Irish Mini Owners Club

Ok so in the wanted section I spotted a little slip up by someone asking if it was a front or back door for the mini and it got me thinking.....

In 1970 an Austin Mini Cooper Four Door was entered in The London to Mexico World Cup Rally Final under the name Conroy Motors, it carried number 89 and its crew was an Allan Keefe & James Conroy.

In all the publications and articles I have on the event not one has a photo of this particular entry, in fact I believe it was an Irish entrant so Im wondering those anyone have more details on the car or even its crew etc etc

The Conroy brothers are from Tallow, Co. Waterford and one of them works in a garage in Fermoy. He has shown me photos of the 4-door Mini which was actually built using a van chassis. I have mentioned to MiniWorld a few times about doing an article. I'll try to borrow the photos and get them up here.

Billy

That would fantastic to have the story covered, I can only imagine the stories and possible photographs that they have from the event

I have some great books on marathon type rallies that I would recommended to people:

World Cup Rally 40 by Graham Robson covers the story of the 1970 London Mexico and has a number of images of XJB 308H,
Car No 59 BBC Grandstands 1275GT entry driven by John Handley / Paul Easter

A Little Goes a Long Way by Simon Park tells the story of the 1977 London Sydney Rally from the inside of another 1275GT

The Long Drive by John Stathatos covers the same event although these entrants were in a Peugeot 504, the book does make reference to Simon Parks car plus has images of a 1275GT entered by a 3 man Asian crew & the Australian Coke Cola sponsored Mini Moke.

Another marathon rally book that I'm searching for is The longest drive of all: Paddy Hopkirk's story of the London-Sydney motor rally if anyone was to have a copy for sale let me know !

What's the Simon Park book like, Tommy? I've seen it advertised.

Billy

Photos of the 4 door Mini have popped up in magazines over the years.
If I remember right the car still existed and was due to be restored

Check out page 63 in the book called The Mini by Brian Laban, example of a Broadspeed conversion 4 door limousine . And also check page 233 of Mini The Definitive History by Jon Pressnell, nice example of a 1993 4 door model conversion done by German firm Mengers Special Cars . They offered this .
Sorry no means of scaning pictures.

They are the menger 4 door conversions

There was a company doing a 4 door Mini in the UK in the early 90's, there was an article about it in one of the early Mini World magazines, I think it was issue 2 or 3 .

The Coke Cola sponsored Mini Moke

hhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm coke and a moke in one droooooool

It looks almost like it was based on a van



*edit can any moderators fix this, I can't seem to post photo links

Just uncheck the "Disable BBCode" box in the Options before you post. (TMG)

You can make out Conroy Motors on the roof. Sonny Conroy has shown me the photos. When the family lived in London in the '60s, they did work for the likes of Speedwell and Graham Hill. I had invited Peter Barker from MiniWorld over to meet with two of the Conroy brothers back in 2009 but he never made it over.

DAN3H was in Ireland for many years but is now apparently in Cambridgeshire.

Billy

That moke bumber looks like it would take some IMOC abuse.

Love the 4 door mini but how is that hinge attached to the B post

"nice example of a 1993 4 door model conversion done by German firm Mengers Special Cars "

Saw it in the flesh in Mengers in 90's. Last year looking in through the window of their showroom, you wouldn't buy one of their Minis for less than €25,000.

Mini World Magazine This Month (June 2011) Has a Article about a Custom 4 door mini..
Page 40.

I want one ..............