Ian Sims passes away

If you have a copy of Maximum Mini 3 you may have read about a most unusual Australian Mini based car named Delilah (page 35). Despite its long nose, this car used the Mini engine behind its seats to drive the rear wheels, but then its creator used it as a camper also! That creator was Ian Sims of Ferntree Gully and I am sad to say that Ian has passed away earlier this week. The news came from Cam Cresswell who owns Delilah since 2007 and still loves the car very much.

Cam wrote: "Received some sad news this afternoon that Ian Sims, the designer and builder of my car 'Delilah' has today sadly passed away. Ian is known world-wide for his growth and innovation in the world of manufacturing and developing recumbent bicycles and trikes, and has certainly put Australia on the map. Ian was so full of knowledge and design, he was always ahead of the pack, and always had time for his customers and anyone that showed interest in his creations."

"I think myself very lucky that I have this vehicle, some of the history, and of course had the chance to speak with Ian about it, and it’s developments over the years. Delilah is a scratch built vehicle that was built from start to finish, and then registered by Ian. It makes use of a few different vehicles parts, however nearly everything has been researched, designed and this vehicle was Ian’s mode of transport throughout Melbourne for many years. If anyone is interested head over to Ian’s company page, and check out his cycles here."

Ian Sims reunited with his car, named Delilah and used by him for many years

Picture via Cam Cresswell

Below Delilah's unusually shaped body lies a spaceframe chassis of Ian's own design

Picture via Cam Cresswell

Seen here under development in November 1969. Mini engine originally was an 1100 

Picture via Cam Cresswell

Builder Ian Sims is seen here behind the wheel in 1970. Ian used the car 'as a camper' 

Picture via Cam Cresswell

Delilah with its original plywood body after it had just been finished in 1970

Picture via Cam Cresswell

A full body-off restoration was started several years before Cam bought the car in 2007

Picture via Cam Cresswell

A new body in plywood was then also made, slightly modified over the original body

Picture via Cam Cresswell

Delilah as it is today, now in the hands of current owner Cam Cresswell who is still full of it

Picture via Cam Cresswell

Beach Car to star at Villa d'Este - UPDATED

Four more days and the annual European concours of concourses is to take place at Villa d'Este on the shores of Lake Como in Italy. In the words of the organizers themselves 'The most distinguished of all events celebrating the charisma of historic cars'.

Not any special car is allowed here on the manicured lawns, they just have to be a little extra special. And so prototype Beach Car owner John Reymondos thought he may well apply. Still, the surprise was big when he received a message last January. It wrote "Dear Mr Reymondos, We congratulate you to being part of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2019 and are honoured to inform you that your Austin Beach Car has been accepted." John added: "Finally, on my sixth application, I got in".

John's car is in Class C - 'Small and perfectly formed: the coachbuilder's art in miniature' and will rival six more cars, among them a Nardi bodied Seat and four Italian stallions with bodies from a variety of coachbuilders and one Fiat with standard Fiat body (how did that get in..?). See the full list of entrants here and note that another Mini powered car will make to the gardens of Villa d'Este: the Gyro-X of Geoff Lane, which will come out in Class H. Best of luck to both!

John Reymondos' prototype Beach Car will make it to the lawns of Villa d'Este in a couple of days

Imaging: Jeroen Booij

UPDATE 24 May, 19:30: John and the car have made it to Lake Como. And he just sent a couple of pictures to prove it!

Lake Como here we come!

Picture John Reymondos

Bright sun, bright smiles 

Picture John Reymondos

First Mini in the official Villa d'Este guide?

Picture John Reymondos

In the parking below the villa, next to something valuable

Picture John Reymondos

Ready to become best in class

Picture John Reymondos

Finally there after six attempts

Picture John Reymondos

Mystery Mini derivative (59)

I know nothing about this Mini based buggy, seen for sale some time ago. I don't think it is a known chassis, although it does look to have been made well. Do you know more?

Round tube steel chassis and aluminium plates. It's simple but it will do the trick

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

That's an A-series engine swapped around for sure, Mini or Metro? 

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

What a fun little machine. Is it meant for auto crossing?

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Mini 25 at Donington Park - the variants

I was tipped off about this cool video by Pete Flanagan. It shows the 25th anniversary party of the Mini held at Donington Park in August 1984 as it was filmed by members of the Mini Club Oldenburg in Germany. From their arrival at the shores of Blighty (per hovercraft!) to the parade laps at the track. What's most interesting to me is that the filmers had a keen eye for the Mini based cars. 

Skip to 3.20 minutes to see a duo of TiCis, one of them being the works demonstrator, followed by a duo of Stimson Safari Sixes, one of them still being owned by Maximum Mini fan Colin Baines (this one). Then over to a Mini Marcos, an interesting hatchback Mini Cooper 'S', a Status Minipower (owned by Arthur Bills at the time, more here), an LDD Monaco and early Midas. Go ahead to 8.15 to see a Hustler Six, Hustler in Wood and - I think - Hustler Sport. Then at 8.50 there's that funny green mystery roadster seen here before (click here and here) and a Gecko, again the works demonstrator I think. The parade laps shows even more stuff such as the Michelotti Mini (ADO 70) and a Scamp six-wheeler. Pete wrote "You're gonna love this..." Well... I do! 

Status survivor

Good news coming from New Zealand regarding a Status Minipower covered in some mystery until recently (this one - click). Paul Wilkinson is the man to know more about it. He wrote: "Hi Jeroen. Just making sure you know we've found the NZ Status Minipower from your March post. I assume the owner has been in contact or that you at least know who it is? Cheers, Paul Wilkinson."
I haven't heard from him yet, but would love to! Best thing is to know that it survives, though.

Status Minipower survives in New Zealand. More info would be appreciated

Picture Paul Wilkinson

Cool Ogle SX1000 is now for sale

Another interesting Ogle related message came in from Geoff Hunter earlier this week. Geoff is a long-term SX1000 owner and it was one of his cars I photographed for the original Maximum Mini book all the way back in 2006. At the time Geoff had another Ogle in his back garden, which he'd then just bought but it was quite a special car to him. In fact he'd owned this car in its early life. At the time when I saw it it was nothing more than a bare shell, but Geoff worked hard on its restoration and had it finished in 2013.

He now wrote to me, about its history: "This car, chassis no. 5 manufactured by the Ogle Design Company in July 1962 had a 997cc Mini Cooper engine installed. I acquired the car around mid-summer 1967 and used it as my every day car including trips in Spain for annual holidays until late 1971 when I sold it to Patrick Adam of Brighton who had visited me on four previous occasions asking me to sell the car to him. By that time I was provided with a company owned car and it needed a new floorpan which was beyond my abilities. Then in late November 2005 I caught sight of an advertisement for the car and discovered it in a dismantled state not too far from me near to the Welsh border so I bought it back to restore."

This when I saw it as a bare shell in Geoff's garden. Geoff started the car's restoration after that and had it back on the road in November 2013, with some other projects having delayed the restoration. In 2017 Geoff drove it over to Blyton Park and told me then he was thinking of selling it. He now writes: "I said last year that I would sell the Ogle and at last I am finally getting around to it. I have driven it only about 3,000 miles since rebuilding it and this is due mainly to increasing mobility difficulties. Access and particularly egress is difficult. Bucket seats and mini suspension does not help to provide a comfortable ride so as age has gained the upper hand I give up the battle and sadly it has to go. You suggested I provide you with a full spec which you could put into your website so I have appended it."

The car is lovely in every respect, Geoff did make some modernizations to it though. Engine and gearbox come from a 1989 MG Metro, which had done 62,000 miles and which he had professionally rebuilt. The gearbox was also restored professionally at the same time. Geoff: "I understand that this range of engines had the best crank and camshaft of all BMC/BL A type engines before they went on to MPI engines in the Rover and it has loosened up nicely after about 2,000 miles and is running strongly. My other Ogle, No 61 Reg No. 889 RJH which you featured in your first volume of Maximum Mini is now in San Jose, California belonging to Wade Ogle, a collector of notable American muscle cars. He takes it to Californian shows and it always attracts a crowd around it."
See the advertisment here and feel free to contact me when you are interested.

A rare chance to become the owner of a truly lovely Ogle SX1000

Picture Jeroen Booij

Geoff Hunter bought this Ogle in 1967 as an every day car. He also drove it to Spain every year

Picture Geoff Hunter

Mister and Mrs. Geoffrey Hunter and their Ogle SX1000 '163 TPD' somewhere in the 1960s

Picture Geoff Hunter

'163 TPD' as found back by Geoff Hunter in late 2005, and photographed here in 2006

Picture Jeroen Booij

And again, now in the background, with Geoff's other Ogle in front. That car is now in California

Picture Jeroen Booij

Geoff with '163 TPD' fully restored in 2017. He now wants to sell it. See the ad here

Picture Jeroen Booij

Ogle's earlier life in a picture

The Ogle SX1000 seen here last week (click here) prompted some of you to write to me. Thank you  David Markham, Neil Griffin and Paul Fleetwood. All three messages were pretty similar, with David's the most comprehensive one, so I shall quote from his message. He wrote:

"Hi Jeroen, I have just been reading your Maximum Mini blog which, as always, I found most interesting. You recently posted a piece about an Ogle SX1000, registered 7413 MX, a London (Middlesex) registration number. Back in December last year I purchased an Ogle brochure and original Autosport roadtest of an Ogle from Ebay. The seller mentioned that his or her father used to own an Ogle in the early 1960s and they included a photo of the car in the description, although the photo itself wasn't for sale."

"I'm afraid that I didn't ask any more questions and I don't think that I have the seller's name but I did save a copy of the photo and, as you can see, it is of 7413 MX! Obviously I don't have the copyright but as the photo was on Ebay you may be able to make use of it. Hope this is of interest."

Thanks chaps. It certainly is. I have included a copy of the picture below. If you feel I shouldn't use it here as you own the copyright, please let me know. If you know more about the car, please do the same.

The ex-Sandy Skinner Ogle SX1000 before he owned it and without the modified bonnet

Picture source unknown / Ebay

Blyton Park 2019

So I wasn't present at Blyton Park or at Stoneleigh Park this year. A shame, I know. But fortunately one of my most avid readers was there and sent over some photographs. Rolf Roozeboom wrote: "Miss you, Jeroen, but can manage without you!" Thank you very much indeed. Over to the pictures!

Local man Goff Allen has become a real regular at Blyton. This year his Jem won Best Variant

Picture Rolf Roozeboom

Now that's a wedge! Kevin Murray's Status 356 was a real crowd puller

Picture Rolf Roozeboom

Kevin managed to finish the car just in time for the event en ran it on the track

Picture Tony Bucknall

I understand that certain people in Scotland make jokes about the Status, hence its nick name

Picture Tony Bucknall

Not one but two MiniSprints from France! Brought over by Nicolas Pinon

Picture Matthijs Fokkens

And a lovely Mini Minus in its full fibreglass glory

Picture Rolf Roozeboom

Plus another. This one is owned by Jonathan Faulkner

Picture Rolf Roozeboom

Another Blyton regular and local - John Fischer with the Peel Viking rescued last year

Picture Rolf Roozeboom

Perhaps not the first choice to use as a towing vehicle!

Picture Tony Bucknall

Peter Skitt's Cox GTM is a lovely project car

Picture Matthijs Fokkens

Guy Loveridge brought over his Ogle SX1000. He wrote: the SX1000 is a lot more sorted now, had you down for some laps..."

Picture Tony Bucknall

Midas Bronze of Joël Notermans from Belgium

Picture Rolf Roozeboom

Organizers Pete Flanagan (left) and Mark Forster (right) with guest speaker Christabel Carlisle

Picture Rolf Roozeboom

Blyton Park 2019 - without me but with Maximum Minis

Oh dear, I should have mentioned this before! I am not going to Blyton Park this weekend for the first time in the six years existence of the Mk1 Performance Day. I am really sorry for all those who wanted to have a chat with me and talk Maximum Mini there, but I really need to focus on my work and save some money for the Le Mans Mini Marcos project. Making over the trip from Holland to sunny Lincolnshire is one of the highlights of the year but it's a costly affair also.

Fortunately I have spoken to several people who are going over, some of them who will bring their Mini derivative, too. One of them is Scotsman Kevin Murray who you may remember from his space framed racer (click here and scroll down to see the man at Blyton two years ago, and here if you want to know more about the car). Kevin has been working hard to get a Status 356 finished in time for the event and he appears to have succeeded very well. He sent me a little teaser of the car on the dyno and added: "A taster. Lovely flat torque curve and 82 bhp. Sufficient!" I asked for some more and he came with pictures of the car being loaded on his trailer and ready to be transported to Lincolnshire. So... Kevin and all others, I hope you have a great time at Blyton and don't forget to let me know how it was. I'll be there the next year once again!

Loaded up and ready to go to Byton Park this weekend: Kevin Murray's Status 356

Picture Kevin Murray

Although still unregistered, a Status 356 is a rare car, especially a finished one that drives too!

Picture Kevin Murray

Kevin will be driving his at the track this weekend. It produces 'a lovely flat torque curve and 82 bhp'

Picture Kevin Murray

Was 'Fab Five's Mini Moke a Wood & Pickett?

I came across some pictures of a Mini Moke used in a movie recently. This 1965 film was entitled 'Catch Us If You Can' and also known as 'Having a Wild Weekend' in the US (trailer here). The movie was mostly meant to promote a band known as The Dave Clark Five, whose popularity is said to have rivaled that of The Beatles at the time and they were sometimes called the Fab Five.

Anyway: looking at the car I was thinking it may well have been an early attempt to coachbuilt the Moke by Wood & Pickett. The knobbly tyres, wheel covers and steering wheel are similar to the '65 Moke that was used for promotion by W&P and later used extensively in the television series The Prisoner. W&P director Eddie Collins told me some years ago: “I’d done some work for a film company and after having done a car for the actress Hayley Mills it just spread through the showbiz world". That was in '64. I also found that the Dave Clark Five car, registered 'BOX 656C' was also used in an episode of The Avengers. Could it survive?

UPDATE 7 January 2022: Another picture added of what seems to be the same car, this time with actor Michael Caine behind the wheel.

The Dave Clark Five in a '65 Mini Moke that doesn't seem standard. A Wood & Pickett job?

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

And... action! The car, registered 'BOX 656C' was used in the movie 'Catch us if you can'

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Here in an official promotional picture. The Dave Clark Five rivaled The Beatles at the time

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

The same car, 'BOX 656C' as seen in The Avengers with Emma Peel behind the wheel

Picture IMCDB.com

And another, now it's Michael Caine who's driving. Venue unknown, date 'circa 1965'

Picture Getty images