Minis and Imps

[Imp Wagon]

Hmmm.. I am pretty sure that saw that Husky Imp cruising our patch a short while ago. I do recognise the photo background

Lake Pukaki, Mt. Cook in the background, 2004 from memory.

[Oldfart]

To answer the question about the de Joux Mixi, believed to not have been finished, probably involved in a deal when Alec acquired the Renault 5 Turbo (mid engine rally car) from Chris Barnes.

[Steve Holmes]

Hi Steve, thanks for the positive feedback, and can I compliment you on the great effort you put in on this forum - fantastic!

I actually got the rolling shell from Graeme Clyde who had built it and raced it for a couple of seasons in OSCA in the seventies with a red and black colour scheme. I then added the group 2 arches, hand built the alloy doors, modified the rear suspension, painted it yellow and built my own 998 engine using some components that I purchased from George Bevan who's Imps won the BTCC 3 years in a row in the early seventies.
As for the Kent Messenger Imp, it was rolled heavily at Paddock bend at Brand's in 1975 when John hit some oil on the track and went off. He disposed of the remains in the pit on his farm and burnt it along with the other rubbish. When I visited him in 1978 I retrieved the only piece I could find left of it and still have it to this day.
Finally, you are right about the Husky, it is a 1968 model and was imported to NZ and first registered in 1969. I have owned it since 1989 and it has now covered 250,000 miles.

Wow, George Bevan components! His cars were hugely successful in the BTCC. How many years did you race the car for? Got any more photos?

[Imp Wagon]

Wow, George Bevan components! His cars were hugely successful in the BTCC. How many years did you race the car for? Got any more photos?

Hi Steve, I ran it for 2 seasons in the 0-2 litre class which was a bit of a mis-match but it still managed to turn a few heads. I have only a few photo's tucked away somewhere, but will try to find them. I did actually meet George Bevan when I picked up my bits from him in 1978 (George knew my friend John Homewood well and built his engines for him) and he kindly let me take a photo of him in his workshop. (see below.)

[Steve Holmes]

Hey, great photo! Boy he really knew how to make one of those Imps run hard. And whats more, his cars were absolutely gorgeous!

So after you'd raced your car for two seasons, what happened to it then?

[Imp Wagon]

Hey, great photo! Boy he really knew how to make one of those Imps run hard. And whats more, his cars were absolutely gorgeous!

So after you'd raced your car for two seasons, what happened to it then?

I sold it to a friend of mine, Dave Rycroft, who did very little with it and then on sold it to Tony mann who has raced it at Wigram, Waimate, Dunedin and Ruapuna over the years. I am fairly certain he still has it.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks for that info, its great to be able to join the dots on the histories of these cars. Did you race anything after you sold the car?

[Imp Wagon]

I did eventually import a Ginetta G15 into NZ in 2000. Most Ginettas were Ford powered but the G15 is Imp powered and has good performance due to it's low weight of 560 Kg. Mine is a 1973. I have competed at Hawkswood and Gebbies pass hillclimbs plus track days and the odd grasskhana, but nothing serious. I guess I can sneak a photo in this thread as it is Imp powered.

[Steve Holmes]

Thats awesome! I bet its fun the drive.

There are some good OSCA threads on here:

http://www.theroaringseason.com/showthread.php?86-Early-O-S-C-A-saloons-1971-75-era-any-pics-out-there-b-w-or-colour

http://www.theroaringseason.com/showthread.php?445-New-Zealand-OSCA-Database-Histories-And-Whereabouts

http://www.theroaringseason.com/showthread.php?266-OSCA-40th-Reunion

[Imp Wagon]

Fantastic! Thanks for all the links. It certainly brings back a lot of very happy memories. I can almost smell the Avgas.......

[Imp Wagon]

Now here are a couple of photo's from the UK in the 1970's of an aluminium bodied, space-framed mini countryman built and raced by a guy called Ginger Marshall. It was actually powered by an Imp engine mated to a Mini 'box - ingenious! It was quicker than all the other BMC powered Minis and was a match for the Imps which by then were dominating the up to 1000cc categories.

The countryman was not quite as bonkers though as the 850cc 2 cylinder BDA powered Fiat 500 (Bambina) affectionately known as "Mighty Mouse" which was raced in the UK in the 70's by Peter Day. I saw it race at Brands in 1978 and it sounded like a 4 cylinder that was down on 2 cylinders, but it could fly!.

[Milan Fistonic]

Hi Guys, 2 important photos you need to put up for Minis.Well known Stuart Lush rolling his Mini on the first corner at Puke and it catching fire in mid 70s .Also Peter Batten in early 70s smacking his mini into the out side fence in front of the grand stand, absolutely destroyed it...

Ask and you will receive.

I'll have to dig out the newspaper page that had the photo of Peter Batten crashing.

[Steve Holmes]

Amazing sequence of photos Milan. What a mess! Is this the same Stuart Lush who now races historic F5000s?

[Steve Holmes]

Now here are a couple of photo's from the UK in the 1970's of an aluminium bodied, space-framed mini countryman built and raced by a guy called Ginger Marshall. It was actually powered by an Imp engine mated to a Mini 'box - ingenious! It was quicker than all the other BMC powered Minis and was a match for the Imps which by then were dominating the up to 1000cc categories.

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The countryman was not quite as bonkers though as the 850cc 2 cylinder BDA powered Fiat 500 (Bambina) affectionately known as "Mighty Mouse" which was raced in the UK in the 70's by Peter Day. I saw it race at Brands in 1978 and it sounded like a 4 cylinder that was down on 2 cylinders, but it could fly!.

Wow! Those are wild! I love British Super Saloons, some of the wildest, most creative saloon cars raced in that series. Good to see many are now being restored and used again.

Re the Mini Countryman, why did they build a Countryman over a normal Mini? Also, why a Mini at all, why not an Imp?

[John McKechnie]

The same person, and the flames were scary.

[Imp Wagon]

Wow! Those are wild! I love British Super Saloons, some of the wildest, most creative saloon cars raced in that series. Good to see many are now being restored and used again.

Re the Mini Countryman, why did they build a Countryman over a normal Mini? Also, why a Mini at all, why not an Imp?

That's the Brits for you, anything to be a bit different!

[Milan Fistonic]

Here's the front page of the Auckland Star dated Monday October 15, 1973. It's become rather discoloured but you should be able to see the severity of the damage to Peter's car.

Note also that he shared the front page with the announcement of Jackie Stewart's retirement.

[Rod Grimwood]

Amazing sequence of photos Milan. What a mess! Is this the same Stuart Lush who now races historic F5000s?

Same person. Greg Thornton has apparently bought the F5000 (McRae) off him to replace his cars he lost in shed fire in England. 2x F5000 and 2x F1 apparently.

[John McKechnie]

Hi Milan,
Thats great adding off photos on the 2 incidents I mentioned.
Now, heres a biggy,-have you got the pic showing Jim Boyd at Baypark trying to slow down Barry Phillips Team Cambridge Mini by dropping it into low when he ran out of brakes-lot of wheel spinning and the fence................,once again, right in front of me.

[Ellis]

A bit of a handfull I would imagine...Wodonga car