Where is John Lennon's Mini?

[mab01uk]

Zooming in on enlarged photo which admittedly becomes a bit grainy....it does not look like Eric Clapton on the left or George Harrison on the right.

The Mini matches up pretty well to the Magical Mystery Tour film screenshot below....at least the passenger door handle is the correct way round on this photo!

[Oneball]

Are you sure it’s not Clapton

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[WMU 211G]

I reckon the pic Pete posted is genuine, there is another pic of the car parked up in a London street in the '70s looking equally shabby with wing mirrors fitted (see below). Pete's photo looks like it's taken on George's drive at his Friar Park home, probably around 1970 when he was recording his first post Fabs LP 'All Thing Must Pass', the other guy with him is definitely Klaus.

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Where did you find that fantastic Pete, and who took it...?

[Oneball]

Think you both could be right about Klaus

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[Pete]

Yeah it’s Klaus alright, he worked with them alot. There’s another photo of him getting g out of Ringo’s white Mk2 Cooper outside Abbey Road. When the car got tired George just parked it up and covered it with plant pots. He did like the wheel arches because when he spoke to Daryl the owner of another Radford in the 80s he said he wanted to buy his car but wanted arches on it and painting black! He was a motorsport nut afterall, but anyway he died before that car was finished sadly.

Really looking forward to seeing the three surviving Beatles Cooper Ss at Olympia in February as part of a special celebration of the Cooper S I’m working on with them. Their appearance back in London might well flush out a few people connected with them and some new stories hopefully.

Not sure who turfed the photo up but I’ll find out and this one.

[Costafortune]

There were films made in the US and Canada supposedly in Britain - including a Linda McCartney biopic - that just don't look 'right'. The car next to it is an FB Victor, sold in Canada and the number plate lettering doesn't look right either.

Dunno, could be wrong.

[Pete]

On the subject of Lennon’s car there might be a replica of it at Olympia aswell, theyve not decided yet. I also hear that the keys for Lennon’s car that sold at auction quite a few years back have changed hands again for £4k!? Holy moly.
Keiron Maughan who now owns the Brydor ledger has been doing some more digging on the Lennon car which he has gleaned some first hand accounts of its final demise!

Are you going to Olympia Nige?

[Costafortune]

Yeah it’s Klaus alright, he worked with them alot. There’s another photo of him getting g out of Ringo’s white Mk2 Cooper outside Abbey Road. When the car got tired George just parked it up and covered it with plant pots. He did like the wheel arches because when he spoke to Daryl the owner of another Radford in the 80s he said he wanted to buy his car but wanted arches on it and painting black! He was a motorsport nut afterall, but anyway he died before that car was finished sadly.

Really looking forward to seeing the three surviving Beatles Cooper Ss at Olympia in February as part of a special celebration of the Cooper S I’m working on with them. Their appearance back in London might well flush out a few people connected with them and some new stories hopefully.

Not sure who turfed the photo up but I’ll find out and this one.

Fair enough!

[mk1]

Yup, That second pic from WNU puts the tin lid on it for me. As I said, I know jack sh1t about Beatle Minis

Interesting pics, thanks for sharing.

[WMU 211G]

Yeah it’s Klaus alright, he worked with them alot. There’s another photo of him getting g out of Ringo’s white Mk2 Cooper outside Abbey Road. When the car got tired George just parked it up and covered it with plant pots. He did like the wheel arches because when he spoke to Daryl the owner of another Radford in the 80s he said he wanted to buy his car but wanted arches on it and painting black! He was a motorsport nut afterall, but anyway he died before that car was finished sadly.

Really looking forward to seeing the three surviving Beatles Cooper Ss at Olympia in February as part of a special celebration of the Cooper S I’m working on with them. Their appearance back in London might well flush out a few people connected with them and some new stories hopefully.

Not sure who turfed the photo up but I’ll find out and this one.

Another cracking pic there Pete, where are you finding them...? This one's taken outside John's gaff 'Kenwood' in St.George's Hill, a few yards up the hill from Ringo's place 'Sunny Heights'. I'm going to blatantly nick it, print it off, frame it and hang it up in my garage !!

When is the Olympia show? If I'm not working I'll try and get there, it'll probably be the last time we get to see the Fabs' Minis in the same place for a very long time, if at all.

[Pete]

24/26th February Nige, I agree they wont be coming out very often together.

Here’s something. I think George’s car had a little prang between 67 and 71 when these two photos were taken because the N/S front wing has been repainted and the detail of the repaint isn’t quite the same is it? It was originally painted from the Radford metallic black to the psychedelic style by the Dutch art crew called The Fool in 1967. During the restoration in the 90s it was repainted again of course but not very accurate to the original.

[Pete]

January 72 tax disc, and is that a big rust patch on the N/S front wing?? Only about five years old at this point. Binned off the 608 mirror aswell.

[mk1coopers]

Looks like the 608 was replaced by a Desmo mirror

[WMU 211G]

January 72 tax disc, and is that a big rust patch on the N/S front wing?? Only about five years old at this point. Binned off the 608 mirror aswell.

I'd say the pic was taken in the early Summer of '71, there is footage of Klaus with George at Friar Park around this time, there's also footage of the two of them in the 'Imagine' film with John, shot at John's gaff Tittenhurst Park in Berkshire, shortly before he and Yoko left Blighty for New York, Klaus and George look the same in both lots of footage. During that Summer George and co were rehearsing for the 'Concert For Bangladesh' which took place on 1st August.

I agree on the n/s front wing touch up, it definitely looks different - another little piece of the time line jigsaw! If that car could talk...

And ta for the Olympia dates, I'll see if I'm working and try and get down there. My old stomping ground too, I used to live down the road in Hammersmith, and I now drive trains through Kensington Olympia!

[Pete]

I know this subject isn’t for everyone and to a large degree I also think the car is horrible! but yeah if only this car could talk Nige!

Seems it was restored not far from George in 1983 in Chertsey, and we know what most 80s restorations were like! Posted a few pre resto photos of it a while back but this one was new to me

[Pete]

And there’s a replica on the way…

[WMU 211G]

I like that, especially the rear light mod - been tempted to do one myself, or at least a homage to it using commercially available vinyl graphics (there are some Indian related bits and bobs available on Amazon which can be cut up and used for some of the stuff on George's Radford).

Is that replica a genuine Cooper S to start with Pete?

[Pete]

No idea Nige but I doubt it.

[WMU 211G]

No idea Nige but I doubt it.

Righto ta. Just noticed it doesn't have a Webasto - I wonder what will go in the middle of the roof instead...

[Costafortune]

LGF695D is registered with Doovla as a Cooper, not an S.

696D is a Mini, 1275cc.

698D is an 850 last taxed in '85.