackie Oliver ran it in practice but it overheated due to an inadequate intercooler on the supercharger. It was retired before the race. The engine was built to deliver 200bhp but only achieved 158bhp on the dyno. It had a Jack Knight six-speed box. After SC09, the engine and gearbox were removed and replaced with a 1300cc Hayabusa engine (187bhp) and 6 speed sequential box for track days. The final drive is through a Qaife unit. The ensemble delivered astonishing performance and, at Goodwood, the 11000rpm rev limit blew away the sound recording equipment so we had to limit it to 9000rpm. Unfortunately, the driveshafts proved inadequate during fast runs at the SC11 media day. Replacements are being specially built with the objective of enabling the engine to be enhanced by changing the barrels to 1500cc and adding a supercharger which should deliver 400bhp. The car was beautifully restored and has a full roll cage and all the usual race refinements but with the added benefit of a passenger seat and full harness. The car is still road legal and will be used on the road when the work is completed over the winter of 2012/13. At the same time, an electric reverse will be installed."

Although it seems to be not anymore powered by a Mini unit, it's still an interesting car. I found a few pictures of it, supposedly taken recently and I'd still love to see more of it.

Built for Jackie Oliver in 2009, this GTM Rossa Mk2 now uses motorcycle power

Picture powerbaseservices.co.uk

It was had a a Jack Knight six-speed box mated to an engine "built to deliver 200bhp but only achieved 158bhp on the dyno". It supposedly is much more powerful now

Picture powerbaseservices.co.uk

Robin Statham passes away

It is with regret that I understand that Robin Statham died unexpectedly last week. Robin was the man who made the majority of MiniJems after he'd taken the project over in mid-1967 from founder Jeremy Delmar-Morgan. The car just been launched earlier that year at the Racing Car Show in London. Based in Penn, Buckinghamshire Statham produced the kits under the Fellpoint Ltd. banner. Initially as the Mk1, but in January 1969 he introduced a much revised Mk2 version, again at the Racing Car Show. Statham made a few lightweight shells, one of them which he built up as his own racer with 1293cc engine and 130 mph top speed after a Wade supercharger was added to the spec. In a Mod-Sports race at Silverstone he finished third behind an AC Cobra and a Jaguar E-type.

Under Statham, Penn Garage and Fellpoint Ltd. gained a good reputation and he became responsible for the majority of Mini Jems produced, selling kits with doors and windows fitted, painted and trimmed for £350. In 1970 he also teamed up with Barry Stimson and the new Mk2 Stimson Mini Bug was launched on the Fellpoint /Jem stand at the 1971 Racing Car Show. That same year Statham also unveiled the revolutionary Jem Futura - a car of his own design that brought the company into trouble. Interest in the Futura was huge, but building the prototype had been so costly, that it made an end to Fellpoint Ltd. and in July 1971 the company went into liquidation. By that time Statham had built around 160 MiniJems.

Statham's funeral takes place at Amersham Crematorium, next week, on Thursday 29th October at 3:15pm followed by drinks at The Wheel in Naphill. Fellpoint Mini Jem owners are very welcome, especially when they bring over their cars.

A young Robin Statham with the Jem Futura, the car that spelled the end for his car venture

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Statham at speed in his own lightweight MiniJem racer. The car reputedly clocked 130mph

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

The same car undergoing surgery in Fellpoint Garage in Penn. It was supercharged

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

The Fellpoint/Jem stand at the 1971 Racing Car Show. Note Stimson Mini Bug plus Futura at front

Picture Jeroen Booij archive 

The VW based Jem Futura came at the wrong time for Fellpoint Garage. Here a rare brochure

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

This is an original 1968 invoice from Statham for a Mk1 MiniJem

Picture Jeroen Booij, thanks to Goff Allen

Nimbus Special: blown evidence

Ah! The Nimbus Don Parker Special. One particularly intriguing car, if only it was for the confusion about which Don Parker built it. Anyway: I found the car in a pretty forlorn state back in 2005. It came with a massive Wade supercharger in bits and pieces in a box which, I understood, was fitted to it in its earlier life. I never found evidence though. The car was sold a few times before being restored, and restored again, but somehow the supercharger never got fitted again. A real pity as, thanks to engine punk sci-fi author and Siva owner Bob Blackman (excellent blog here), some pictures of it with the blower have now turned up. Bob writes: "By the time I saw this curiosity at Prescott Hillclimb in 1984 Nimbus had a conspicuosly blown Mini powertrain. At the time, it was campaigned by Mike Hentall and I heard mutterings around the paddock that it ate pistons but with that massive Wade blower (reputedly off a truck and dwarfing the engine it fed) as much as 150 bhp was available in something that weighed hardly anything (450kg). Nimbus was something of an obscure enigma but I registered the name when I saw an H&H auction back in 2007 and had the presence of mind to note some of the details. At the time, it didn't sell but I was able to understand what strange origins this car had. The original bodywork was on the heavy side and in 1961 Nimbus ran as "Nimbus Unadorned" for a spell with doped fabric stretched over its spaceframe. It wasn't very competitive in Formula 1172 but when Don Parker saw the Warwick special, a mid-engined flathead racer that used a Mini transmission, he radically re-constructed Nimbus in 1965 into the form I saw at Prescott." Bob allowed me to use his pictures here and I've now ordered one of his books that he triggered me with. Cheers!

Don Parker's Nimbus Special with the massive supercharger in place at Prescott

Picture courtesy Bob Blackman

The Mini engine supposedly pushed out 150bhp which must have made 'TOY 711' real scary

Picture courtesy Bob Blackman

Misinterpreting Don Parker's Nimbus special

When you have my book you will have read the story of the Nimbus special that was built up with a Mini Cooper engine from a prototype sports car by a man named Don Parker in 1965. When writing it I remember well having had some troubles in finding out about the car's chequered history. In fact the Don Parker special was one of the few cars of which I wasn't all too sure about its story. And when researching it, all the information that I could lay my hands on came from people who were not directly involved with the thing. But then the book had to be finished and I had to rely on something. Anyhow, it is with some shame that I received an email message last week, putting some of it right. The message came from Mike Hentall, and I did mention him in the book as Parker's son in law and later owner of the car who'd moved to Portugal in the 1980s taking the car with him.

Mike wrote: "I am Don Parker's brother in law (not son in law) and helped in its construction, and competed with it for 5 years, so am in the best position to put the matter straight. The Nimbus started life in South Africa as a special with a Riley engine in the 50s built by my brother in law, Don Parker, and came to UK in 1957 just as a rolling chassis when he returned here to live. The most important point to note here is that you have ascribed Nimbus to the wrong Don Parker!! The one you write of, and picture in your book, was (he died some years ago) a Battersea garage owner who was the 500cc (Formula III) champion in the 1950s, and a very fine driver. This Don Parker who built Nimbus was a man of private means whose great hobby was building specials and racing them entirely as an amateur (he had the money to do so). He is a genius with his hands, having been in his time a fine sculptor, painter, stonemason, welder and panelbeater. He is still alive at 92 and must be one of the few WW2 tail gunners left to tell the tale today."

"Nimbus did start her career in UK as an 1172 Ford Special driven through a Norton gearbox and chain to a solid rear axle. To say it was a handful is the understatement of the year! The body as you show it is, as you say, the same body as was sold as the GSM Dart built by Willi Meissner and Bob van Nierkek in Kent assisted by me and (to a much greater extent) by Donald. He bought (or was given for his help) the first, not quite successful, pull from the mould and that went on the 1172 special which was such a murderous handler. It was about 1965 that Don completely rebuilt it with the Mini Cooper engine in the back mated to a Shorrocks blower which he ran until 1979 when it was passed to me. I ran it in 1980s events but the blower kept shedding rotor blades and in 1981 I changed it for a truck supercharger with a vastly increased capacity. We were running her on a 10.5:1 comp. ratio and blowing at 12lbs. per sq.in. In this form she was producing about 155 bhp and weighed 450 kgs. Even running on pure methanol we were going through pistons every other meeting,but when we could hold her together we collected our share of awards at Prescott and Shelsley in the 'Golden Oldies' Class. I had to give up competition in 1985 and when I moved to Portugal in 1988 I took her with me, meaning to give her a much needed rebuild, but I never got round to it and she was sent back to UK to be sold in about 2002, After that I do not know what happened to her. I wish I had her now!"

Well well. Although merciful about the error, that does fill in the gaps properly. Thank you very much Mike, and my appologies once again for the mistakes.

The Don Parker Nimbus special in its original configuration

And the car in 'as found' condition, discovered by your's truly

Some years later it was light blue and came with wide wheels...

Current owner changed that again to bright red. Here at Goodwood

Picture courtesy www.bryanpurves.co.uk

Silverstone's GTM Rossa

Last week, Paul Irvine asked me if I knew more about a GTM Rossa that appears to have been built specifically for the Silverstone track, which unfortunately I don't. Paul wrote: "Hi Jeroen. I have been messing around with Mini based kit cars for the last 30 years. With the research you have carried out over the last few years have you ever come across any information on the GTM Rossa shown in the photo? I have been trying to find out some details but have drawn a blank so far and thought you may know some of the history of this car." In fact the good looking Mk1 Rossa was new to me, although I did read somewhere that the car was restored using a 1293cc A-series with intercooled supercharger producing 200bhp and mated to a 6-speed Jack Knight dog box. Paul ads to that: "The first time I saw any photos of the car were on the GTM owners club stand. From what I have found out is the car was driven by Jackie Oliver, this may be misinformation as I have put a few posts on the owners club forum with little response. Maybe a few words on your blog would prompt a discussion?" Well, why not? So here we go mate: who knows more?

Was GTM Rossa driven by Jackie Oliver at 2009 Silverstone Classic?