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

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

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

Grand Mini's 60th celebrations

With 2019 being the Mini's 60th anniversary year there has been a great number of events this Summer, and I don't think more Mini derivatives have ever been seen to join the festivities. Over in Japan, the Classic Mini Festival saw a grand parade of Minis at the Fuji circuit on August 24 and 25, which included numerous variants. Among these a number of MiniSprints, a Unipower GT, a Cox GTM, Mini Jem and Mini Marcos, a Whitby Morrison ice cream van, Broadspeed GT and of course the Japanese-built Mini Trafalgar Coupe.

Last weekend an even more impressive line-up with some 150 classic Minis made it to the Goodwood track during the Revival meeting. This parade was cheered up by three out of the four original Radford Minis owned by the Beatles (only Lennon's car is still missing) plus a Broadspeed GT and Broadspeed GTS and several Sprints and Crayfords. Best bit during the Revival was perhaps the Fordwater Trophy, when Martyn Sprurrell's freshly restored Mk3 Mini Marcos with Nick Swift behind the wheel came second after an epic doorhandle-to-doorhandle battle with a Lotus Elan. In case you missed it - you'll find the footage below!

Fuji circuit on 25 August: Sprints, Unipower, Cox, Jem, Marcos, Broadspeed to name a few

Elsewhere on the Japanese track: the famous Donald Healey-built Mini Roadster

Goodwood last weekend: three of the four Beatles Minis reunited. Black car behind Harrison's psychedelic Radford is Cilla Black's Wood & Pickett Margrave

Classic Minis everywhere! Spot the variants and Specials

Epic battle of Nick Swift in the Mini Marcos

Beep-beep Yeah! Unique Beatles motoring document sold

A most remarkable Beatles related automobilia item was sold last weekend through a website called the Beatles Marketplace. It was a well-used and pretty scruffy 37-page sales ledger of Brydor Cars – the car brokering company set up by Beatles manager Brian Epstein in 1964.
From the seller’s blurb: “A meticulously accurate hand-written sales ledger for Brydor Cars listing all 597 cars they bought and sold during the companies history between November 1964 and January 1967.”

When studying it, it turns out that of the 597 car transactions in this period, 49 were either bought or sold by the Beatles personally and / or Beatles friends and associates, with 24 cars for John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Richard Starkey. These include all of the Beatles coachbuilt Minis.

The sales ledger, ‘condition poor’, made 1,500 pounds last weekend, which seemed not bad to me considering it is a unique document and an intriguing bit of motoring history related to the Fab Four. The seller stated: “It is the only definitive and accurate record of the cars the Beatles bought and sold during this time. It corrects and puts the record straight on a lot of errors, regarding the Beatles cars, which are stated as facts throughout the internet.” Some pictures of the pages can be found here (link removed on request by the ledger's new owner-JB).

It's all in there: scruffy but original sales ledger of Brydor Cars Ltd.

Picture Beatles Marketplace

Brydor Cars was set up by Beatles manager Brian Epstein and handled all the Fab Four's cars

Picture Ebay.co.jp (this is a replica decal)

Inside Magic Alex' Mini

After Paul McCartney's Mini made top money at an auction last month (see here), more Wood & Pickett Minis have made it to the market. And one of them linked to The Beatles, too. It was 'Magic' Alex Mardas' car, supposedly coachbuilt by Wood & Pickett, too (more about that here). Unfortunately the ad appears to have gone now, although I did save the pictures, enclosed here. Meanwhile, I also found out that Magic Alex passed away early last year at 74 years old. This is from Uncut Magazine:

"The Beatles‘ technology 'wizard' Yanni ‘John’ Alexis Mardas – better known as Magic Alex – has died at the age of 74. Athens-born Mardas was appointed head of the group’s Apple Electronics division in 1968, appeared in the Magical Mystery Tour film, and accompanied the band to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram at Rishikesh in India. Originally taken on after John Lennon‘s appreciation of the light machines he’d constructed for The Rolling Stones in 1967, Mardas was later asked to construct a 72-track studio for The Beatles in the basement of the Apple HQ on Savile Row. It was designed but never completed after the group’s new manager Allen Klein shut down much of the Apple Corps venture."

"Mardas claimed to have invented items such as an electronic camera, and ‘the composing typewriter’, a voice recognition device. After Apple Corps, he founded a number of companies that specialised in bulletproof vests, armoured cars and night vision equipment, selling some of these to figures such as King Hussein of Jordan."

I found this funny little video about Magic Alex on the web, but wonder what happened to the Mini..?

UPDATE 12:30: John Reymondos wrote: "The Magic Alex Mini was in Greece and was sold last year I think, by a Greek dealer to a Greek businessman." Thank you John.

UPDATE 26 October: Dennis van Eck wrote: "Dear Jeroen. The blue buttons on the seat are to inflate bellows in the rest on three different places. The front buttons are for seat heating. I have tried to fit a similar Recaro seat in my own Mini, but it can only be fitted when you cut out the storage boxes next to the back seat. It has to be a real W&P. Thanks for the post!"

Magic Alex' Mini was supposedly a Wood & Pickett with extra gadgetry

Picture www.car.gr

Speakers and courtesy lights in the doors, or so it seems 

Picture www.car.gr

Plus plenty of buttons in the seats. For what?

Picture www.car.gr

Dashboard leaves no doubt this car started life as an Innocenti Mini

Picture www.car.gr

Is that a logo of Apple Corps, the Beatles' record company?

Picture www.car.gr

And what on earth is that for - a communications system?

Picture www.car.gr

McCartney's Mini makes top money

Hammered down at $215,000 dollars, the ex-Paul McCartney Radford Mini de Ville eventually sold at $236,500 with the premiums, when brought to auction last weekend in the US. That makes it the most expensive Mini for a long time. The last Mini that went for top money was the Beach Car that sold for $181,500 about four years ago, in the US also (click here).

The McCartney Mini has been restored at least twice but would need some serious detailing to make it prefect. Ringo Starr's Mini Cooper hatchback, coachbuilt by Hooper and needing a cosmetic overhaul also, was sold last year for £102,300 in the UK.

McCartney's Radford Mini made top money last weekend in the US

Picture courtesy Worldwide Auctioneers

McCartney in his Mini in 1966. He is believed to have owned the car until 1970

Picture courtesy Worldwide Auctioneers

What's the story behind Magic Alex' Mini?

Does the supply of Beatles-related coachbuilt Minis never dry up? It seems to be the case, after another Mini with a heritage incorporating The Fab Four has emerged - this time in Greece. Regular contributor John Reymondos knows more about it. He writes:

"Hello Jeroen from rainy Athens. You might be able to help me with information about a special Mini. A friend of a friend got his hands on a this Mini from Alex Mardas (a.k.a. Magic Alex), and he is trying to find out more about it. Apparently the car was a gift from John Lennon to Mardas. It seems to have been customized in a quite professional way, so I exclude any Greek period tuners. The bucket seats are period correct and dated. From the DVLA I get that this is an Innocenti Mini 1300, with year of manufacture 1975 but first registered on the 22nd May 1978. Any help will be appreciated. Warm Regards, John."

That's certainly interesting. John further adds the owner believes it could be a Pavesi conversion, but I would definitely say it looks more like a Wood & Pickett job to me. Not only do the wheel arches and nudge bars fit in with their coachbuilt Minis of the day - the seats look like Recaros to me, of which W&P were the importer to the UK. So… who knows more about this intriguing little car?

'Magic' Alex Mardas with John Lennon and Paul McCartney in New York in 1968

Picture: Alamy

The car looks like a W&P conversion to me, with typical wheel arches and nudge bars

Picture via John Reymondos

The interior is a mixture of standard Innocenti with many electrical add-ons - all believed period

Picture via John Reymondos

Recaro seats were introduced to the UK by Wood & Pickett in the late-1970s, so these fit in, too. 

This actually is a W&P publicity shot, showing similar seats

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

The engine (a 1300 on paper) may have been fettled with, too. Who can tell?

Picture via John Reymondos

'VOG 583S' is applied to a 1975-built Innocenti 1300. No W&P badges though...

Picture via John Reymondos

Period flyer from Wood & Pickett showing the nudgebars they had on offer for Minis

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

'Brian Epstein Mini' resurfaces (UPDATED: not Epstein!)

Coachbuilt Minis may have the strange habit to vanish but every now and then one does resurface. Reader Pete Flanagan (who sends in fascinating nuggets regularly) just briefed me about his latest find. He wrote: "I discovered an interesting Radford Mini in a barn a while ago and after some research it transpires that the car was once owned by Brian Epstein. Brian's company ordered the car (a red 998 Cooper) from Car Mart of Ealing in September 1965 and between that date and late 1966 when it was passed on to George Harrison's brother Peter, it was converted by Radford to a Mini de Ville GT. Peter Harrison kept the car until 1971, shortly before he moved down to London with his wife to help look after George's estate. Despite extensive research on Beatles Minis I have found no proof that Epstein ever used the Mini nor any of the Beatles but it's probably as close to a Beatles Mini as you can get without actually being one!" Well, well, thanks again Pete! A bit more about the Beatles Minis here, and John Lennon's (still missing...) in particular here. Oh! And if you want to own Pete's discovery, registered FGO 592C, have a look here.

UPDATE 28 June 2013: There is some news on the car, again via Pete: "After further research it transpires that it's unlikely that Epstein ever personally owned this Radford because according to Pauline Harrison she and Peter ordered the car from Earls Court Motor Show and it was merely purchased through Epstein's company at a discounted price, as many other non-Beatles associated cars were. They bought it new and probably didn't change the name on the logbook until some months later. The car is ex-Peter Harrison via Brian Epstein Automobiles to be completely correct but obviously Epstein's indirect association with it is being milked to the max by the auction house to fluff up the value ! There is no proof anywhere that this car was ever owned by Epstein himself and Pauline is sure he never did." Thanks again pal!

UPDATE 1 July 2013: Despite the dubious claim, the car did sell at auction with the hammer coming down at £22,000. That is approximately £26,000 including the buyers premium. The car is going to be restored.

Reappearing Radford is linked with The Beatles - somehow. Interior comes in 'Surf Blue'!

Picture courtesy Pete Flanagan

Where is John Lennon's Mini?

Coachbuilt Minis of 1960s celebrities have a strange habit to seemingly disappear. Remember Enzo Ferrari's Mini Cooper, converted by an unknown coachbuilder? Or The Monkees Mike Nesmith's cool Radford? Or how about Mick Jagger's '67 Wood & Pickett? Footballer George Best's white Radford? Comedian Laurence Harvey's W&P? Anyone? Well, and then there's John Lennon's Mini, a black 1965 Austin Cooper 'S' equiped with black bumpers, wheels and pitch dark tinted windows by Harold Radford coachbuilders, too. It was registered LGF 696D not earlier then February 1966. Perhaps because Lennon was on tour in the USA for much of '65? Or because he wasn't a keen driver who only just had his driver's licence?

Anyway: after I wrote about it a few weeks ago (click here) I received a message from an anonymous reader. He wrote: "Hi. I've been into coachbuilt Minis for over 35 years and have followed up stories about this special breed of cars for years. As far as Lennon's Mini goes, when he moved to the USA he gave it to his then-butler, who in turn travelled the UK on his narrow boat and the car was carried around on this. But due to this it didnt last long thanks to rust, and it was scrapped. That's one story I heard. Then about 20 years ago I answered an ad about a half restored Radford Mini for sale in Holmfirth. The guy wanted 4,500 pounds for it. Once I was interested he told me if I gave him the asking price, he had the registration documents and logbook for Lennon's car. After that I never heard from him again." Strangely, the DVLA database says that LGF 696D is still on the road. Now who ever said something about Lennon's death and conspiracy theories..? The pictures below are screen grabs from 1966 footage that can be seen here.

UPDATE 7 April 2021: The car is shortly seen in 1968 film footage made by John and Yoko themselves when it was repainted green/cream. What's more: it was a hatchback! Click here.

UPDATE 27 January 2023: A replica is now in the making. Click here.

A black Radford Mini arrives in London. Pitch dark windows give no hint to who's inside

Picture courtesy imcdb.com

The car, registered in February 1966, is of 1965 vintage - the year Lennon got his driver's licence

Picture courtesy imcdb.com

It's him! Lennon steps out of chauffeur driven car. Where is his Radford Mini de Ville now?

Picture courtesy imcdb.com

Fab Four-wheelers

Beep-beep yeah! Today 50 years ago the Beatles launched their first album. And after that it didn't take long before they all had their own coachbuilt Mini by Harold Radford coachbuilders of London. Paul's (GGJ 382C) came in Aston Martin California Sage Green Metallic and with Aston Martin rear lights; Ringo's (LLO 836D) became a hatchback conversion to carry his drum kit; John's (LGF 696D) was black with pitch black windows and George's (LGF 695D) was metallic black but famously repainted in a more psychedelic scheme in the Summer of Love. Three of them survive as John's car hasn't been seen since ages. There is, however, a fourth Radford Mini that has a bit of Beatle heritage attached to it as Beatle manager Brian Epstein was a fan, too. His car is now in a private Beatles Museum in Hawaii.

UPDATE 16:00: Pete Flanagan commented: "Epstein's car in Hawaii is a Wood & Pickett, not a Radford. W&P poached most of Radford's loyal Mini customers such as Epstein, Sellers etc. when their chief sales team defected there in 1966. The interior of Epstein's car is much less refined than a Radford which shows how persuasive that sales team was! Seller's last two coachbuilt Minis came from W&P including the silver Britt Eckland car which sadly was vandalised and burnt in the 1980's." Thanks Pete!

George's Mini under construction at Radford's. It was black before the psychedelic scheme

Paul and Linda in the Aston Martin Green Radford. Linda later had a pink Wood & Pickett Mini

Ringo's Radford Mini was famously converted into a hatchback. Note velours door trim

 

John is seen here in George's Mini. His own black Radford is shrouded in mystery

Paul's Mini was based on a 1965 Cooper 'S' and was a very early Radford conversion