Radford mini de ville colour cards found!!!

[mab01uk]

I'd have it in a heartbeat if I had the dosh...

Me too!

MARGRAVE MORRIS MINI COOPER S 1275 MK II, 1969:-
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1210691

[Pete]

It reached about twenty odd grand at the NEC auction only a few years ago. It’s pretty much been for sale on and off with different sellers ever since at ever increasing prices.

[66Traveller]

You'd think they could have found a Mk2 bootlid for it at that price...

[WMU 211G]

You'd think they could have found a Mk2 bootlid for it at that price...

I'm pretty sure it's had the Mk3 bootlid since new. I remember the first time I laid eyes on it in the car park at Stoneleigh back in '99 when it was still burgundy, I've lusted after it ever since. At that point, from new it had been painted el paso beige & snowberry white, pacific blue, burgundy, lime green then burgundy again, it was a few years after that it went back to pacific blue again.

Found a quid in my coat pocket yesterday, only need 69,994 more...

W&P MK2 S JH # 10 ScannedImage-10.jpg

[minimk1man]

The last time it was in auction at the NEC was November 2016. I seem to remember the bidding went to over £30k but reserve not met so not sold. I was there with John Hammell at the time and he was interested in buying it back (again). He said he thought the bidding had gone too high though so never got it. With hindsight it would have been worth buying at that sort of price but no idea what the reserve was set at.
Anyway John is into Ford Model A's now. He had a nice one on display at the NEC last year.
The mk3 boolid was certainly on it at that time.

[WMU 211G]

It was a feature car in Mini Magazine way back in December '98 when it was burgundy and belonged to Andy Stewart, he sold it back to John Hammel and it was the cover feature car in Miniworld in December 2009...

W&P MK2 S JH MAGS.jpg

Just checked the Hexagon website and it looks like it's now sold....

[66Traveller]

I gree that it has had a MK3 bootlid for a long time but I wonder whether it always had it. Presumably the WP conversion would have taken a few months so the actual car was likely to have been older than its registration date (as for Radfords). Do you know of any other examples of Mk2s being fitted with Mk3 bootlids from the factory?

[minimk1man]

They did a boot lid at that time that had the mk3 outer skin with the mk2 full solid inner skin. Not sure if this was used on late mk2's or early mk3's or both.

[66Traveller]

I've always thought that was a pattern part rather than a factory one?

[roymck]

A couple of questions for you Radford experts . How did the original Mini door handle work as the spindle appears to be in the way of the glass sliding up and down ? I see on later cars as pictured on post above they changed on the Mk2 Mini to a push button handle , when did that change take place ?

[foxy52]

Didn't all Mk 3 versions revert to single skin ?? unless unused MK2 coopers and S types bootlids were used on latter cars until all used up ? .. so long ago since I had a MK3S I cant remember ??!! lol …..

[hanlminiman]

The spindle is shortened and connected to a vertical steel bar which runs down one side of the glass, under and back up to meet the original latch where a horizontal bar goes to the interior door handle. Sounds simple but it is not!

1963 The Motor handle.jpg

[66Traveller]

Indeed. I think Radford always stuck with the regular door handle on Mk1 and Mk2s. Wood and Pickett used a push button handle (on their late Mk1 and Mk2 conversions) but I'm not sure what vehicle that came from.

[Old English White]

I think it might have been from the P4 Rover?

[WMU 211G]

From the BMC 1100 / 1300 I think.

[Nevsmini]

The Boot lid is correct for a late Mk2. Nick Hunter wrote about this in CooperWorld. This car is a W&P not a Radford. Cliffs image is of the system used by Radfords from 63-68 where they went down under the glass and back up to the handle. Sometime in 68 they went horizontally around the glass instead of vertically. W&P went a step further with there conversions and both there systems were far superior to Radfords. From 65 to some time in 68 they used Rover P5 exterior push button handles along with there locking system 68- end of Mk2 they changed to the Austin 1100/1300 push button handle along with there locking system. Both W&P systems took massive modifications to both the door and pillar. They were both more secure and a could deal with the additional weight added to the doors because of the electric window system. The W&P conversions when Radfords were still operating were far superior in every way, it’s just W&P lost there way in the 70’s with some mad conversions and this has affected the brand name in comparison to Radfords. Mk1 and Mk2 W&P’s are a much rarer and desirable car than a Radford in my eyes because the standard of work is much higher than a Radford. But in saying all that a Radford is still a think of beauty! The Hoopers are another day but there door conversion were the same as Radfords.

[mab01uk]

If you read Pattie Boyd's autobiog she very clearly says that Harrison bought her an orange (Radford) Cooper S in 1965 for her 21st birthday. The car George is driving in the previous photo, the car pictured here parked outside their house some three years later, and it's in the Brydor ledger.

GGU 707C

[mab01uk]

Ringo Starr's hatchback Mini restored
"LLO 836D - Ringo Starr's Mini is fully restored to its original condition again"
https://maximummini.blogspot.com/2021/0 ... tored.html

[Pete]

Not quite true, it’s still missing it’s vertical body seams but has its correct interior and engine back in it now. I sourced the wheels, woo hoo!

[Pete]

Few new old photos with Ringo and his Minis