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A new member of TMF has sent me the pictures below to share of his very rare surviving example of a 'coachbuilt' Tilling Mini De Ville. The owner is not sure what to do with the car which had been off the road for 15 years before he bought it from Hampstead. He has owned it for 3 years and drives it regularly and it is 'as it was' when he bought it. The lady he purchased it from said it was originally on private registration plates and she was given the car by the company she worked for when she retired. It's automatic and has the Tilling 'Landau roof conversion and electric windows with quarter lights, etc. The current owner may be willing to sell it to someone who could restore it to its former glory...should anyone want to know more pm me for contact details.

More about Tilling's Mini de Ville:-
http://maximummini.blogspot.com/2013/10 ... ville.html

Coachbuilt cover stars:-
Tilling Mini De Ville, Oyler Contessa and Wood & Pickett Mini Margrave
http://maximummini.blogspot.com/2013/10 ... stars.html

Tilling Automotive:-
Suppliers of wind up window conversions
http://mk1-performance-conversions.co.u ... g-auto.htm

Miss Tilling calls in
http://maximummini.blogspot.com/2015/08 ... ls-in.html

From 'Complete Catalogue of the Mini' - page 213 from the 'Coachbuilt Mini' chapter:-


Tilling Mini de Ville, Oyler Contessa and W&P Margrave - from an old Motor Magazine I kept from 1975.







Sorry this scan is a bit skewed.......done some time ago and page didn't fit the scanner!

Interesting rare car! with nice history, good to see another Coachbuilt Mini
based on a lowly model,

The Count

The rare 'Tilling' converted Mini at the Brands Hatch Mini Festival yesterday....looked to be a great restoration project, not seen any other survivors for many years.

A Tilling car alive and well in Warwickshire. Recently restored. Never rallied or so I believe.

The tilling de vile is my mate sids car . Up for sale soon . … The silver one that is …. Ken

I found this on eBay. sometime ago! some history on Contessa Cars seems they were
at Earls Court a bit earlier than , what was previously thought!
I recon it disproves some facts previously reported!
.


Still digging for more info on Contessa Hand Built car of Hanson Lane Halifax WestYorkshiree
some leads are disappearing with age and personnel survival

Another Tilling Mini De-Ville caught on camera a while back...(untaxed since 1991)

Owned by a member on here! from the North East of Scotland, known for a few rather special cars,
Kev! (Al)Pandoras mate.

My Tilling, the brown GT above is in poor condition to say the least. Was hoping Paul (Wiggy) might take it on as it needs specialist work to rectify the roof repair work and de-seaming. If I get on top of the other projects it might make some progress. Current Miniworld has a feature on Tilling cars so maybe some more information might surface.

Looks like I might have to stump up for a magazine

Do you remember the Yellow Pages advert featuring J R Hartley and his book "Fly Fishing"?

Well, when I had the shop in Putney in about 1985 , an old guy came in for some bits for his daughters car - lived locally , just over the river

Got talking to him and after a bit he mentioned that he had been involved with upmarket Minis earlier in his life and I can't forget his answer when I asked his name : "My name is Tilling"

I did go round to where he lived but nothing much to see - more an excuse to be nosey

Also about the same time - locally I went to see Richard Oakes, the kit car designer was doing the design work on a prototype Mini based car where he had used a Mini Minus as the basis but I was sworn to secrecy (until now) . It became the Pimlico

Such fun times.....