The press cutting/photo is from the Daily Express in December 1984 showing a very upset Britt Ekland and a W&P Mini Cooper (20 years old in 1984 = approx. 1964) given to her by her late husband Peter Sellers. The Mini is partly stripped on the back of a tow truck having been stolen then recovered in London. I remember at the time wishing I could locate & purchase the salvage but unfortunately never did follow it up as it appeared in the paper around the same time my father died. (He had the D.Express delivered every day).
Daily Express Monday December 31 1984
EXPRESS PICTURE EXCLUSIVE
Britt's dream ends as a wreck
by John McCormick. Picture: Barry Gomer
Small B&W picture of Peter Sellers, caption: He sold the car.
Large (1/2 page) B&W picture of Britt Ekland actually sitting on the front of the stripped Mini which is sitting on the road vandalised with no wheels, no bonnet, no grille, dark paintwork looks damaged with light patchwork areas,front bumper with overiders & Mk1 corner bars is present, visible headlamp shell is the rectangular style (were these fitted to Radford & Wood & Pickett?) No.Plate backing plate is still fitted but no Reg plate unfortunately. Leather steering wheel & probably a sunroof can also be seen.
The Article reads:-
Forlorn and sad film star Britt Ekland was reunited yesterday with her "dream car" - now a complete wreck.
She burst into tears when she found the car, stolen before Christmas from outside her Chelsea home.
Engine, battery, doors, windows, headlamps and even numberplates were missing when it was found at Ealing, West London.
"They have done everything they could to it. The only way I could recognise what remained of my car was the little black aerial which I painted myself", said Britt.
"I was heartbroken when I first saw it. There was hardly anything left. It's like a sardine tin now."
A shocked vehicle recovery expert who saw the car also said: "This was not the work of professionals. It was sheer vandalism."
The 20 year-old Mini-Cooper had been treasured by Britt, ever since she bought it from her former husband, the late Peter Sellers.
She said the custom-built Mini was like a Rolls inside, with leather seats and dashboard.
Britt, who married 23 year-old rock singer Slim Jim McDonnel earlier this year, said: "We had been looking forward to spending our first Christmas and New Year as husband and wife in London. Now it has been soured.
"That little car was one of my prized possessions. It has a lot of fine memories."
See also previous 2007 MCR thread:
http://forum.minicooper.org/showthread.php?t=7843
and the 2011 Mk1 thread:
viewtopic.php?f=5&p=18015#p18015
