Happy Thanksgiving

A happy Thanksgiving to my American and Canadian readers! Yes, I'm a day late but at least the picture below was taken yesterday when I took the Ogle out for a little ride locally for the first time. What a treat. It drives well now with the clutch, brakes, cooling, distribution and ignition all sorted and the lights functioning as well thanks to a new wiring loom. It still needs more work but I'll enjoy tinkering with it in the winter months. All the best from Maximum Mini and enjoy the holidays.

The 'Belgian Barnfind' Ogle SX1000 drives and is back home now

Picture Jeroen Booij

NEC Classic Car Show 2022: the Mini derivatives

This weekend the NEC will be hosting the Classic Motor Show and, like last year, the Minikits Club is present with a great number of Mini derivatives. On their display a freshly restored TiCi, barn find Biota Mk1, Heerey GTM, Mini Marcos Mk4, Hustler Sport, Ogle SX1000 and Minus Maxi. What a fun stand!

Another club attending is the Unipower GT Owners Club & Register with three cars looking very good too. Apart from Gerry Hulford's yellow racer there's also the ex-Janspeed competition car that now appears to be road-registered. Third is a freshly restored car in orange/white of which I hope to learn more soon.

UPDATE 13 November: Fantastic news: Minikits wins the award for most interesting selection of cars in the Classic and Sports Car Club Awards at the NEC Classic Motor Show. Well done boys!

 

Minikits display at the NEC 2022

Picture Paul Wylde

Biota Mk1 at the Minikits display

Picture Paul Wylde

Mini Marcos Mk4 at the Minikits display

Picture Paul Wylde

Hustler Sport at the Minikits display

Picture Paul Wylde

Ogle SX1000 at the Minikits display

Picture Paul Wylde

Minus Maxi at the Minikits display

Picture Paul Wylde

Heerey GTM 1-3 at the Minikits display

Picture Paul Wylde

TiCi at the Minikits display

Picture Paul Wylde

And three Unipower GTs at the marque's Owners Club & Register's stand

Picture Lez Dix

UPDATE: The boys from Minikits receive their trophy for 'most interesting selection of cars'. Congratulations!

Bonus picture: an Outspan Orange Mini, also seen at the NEC 

Picture Andy McPhail

And one more: that cool Clubman camper van, now fully restored and looking great

Picture Andy McPhail

Ogles in Japan 1

Some time ago I was asked to write the story of the Ogle SX1000 for the much-respected Japanese motoring magazine 'Car Graphic', and that's what I did. It was published in the August issue. Most time went into the box-out on the last page, researching the cars that are in Japan. Six of them were relatively easy to find out more about and with the help of my friends Saiki Wada and Bunzo Yasuda we managed to contact all the car's owners, too. 

But the biggest surprise came from a much-rumoured 7th car over in Japan. It turned out to be more than just a rumour and we did find out more about it, too. The car has been hiding since it was exported to Japan in 1983 and is still pretty much shrouded in mystery, but I'll let you soon know what I found as I'd like to review them here slightly more thorough than the box-out in Car Graphic allowed for. Stay tuned.

Car Graphic magazine featured the Ogle SX1000 recently

Picture Car Graphic / Jeroen Booij

The cars featured are ones I photographed in recent years...

Picture Car Graphic / Jeroen Booij

...Like this stunner of a white car that is in Switzerland

Picture Car Graphic / Jeroen Booij

As well as this one! But it's the box-out on the last page that exites perhaps most

Picture Car Graphic / Jeroen Booij