Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #110

The only Pellandini Roadster resurfaces

Le Mans Mini Marcos in print and on film

Le Mans Mini Marcos - historical pictures keep coming

And yet another Landar R6 in Canada

Now in Maximum Mini Newsletter #76

 

2025 Season has kicked off - this is what happened in May

Unique one-off Mini based single seater for sale

Fisher Spyder looses all oil at Doune hillclimb

 

Find of the Year 2021: the candidates

Well-well, 2021 was a remarkable year when it came to long-lost Mini based cars. With 24 exciting discoveries in sheds, barns, gardens and woods the number of Mini derivatives being rediscovered keeps on growing. It's not easy to make a top-5 with so many exiting finds. From Broadspeed GT to Magnum Spectre, and from pairs of Ranger Cubs, ABC Tricars as well as Scamp six-wheelers to the unique AC Donington.

Like last year, I found a few cars myself with Belgium proving to be excellent finding ground: there was the 1967 Cox GTM in a garage in Belgium, the sole GTM 'Euro' Coupe in a Belgian lock-up and the Ogle SX1000 which was originally sold to Belgium and had always remained there. But there was also the Guinness World Record 'blind drive' RTV in bramble bushes in England and the Dutch Barclay Mini Bug.

Now, to vote simply drop a message below or send me an e-mail if you like. The one with the most votes wins the title 'Maximum Mini Find of the Year 2021'. Over to the 5 candidates.

Pellandini number 1. The first and only space framed Pellandini as built by Peter Pellandine in Australia was one of three Pellandinis resurfacing recently, this one with an Aussie crash repairer. (full story here)

The Ogle Mini prototype. A one-owner car for more than 50 years, this is believed to be the first Ogle Mini built. It was sold last May with the restoration starting straight away. (full story here)

The Ogle SX1000 in Belgium. Another Ogle with another unusual story. This one spent all of its life in Belgium after being sold by Mini racer Julien Vernaeve there when new (full story here)

The Deep Sanderson 301 in Mexico. This was one find I could hardly believe myself - a Deep Sanderson 301 road car in a very original state resurfaced in Mexico-City in March. (full story here)

The Nimbus Coupe prototype. The prototype that was later turned into a successful racer by Gary Shillabeer was freed from bramble bushes in rural Dorset in May. (full story here)

Pellandini No.1 also to be restored

While I wrote about the planned restorations of two Pellandinis in June last year (here) and yesterday (here), I really shouldn't forget about another Pellandini that has been unearthed recently and is now under restoration! This time it's Sean Alexander from Adelaide who has started the job.

He wrote: "Hey Jeroen, I found your email address on a Maximum Mini page and I'm wondering if you have any information on the Pellandinis? I bought No. 1 from David Goodwin - it's the one with the spaceframe chassis and fixed headlights. It's in pretty poor shape overall, the basic structure is there but according to David, the previous owner had lots of ideas but didn't carry out too much work on it, so there is a fair bit of work left for me to do! The registration is RKO408 (South Australia) - as far as I know this is the original plate number and I'll definitely keep it!"

"I'm probably going to stick with the Mini powertrain (Thank God!-JB). I'm a Miniac from way back so that's really the main reason I bought the car. And due to its rarity I think I should stay true in that way. I'll probably lash out and put a 5-speed in it though, this will enable a cable shift rather than the 'interesting' connection that was really the only option in 1970 (rod change Mini gearboxes came out around 1973; generally regarded as crappier than the remote change for a Mini but much easier to work with in this arrangement)."

What I did find was that this car number one indeed is the only Pellandini built with a space frame chassis – all others had a monocoque body/chassis construction. The car spent decades shelved at a crash repairer’s premises and the owner made extensive plans for rebuilding it, but passed away and supposedly willed it to his grand-daughter upon his death. Sean knew that already, but I hope to keep in touch never the less about what certainly is another great restoration.

Pellandini chassis number 1 is different in construction than later cars. It will be restored now

Picture Sean Alexander

Another Pellandini restoration started

The number of Pellandinis that have turned up and changed hands in Australia in the last two years or so is remarkable. And latest in the list is Tony Glynn, who has just become the owner of Pellandini chassis number 4. He wrote:

"Hi Jeroen. Thanks for the blog. It enabled me to contact the original purchaser, Bernie Martyn. He has sent me copies of the original correspondence with Pellandini. Not Peter himself, just the 'manager' at the time (1972). I bought the car from Frank Arronis. Frank is a great guy but a serial car purchaser and the Pellandini was unlikely to get any attention in the medium term as Frank has at least five cars in active restoration at the moment. My neighbour, David Kent, is a super talented car builder and is working on at least four of Frank's vehicles. Anyway, I help David occasionally with simple stuff and a couple of weeks ago we went to Frank's to see and plan one of the next restorations. The Pellandini was in the corner and Frank wanted the space for yet another project. David said "You should buy this as a real project" and once I figured out I could fit in it (I'm 192 cm) then 10 days later Frank delivered it. I was that quick. I had never even heard of Pellandini. David is a master with metal as well as fibreglass and has offered to assist with the fabrication of replacement bits."

"I plan to bring it back to its original state but it is getting a few mods on the way. These include an adjustable pedal box so someone who isn't 6' can drive it. Alternator and no Lucas points ignition, removable steering wheel and possibly adjustable length column and roll cage hoop behind the driver. I may get a cable-operated gear change depending on if the rod system isn't too notchy. I'm hoping for three years and want to run it in regularity. The car has a CAMS logbook dated 19/12/1974 but oddly no competition entries in the book. I will attempt to get it registered depending on the grief factor associated that..... Anyway enough for now. Tony."

Much appreciated and all the best with this great project Tony!

Another Pellandini has come out of the woodwork and is about to be restored

Picture Tony Glynn

The car is said to be chassis number 4 and Tony is in touch with the car's first owner, too

Picture Tony Glynn

Plan is to bring it back to original with a few mods such as adjustable pedals and steering column

Picture Tony Glynn

There is room for improvement - this lengthened shocker for example 

Picture Tony Glynn

What is the Best Find of 2020?

The end of 2020 is getting near, which means it's time to make up what's the best find of the past year here - a real Maximum Mini tradition. 2020 has proved to be an absolute record year for finds, with 29 Mini variants described here and a few more that I have not yet written about. It is remarkable what came out of sheds, lock-ups, gardens and garages and it wasn't particularly easy to choose just 5. You will find the cars that have made it to the contest below. To vote simply reply to me by email or drop a message below. The one with the most votes wins - it's simple as that. Now, over to the candidates.

Finally found in March this year in rural Worcestershire: the Micron GT. Full story here

Picture Jeroen Booij

Another long-lost car found in April 2020: the ex-Dagobert Swensson Cox GTM. More here

Picture Magnus Larsson

Pellandini found back by former owner David Mottram Down Under in June this year. More here

Picture David Motram

A totally unexpected find: the Lotus Fisher GT survived, or so I learned in October. More here

Picture Dan Stokes

2020 was a good year for myself, too. Apart from the Micron GT, I found a forgotten Mini Jem and the long-lost Biota Mk1 'Dutch demonstrator' in November. More here

Picture Jeroen Booij

Ex-Pellandini owner buys back Pellandini

David Mottram of Melbourne, Australia got in touch because he'd just become the owner of a rare (7 were made) Pellandini. In fact he became the owner for the second time! This is what he wrote:

"Hi Jeroen. I have just purchased a Pellandini (for the second time). The car was delivered in 1973 to Bart Pridmore in Mentone, Melbourne. He did not do much to the car and it never made it onto the road. I purchased it from him around 1993/'94. It was rolling on its wheels but the engine/gearbox was not fitted to the car. In a fit of folly since I could not fit in the car I decided to make it resemble the only roadster that was made... and so I cut off the roof and removed the windscreen. This was a bad mistake but, hey, it seemed like a good idea at the time. It failed to progress in my ownership so I sold it to a friend Grant Powell. He attempted to progress the car without success. So, last week I bought it back from him but without the engine which had been sold. I am hopeful that this time I will be able to get the car onto the road under its own power for the first time since 1973, a time lapse of just 47 years."

"Attached are a few pics when I got it onto the trailer and back to my warehouse. I will also search out a pic of it when I first owned it. I am hopeful that I will be able to touch base with other owners of Pellandinis despite their clearly being so few. Looking at the early pictures perhaps I had better look at putting the roof back on again, which of course means I will have to shed 30 years of growth sideways... Regards, David"

I love a story like that and hope to hear more about this cool car in the future.

David's Pellandini when he owned it for the first time, back in 1993/'94

Picture David Mottram

Sold new in the Melbourne area in 1973, the car never made it to the road

Picture David Mottram

David planned to turn it into a roadster: "I cut off the roof and removed the windscreen. 

This was a bad mistake but, hey, it seemed like a good idea at the time"

Picture David Mottram

David sold it later - only to buy it back last week! Not much done in the last 25-odd years

Picture David Mottram

David is now thinking of putting the roof back that he cut off all those years ago

Picture David Mottram

Never finished, 47 years after being built. but back in the garage now with new plans! 

Picture David Mottram

Reader delves into Pellandini history

Some time ago I was sent a lovely photograph of a Pellandini at an Adelaide drag strip in the mid-1970s (see it here). Not much more of that particular picture was known to me at the time. But that has now been cleared up by Rob Spurling who got in touch and sent over an abundancy of Pellandini pictures and informations. Rob wrote:

"I am sending you my history of Mini Based Pellandini Cars as I know it from what I have been told by people here in South Australia. When I saw that a guy on your blog had owned what he said was number 3 and that he ordered it in lime green I was very intrigued. I was always told that Dennis Cross had car #3 featured in the first Sports Car World article. You will see that its colour was lime green. My youngest brother Chris, bought it from Dennis, then sold it to me and our middle brother, Andrew. Later on we sold it to Max Kinsmore. This car was destroyed later on in an earthmover yard incident after Max had rebuilt it and painted it red. As my 'history' says, Max also converted a coupe into an open top car for Angela Lines before it went out of South Australia. He then tracked down and bought two more and rebuilt them. These were the ones that were for sale recently."

"Also on your blog there was a picture of me driving in Street Drags at Adelaide International Raceway in the Dennis Cross car. It was so quick off the line that the official photographer told me he had trouble catching it on camera. I only got two runs: a practice and the real thing where I was way out in front of some giant Chevy that thundered past me when I broke the gear lever off in second! Cheers, Rob."

Thank you very much for getting in touch and sharing all your stuff Rob. Below is just a small selection of the car that Rob owned at one time. There is more to follow.

Rob at the wheel of the Pellandini 'RXV-797' in 1976. Almost too quick for the official photographer!

Picture Sharp Photography via Rob Spurling

At the 'Hot Bricks' display of the Modified Minis Car Club in Adelaide somewhere in the 1970s

Picture Rob Spurling

Initially owned by Dennis Cross, Rob's brother Chris became the next owner before Rob and his other brother Andrew had it

Picture Rob Spurling

Rob wrote "The off-line remote linkage gear-change brought around the left side of the engine into the central tunnel was a constant niggle to get right but worked well with minimal movement when it was operational"

Picture Rob Spurling

This car was Cooper 'S' powered with 45 DCOE Weber carburettor and was tested by Barry Cartwright of Sports Car World magazine when it was new in 1973

Picture Rob Spurling

The size of the Pellandini is only visualized well when it is parked next to another car such as a Nissan Cherry, not a big car to modern standards... Picture taken 22 december 1984

Picture Rob Spurling

Seen for sale here. RXV-797 eventually survived a fire and was rebuilt but was later accidentally destroyed when crushed in an earthmoving business work-yard

Picture Rob Spurling

Pellandinis make it to the market

Always dreamt of owning an ultra-rare Pellandini? Now is your chance. Pellandini-enthusiast Max Kinsmore (see Maximum Mini 1) has decided to part with his two (of 8 made!) cars. This is from the ad:

"We have two of the rarest kit cars in Australia. The red one of these was featured in the Maximum Mini hardcover book and the yellow one was restored later on after the Maximum Mini writeup. These cars are fitted with 1275 micra twin over head cammed EFI 5 speed engines. Would like to sell as a pidgeon pair, a his and hers as they were in our family. The drivers seating arrangement is unadjustable as the seat is moulded into the body and the foot pedals made specifically for the driver. Fully fibreglassed." See the ad here.

In the meantime, I also understand that another Pellandini changed hands in December last year. This was in fact the prototype car, also named 'Old No.1'. The ad for that car stated: "It's on a space frame unlike the others which were fibreglass monocoques with front and rear sub-frames."

Max Kinsmore's two Pellandinis in his garage - they are both for sale now

Picture Max Kinsmore / Gumtree

Sold as a duo, both come with 1275cc engines, with twin over head cams and 5-speed boxes

Picture Max Kinsmore / Gumtree

Meanwhile Pellandini 'Old No. 1' was also sold in Australia in December last year

Picture Gumtree

Pellandini at speed. In period

This lovely picture was dug up by Rob Spurling and posted by Australian car fanatic Duane de Gruchy. It shows a Pellandini at the Adelaide International Raceway back in 1976 that was raced there by either Rob himself or Max Kinsmore at the time. Love it.

A Pellandini at Adelaide Raceway in 1976. Just eight were made between 1971 and '76

Picture Sharp Photography through Rob Spurling

This may well be the same car? Owned by Max Kinsmore so in his possession for decades now?

Picture Max Kinsmore

Updates from the Antipodes

Benie from Australia dropped me a line last week about one of the more exotic Mini based sports cars he owned one day - a Pellandini. He wrote: "I bought the third Pellandini built in about 1971 into New South Wales. It had push up headlights, gullwing doors and a Perspex windscreen. It had Mini front uprights and specially designed aluminium rear uprights held by unequal length wishbone suspension. The front rollcentre was one inch lower than the rear (to use 10" rims on the front axle and 12" rims on the rear) and it had coil over shocks. It used mini standard rack and pinion steering. Peter Pellandine told me he once worked at Lotus cars and copied the all-fibreglass Lotus Elan. I think it had a similar frontal profile of the Lotus 23 sportscar. The Mini-engine in my car was mounted just forward of the rear axle. It was light weight and I could lift the front by myself and the rear without the engine installed. I built the engine and put it in. It came in a half race /half road setup with race tyres and was really quick, especially in hill climbing and on the track. I had it painted before delivery in a Holden lime green colour."Benie is willing to dig out his old photo files, so we may see some nice old pictured of his car in the near future. I'm not sure but I think it could be the same car as the one on the pictures below, which were sent to me a long time ago. I do not know anything else about the car in question. Maybe somebody else here does?

Mystery Pellandini looks as though it could do with some tender loving care

Picture Jeroen Booij archive, source unknown

I can see some traces of lime green paint on that shell, so could it be Benie's old car?

Picture Jeroen Booij archive, source unknown

Meanwhile, in New Zealand, a genuine Broadspeed GT has been sold swiftly through this website. The car was advertised on the Maximum Mini forum (worth checking here) by its second owner who'd taken care of it for 29 years. The 1967 GT was imported into New-Zealand in 1971 by Miles Udy who previously worked at Broadspeed in the UK. It is said to be the only Broadspeed GT with dry suspension and is correctly registered as 'Broadspeed GT'. Apart from being painted a Rolls-Royce metallic red at one stage it is very original and comes with 5" Minilites and a bucket seat believed to come from one of Ralph Broad's old racing cars. I wish the new owner all the best with it, and do keep me updated about this little stunner!

One owner for 29 years and sold swiftly through the Maximum Mini forum

Picture courtesy Justin Toebes

Pellandine's first Pellandini

Did I really never post one word about the Pellandini? No I didn't. So it's about time. Hang on, I've got some good pictures of it, too. I believe the car you see here to be the first (of 7) Pellandini coupes built by Peter Pellandine in Cherry Gardens, Australia. That must have been in 1971. Pellandine later said it was Ferrari’s infamous Dino which had inspired him for the Mini based sports car and the Italian sounding name certainly helped that sporty image, too. Most cars used an 1100 engine while all of them came with monocoque fibreglass chassis-body structure with steel sheets bonded in to strengthen the suspension points. Mini-uprights were used at the front, while the rear was fitted with special aluminium ones. Both front and rear were fitted with wishbones, coil springs and telescopic dampers. I'm sure it must be a great thing to drive - when you get in, at least...

You'll have to believe me when I say this really a Mini based car. It is!

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Ferrari's Dino gave Peter Pellandine the inspiration for his Pellandini

Picture Jeroen Booij archive