1978 Coach-built Clubman Contessa

[mab01uk]

In need of a restoration posted on TMF:-
http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/to ... t-clubman/

Would this be one of the only survivors of this coachbuilt Mini?
(Tilling Mini de Ville, Oyler Contessa and W&P Margrave from an old Motor Magazine I kept from 1975)
http://maximummini.blogspot.co.uk/2013/ ... stars.html

[JC T ONE]

In need of a restoration posted on TMF:-
http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/to ... t-clubman/

Would this be one of the only survivors of this coachbuilt Mini?
(Tilling Mini de Ville, Oyler Contessa and W&P Margrave from an old Motor Magazine I kept from 1975)
http://maximummini.blogspot.co.uk/2013/ ... stars.html

I am pretty sure we will see the very same car.

So many articles about the Contessa, and its the same car that appears in all of them, and in their brochure.

[mab01uk]

The OP on TMF says it looks to be all there but with oversills and he is going to try get some photos.....the potential buyer has apparently decided not to take it on as a project....

[mk1]

Bit of info here;

http://mk1-performance-conversions.co.uk/variants.htm

M

[mab01uk]

Seems like the Contessa mentioned on TMF has now gone to a good home and will be restored to its former glory.......looking forward to seeing some photos soon.

[mab01uk]

TMF Forum member 'Spraybeater' has asked me to post his recent photos below of the Contessa Mini Clubman 'as found' that he now owns and intends to restore back to its former glory. It may be the only 'Contessa Mini' conversion to have survived to the present day unless someone out there knows of any others? This version appears to be similar in some areas to the one shown in the original brochure (see Mk1 Performance website link) but this one has been completely de-seamed with a vinyl roof, similar to some Wood & Pickett Mini conversions of the same era.

Quote from 'Spraybeater' the new owner:-
"Thanks very much for putting photos up for me ! will get my old head round Photobucket one of these days as a bit of further info on car, I got with it all bits i.e. parts for grill, hub caps, door trim full new set of carpets, original rear quarter windows refurbished door capping and rear quarter capping. 5 10inch alloys with were not original.
All paper work including Leyland service book, original typed build spec sheet old MOTs confirming mileage 26k,mls .
That plus the fact that it was built and has always been kept in the Halifax /West Yorkshire area makes it a nice project.( Now owned by an ex Scot in West Yorkshire) will hopefully post up some more photos of it and my current project soon."

[mk1]

That looks like a nice straight forward project & will be a very interesting car when its finished.

M

[rich@minispares.com]

great story mab!

its interesting to see that it stayed in Yorkshire all its life as well, but that maybe explains why they only ever made the one....

...'tha's pillocking me tha is, how much for t'old mini with a bit 'o wood and fancy carpets like'....

[surfblue63]

but that maybe explains why they only ever made the one....

Looks like they made two to me. I bet the ladies liked the mink seats in the first one.

[mab01uk]

Latest update from the owner on this rare example of the Oyler Mini....

Quote:
"I am just about to start restoring it after having owned for over a year.
Coachbuilt by Oyler in Halifax West Yorkshire as far as I can find out they apparently
converted 7 don't know how many if any are left."
http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/to ... ?p=3440547

From 'Complete Catalogue of the Mini' - page 213 from the 'Coachbuilt Mini' chapter:-


Tilling Mini de Ville, Oyler Contessa and W&P Margrave - from an old Motor Magazine I kept from 1975.







Sorry this scan is a bit skewed.......done some time ago and page didn't fit the scanner!

[rich@minispares.com]

the guy who owns this comes in to work, he is a really nice fella and dead keen about sorting it out, so it does bode well for its future

[mab01uk]

Restoration Project thread with photos started here on TMF:-
Coachbuilt Oyler Contessa ( The Countess)
http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/to ... -countess/

[mab01uk]

Major progress for those interested, on the Oyler Contessa restoration and lots more photos in the ongoing TMF project thread (you may need to log in to view the photos)
http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/to ... ess/page-2

[Costafortune]

He's making a superb job of that.The odd grille is from a 1975 Wolseley (Princess).

[mab01uk]

He's making a superb job of that.The odd grille is from a 1975 Wolseley (Princess).

Thanks and well spotted! Have passed the information on.





and this page below (from the recent book 'Complete Catalogue of the Mini' - page 213 from the 'Coachbuilt Mini' chapter) mentions "Oyler's emblem was a naked women" which matches up with the badge on the Wolseley sourced Contessa Mini grille.



More restoration photos here if unable to view them on TMF:-
http://s12.photobucket.com/user/frankhu ... d.jpg.html

[rich@minispares.com]

the guy who owns the contessa came into work the other week, and I was telling about scraping all the ziebart of the 'tango terror', but how good the paint was under it (where it had remained thick and gloopy), the contessa had received the same treatment and its really helped save it.

he was telling me that when he worked in body shops in the 1970's they absolutely hated cars that had been ziebrated as if you ever had to do any welding on them it wouldn't be long before you heard a dull 'WHUMP!' as the ziebart inside box sections flashed off and started to burn furiously. a youth watching with a bucket of water was a must!

[mab01uk]

Frank the current owner restoring the Oyler Contessa got the previous owners details from DVLA. A couple of
weeks ago he went to one of the addresses supplied, but the house had changed hands however
the Gent whom answered the door found the address of the previous owner, so the next week
he visited that address!! big result the 96yr old Gentleman whom had owned the Contessa from
1982 till 2009 had a smile from ear to ear when he told him that it was being restored, he also
gave him this old photo of it and asked him to keep in touch and take it to let him see it when finished.
He still owns the registration number but said its not for sale, pity as this number was on it when
Oyler finished building it.




Latest restoration photo
More here:-
http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/to ... ess/page-8

[Costafortune]

I think I prefer the Princess the grille came from!

[Peter Laidler]

70's Ziebart........ In the early 80's or so my friend Paul bought an MGBGT that'd been Ziebarted in the mid 70's............ what a mess inside the engine bay where the ziebarter man had gone loopy with the sprayer. The problem was it only truly got to the bits he could see. Alas, in the engine bay the brake fluid where those non too careful MG workers had spilled some down the bulkhead had already set about creating havoc and the rust was creeping down UNDER the ziebart - as it was everywhere else! The inner of the double sill was a basket case. So to repair the INNER, the outer had to come away anyway and what Rich says about it catching fire applied to his MGB too! Ok when applied to clean white steel but given that MGB and Midget bodies came from Swindon to Cowley along the A420, unsheeted on two deck loads of 12 of open lorries in all weathers...., sleet and snow and driving rain, they weren't clean white metal when they got to the paint shop at Cowley.

Sorry to go off at a tangent but the word Ziebart woke me up from a nightmare......

[mab01uk]

The Oyler Contessa is nearing completion and the owner Frank has done a brilliant job of restoring this rare coach built Mini.
TMF Project Thread with photos here:-
http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/to ... ss/page-12