1961 Beach Car prototype restoration

[ronie]

Hello.
I am a long time Mini fan living in Athens, Greece. My first car was a 1979 Mini 850 which I still have. I restored it as a mk1 Cooper S replica in 2001.



Last November I visited a Scrapyard to deposit a mk3 Escort when I saw this.



Initially I understood it was special but wasn't sure what it was, but after some internet research I found out it was the Mini Beach Car (Riviera Buggy) prototype.



Here driven by sir Alec on the 1961 Cooper Press Launch.

I got the car and immediately started the restoration. The body was almost completely rust free. The floors spotless. only a tiny patch was needed at the bottom of the A-panels and on the battery box. All the bespoke chrome bits and pieces were fortunately on the car. The engine was the standard mk1 850 engine with 35.000 kms on the clock.























The wicker seats were made by a British company called Lloyds Loom. I had the restored frames (wood on metal), sent to an approved restorer in the UK to be recovered in correct wicker.











All the chrome work has been re chromed or polished.



I have also started making a 1/43rd scale model of my car using an Elf,a Mini and a fiat Jolly.







The car will be painted next week.

I hope to have it finished by July....

[guru_1071]

that was a lucky find, you where in the right place at the right time.

cool little car when its done

[InimiaD]

Such a unique Mini and so fortunate to have saved it from the crusher as you did.
The restoration is coming along fine and so quickly.

[Ronnie]

Top marks nice job!

[999 ORX]

well done!
Those seats look fantastic! glad to see your going the extra mile, its all worth it in the end! keep up the good work!

[SMOKE GREY]

One word springs to mind, FANTASTIC

[JC T ONE]

Hi John,

so you are inhere now cool.
can never get enough of your pictures keep up the great work.


Jens Christian

[Etienne B.]

What a fantastic find and project !
love the rebuilt seats, look just spot on.

[dhenry]

So how many of these were ever made?

[ronie]

This one is the only one with a boot and a prototype. Some claim that the Elf/Hornet prototype was used to make my car.
There is one more RHD prototype based on a saloon shell and then there were some (estimates between 9-15 examples) production LHD ones made, all exported to luxury resorts in the Carribean.

There is very little information on these cars, and Mini Historians cannot agree on production numbers.

After many months of research I have gathered about 7 B&W period photos of the car, and most of them were taken on the Mini Cooper Launch where the car was used to transport motoring journalists.

[ronie]

Finally we have paint. All the underside, the boot area , the engine room and the interior have had their first coat of paint in many many years.





I started immediately to fit the first parts. Brake and fuel lines, main electrical wire and the steering rack. The subframes are going to be fitted in 1-2 days.





As with all digital photographs, its is difficult to understand the exact shade of the colour.

[InimiaD]

The resto so far is looking excellent. Fine work indeed.

[minitravellerman]

Really interesting project. Nice to see another piece of the Mini's history being restored. Can't wait to see final build photos. The seats look amazing!!

[ronie]

Today I finished the assembly of the two subframes, fitted tyres to the wheels and moved the lot to the bodyshop. There I fitted the steering tube and a couple of shock asbsorbers. I found some original body colour on the steering tube so I painted it blue again.









Tomorrow with the help of a friend I will fit them to the car.

[NotNormal]

Great to see progress and keep the pics coming, a sterling job on a car that really did deserve saving

[Matty]

Thats looking great!

When will we get to see the rest of it in paint, can't be far off now?

[ronie]

Probably early next week it will be painted.

Can't wait...

[ronie]

What a day. The car has finally touched the ground and rolls on it own wheels!!!!!







One happy bunny!!!

[SMOKE GREY]

Fantastic

[Gray]

Brilliant, it is so good to see a resto of something totally different for a change. That bodyshop floor would p*ss me off though, half my parts would end up underneath it