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

Agricultural contraption: the Goblin

And now for something completely different! This is the Goblin - a Mini based tractor. I'd never heard of it until a year ago when one turned up for sale. I soon learned the unlikely creature was marketed and sold in the late 1990s by Carlisle-based Goblin Vehicles. They used reconditioned 1100- or 1300cc A-series engines placed longitudinally and mid-mounted in a galvanized rigid space frame and mated to Land Rover axles, locked centre and lockable front and rear differentials. It was all designed to carry a 500kg or eight people platform load. And that's all I know - more information would be much appreciated.

Goblin Vehicles do appear to have sold a few, because Richard Hawcroft dropped me a line recently with another being offered for sale. "A new one for you", he thought, continuing: "This sold for £1250 (I think) at the Euro Auction near here this week. My brother said it was huge, it has Land Rover series axels, so that gives an idea of scale. You can just see the Mini radiator in one of the photos." I answered: "Believe me or not, but I’d heard about the Goblin before and it even seems there were more than just the one as I have some pics of what surely has to be another example?" Richard had the last words: Jeroen, I like to keep you on your toes"

Well, let me tell you he does. Cheers mate!

Made in Carlisle, Cumbria: the Mini based Goblin 4x4

Picture Euro Auctions

It uses a galvanized steel space frame with Mini engine and LR axles

Picture Euro Auctions

Construction-wise it is not unlike the Turner Ranger and RTV

Picture Euro Auctions

How many were made? This one was auctioned recently

Picture Euro Auctions

Another example of the Goblin was seen for sale in February last year

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Now that's a no-frills cabin, leaving no doubt this was a work horse

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

1100 or 1300 engine was mounted longitudinally below / behind seats

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

The Stimson Mini Bug of 'The Wombles'

Keeping up with the 'Mini based cars on British television' theme (last week's Unipower in The Troubleshooters here), I was sent this little movie clip below of 'The Wombles', which supposedly made it to the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, famously won by ABBA of Sweden. If you go to 1:50 in the clip you will see three beach buggies, two of them VW powered but number three being a Stimson Mini Bug!

Barry Tilbury wondered if it could be his car, which happens to be another example that made it to a British television series in the 1970s (see here and here). Although the Wombles clip comes in a pretty low quality, the registration of the Bug seen in that seemed to be different from Paul's. 'LPM 317K' perhaps? 

Well, almost. It turns out to be 'EPM 317K' and the car is known by arch Stimson enthusiast Paul Wylde who added "It lives in a field in Wales and the guy will not sell it - I tried." Pity. It is a great little car with some fun history that deserves some tender loving care after all.

The Wombles in their buggies, one of them being a 1972 Stimson Mini Bug

Picture Youtube

The car was registered 'EPM 317K' and is known to survive

Picture Youtube

 

The Wombles made it as an act to the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, famously won by ABBA

Video: Youtube

And that's the car today, sitting in a field in Wales with the owner not wanting to sell it

Picture courtesy Paul Wylde

Swedish Marcos to be auctioned

A lovely Mk3 Mini Marcos that was supposedly sold new to Sweden is now offered for sale in an auction. The car is said to have been sold through Swedish concessionaire Elmhorn-Troberg Racing Service and was first registered in Sweden in 1969 with a Mk1 Cooper from Kalmar used as a base vehicle to build it up. 

It does remind me of Bo Elmberg's Mk3 that could be seen racing a big Ferrari in anger on the Roskildering in 1967 (see here). Could it be the same car? Remarkably, Mini Marcoses were built in Sweden also and it could be one of a few made there, too. Click here for the full story about that. 

Fact is that it's seen some modifications over the years, including a straight cut Cooper 'S' gearbox and many more tuning parts. The wheels are rare Swedish-made JP alloys, very period. Inside an Innocenti dashboard has been added but most of the interior is believed to be original. The car was bought by the current owner in 2017 who is now selling it due to other restoration projects. For the full description from Bilweb Auctioneers click here. Bidding starts on the 3rd of this month and the estimate is 170- to 190,000 Swedish Crones (12,600 - 13,400 GBP or 14,500 to 15,500 Euros approx.).

A Swedish Mini Marcos Mk3 of 1967 is offered for sale in auction

Picture Bilweb Auctioneers

A nice and clean car that was supposedly sold new to Sweden

Picture Bilweb Auctioneers

Swedish concessionaire was Elmhorn-Troberg Racing Service of Stockholm

Picture Bilweb Auctioneers

Built originally with a Mk1 Cooper as a base it has been modified heavily

Picture Bilweb Auctioneers

The interior is said to be largely original though. Dashboard is a later Innocenti

Picture Bilweb Auctioneers

Lovely lightweight wheels are rare JPs (not JAPs), also made in Sweden

Picture Bilweb Auctioneers

Happy Thanksgiving

A happy Thanksgiving to my American and Canadian readers! Yes, I'm a day late but at least the picture below was taken yesterday when I took the Ogle out for a little ride locally for the first time. What a treat. It drives well now with the clutch, brakes, cooling, distribution and ignition all sorted and the lights functioning as well thanks to a new wiring loom. It still needs more work but I'll enjoy tinkering with it in the winter months. All the best from Maximum Mini and enjoy the holidays.

The 'Belgian Barnfind' Ogle SX1000 drives and is back home now

Picture Jeroen Booij

New Lamborghini Huracán Superleggera spotted

Ford Mustang