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Radfords did have a habit of having cherished plates put on them, I wonder if it's somewhere with a different plate on? Hard to imagine many of these cars being left to rot but as you know Nev that has happened!

Hopefully it's hidden away somewhere waiting to be found!

Another survivor....

Pete wrote:Another survivor....

Pete this car was originally done for one of the Mackintosh family. The car has been freshened up recently

Just found this pic of my old 1071S when it was a Radford, dash pic attached, might be of interest to the coach built fraternity !

I like the wind up aerial nice. Any picture of the outside? I note you say when it was a Radford. Did you de Radford her?

I know this story but I'll let you tell it Steve! More importantly what did you do with that sexy early Radford interior?! Did you ever find out what the history was Steve, usually a good story to these Radfords!

I've just uplifted this from the advert from when i sold it, It went through a couple of dealers after me, ill see if i can find more photos from it from the 60s


8049 SR MORRIS COOPER 1071 S was sold by Duthie Bros & Son limited, Montrose, Scotland, registered in Dundee, it was sold for delivery on 9th September 1963 by salesman Mr Angus Lyndsay. It’s first owner was a Mr David Lackie of Inch Brayock House, Montrose, who was a Director of Balfour Beattie, his widow at the time of purchase of the car was still alive, and a lot of the following information was supplied by his daughter, Mrs M..Copley. The car was then sent to Harold Radford Coachbuilders of London for a make over. It was then treated to red leather seats, veneered wood dashboard, extra instruments, Webasto sunroof, chrome side trims, electric window lifts, stereo radio, lamb’s wool carpets, spot lamps in the grille, and was re-sprayed in Silver, the engine was also believed to be breathed on by "the engine tuners of the era" Downton. He also added his private plate SSR 1, the car used that registration number until 20th April 1964 when it was given the number 8049 SR and SSR 1 was transferred on to his daughters Sunbeam Alpine. According to Duthie Bros's salesman Angus Lyndsay, who still worked at the dealership when contacted in 2001, the car remained in Mr Lackie’s hands for approx 15 years before being traded back in to Duthie & Son, Angus can remember selling the car on at trade to a local tradesman, the history is now vague until the early nineties when Mr Micheal Clarridge of Penrith bought the car, he used to work for Radford in the sixties and always wanted to own a Radford "S". It had also been repainted Purple at some stage, Mr Clarridge started the project but work commitments stopped him from doing anymore than start to repair the shell where needed and had managed to completely recon and primer the shell and start to recondition the engine. The car has then sold to a Mr Andy Yeats of Wigton who only kept the car for a matter of months before I purchased the car off him. The car had several tell tale signs that it was the original shell, I managed to get some polaroid photos of inside and outside from Mr Lackie's daugther of the car in 1964 and in 1973, the holes and cut-outs where still in the bulkhead and dash for all the Radford extras, and on rubbing through the primer on the car, traces of Purple, Silver and then Green could be seen quite clearly, this was a very happy find, as the shell had been restored so well, other "give away" signs where a new roof skin it had had to replace the sunroof Radfords had fitted (apparently the spot weld where to close and too many !!), it also had holes under the windows where the wolseley hornet type mouldings had been, and all numbers tied up , so the final rebuild, i had no plans to restore it as a Radford "S", the doors with the electric windows were shot, the dash and seats were well past it and were very worn, particularly ropey & extremely expensive to replace, the Radford parts were duley sold on and the car was restored the way it left the factory, in its original Almond Green with an Old English White roof.

you could do some serious damage to a pedestrian with that bonnet mascot!

Pete wrote:I know this story but I'll let you tell it Steve! More importantly what did you do with that sexy early Radford interior?! Did you ever find out what the history was Steve, usually a good story to these Radfords!

I'm pretty sure the trim / doors / seats / dash went to a trader that frequents this forum rather not divulge any further info , it was 14 years ago, and they might be on an original unmolested genuine Radford now !!

It was a beautiful and rare 1071 Radford and a '63! first year for both Radford and the 1071. I love the colour combo! Silver with red interior. It's a shame it got de Radfordised but I do understand as they are expensive to restore. Thanks for sharing, great story. More photos would be mega.

That wind up aerial is the same as i have for my 1071 Hooper it works really well

Nevsmini wrote:It was a beautiful and rare 1071 Radford and a '63! first year for both Radford and the 1071. I love the colour combo! Silver with red interior. It's a shame it got de Radfordised but I do understand as they are expensive to restore. Thanks for sharing, great story. More photos would be mega.

Yeah i didn't really realise what I had !, it was 15 years ago, it was only a couple of grand !!, and all I wanted a shell for a historic rally car initially, it was totally stripped, the shell was fantastic, with boxes full of stuff, and as time went by the story began to unfold, in the end I didnt know what to do with it really!, the Radford conversion didnt do anything for me, either really did a standard car (if it had been today it would have been a different story!) I bought another car and another, then the Subaru Hillclimb car and it kept getting pushed to the back of the garage, then when i eventually finished it, a house purchase forced the sale of it, so I never got to enjoy it at all !


The day it came, year 2000
Sat here for a long time ! The day it went in 2012 !!

I ended up buying the Radford parts which really were shot! The front seats ( one of which was missing its folding mechanism) ended up in the ex-Pattie Boyd car if I remember rightly ( the originals for that car having been badly re-trimmed). What was left of the doors was used to repair the doors on the Radford I owned at the time. The dashboard, wiring loom and sun visors went to a guy in France ( via eBay). Wish I'd kept it all!

66Traveller wrote: the ex-Pattie Boyd car if I remember rightly

..I know I keep bangin' on about this (apologies in advance) but as far as I know (and I've looked into it and been to see it) that's never been substantiated (and most likely can't ever be).

Well that car - P Boyd or otherwise!

rich@minispares.com wrote:you could do some serious damage to a pedestrian with that bonnet mascot!

and the O/S wing mirror! What was the mascot, an eagle, an owl, a budgie??

Pete wrote:

rich@minispares.com wrote:you could do some serious damage to a pedestrian with that bonnet mascot!

and the O/S wing mirror! What was the mascot, an eagle, an owl, a budgie??

I have some communication on the mascot, it was something to do with the house, ill dig it out, along with some more pics when the car was new, this pic was taken in 1973, it wasn't used much by then "because every time we went to start it the battery was flat with all the extras" according to Mr Lackies daughter

Aparently there will be several Radford Minis on the special display at the Goodwood Revival this weekend!