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THE STIMSON MINI BUG
Safari 6 ,Scorcher and Trek
Early in 1970 in a ex-army Nissans hut .In a run down farm in Chichester , Sussex , England living in a door mobile motor-home Barry Stimson hatched the idea of a mini based beach buggy .Working all hour's the first thing to come out of his work shop was a one inch box section chassis , powered thanks too a £10 scrap mini van .Not more than a week later after the concept the first Mini Bug was born ( HPO69H ) , the date was Spring 1970. Barry then named the company Designs Developements and the Mini Bug was at last on sale for £170 and made in three colours Red , Blue and Yellow , extra's included a plastic screen which was bent over buy a converted electric fire made by Barry and a rollover bar at the cost of £7 and £8 each or you could have a full factory built kit on the road ...
The mk1 Mini Bug had sharp body edges and a full body with a lift off bonnet panel to gain access to the engine .Early Mini Bug's also used to over heat so a scoop under the n/s front wheel by the radiator was added to allow more air in to keep it cool. Barry had two appointed agents to sell his Mini Bug's The Surrey Racing Cars ( SCR ) Goldalming , Surrey and the Northern and Scottish agent's Custom And Hottrodding Centre , Edinburgh . Vince Gonelli owner of Custom And Hotrodding was putting the fear of God in to the buggy racing scene in 1971 in his Mini Bug which he also used in Scottish Autocross in SSF872H .Vince remembers sending one bug to Boutique in Bahrain and all so sending one to "St Vincent Islands because the teacher there was told to buy something that would not rust on the one mile wide island which got salt spray from all directions as all new cars out there only lasted 3 years". C,H,C started of with 6 kits and S,R,C 6 to 12 kits when they where all sold they went back to Barry for more kits ,but Barry had gone of touring France in a French Bus .Up on his return C.H.C and S.C.R talked to Barry about idear's for finishing touches to the bug to make it look nicer which he took on bourd removing the sharp edges , the front screen frame and weather gear. In January 1971 on the Fellpoint Ltd ( Jem Cars ) stand at The International Racing Car Show in London the Mini Bug mk2 was on sale but was merely a mk1 1/2 as its spec was that it had a complete lift off front , a wide tagra bar with a Perspex rear screen , a laminated glass front screen in a metal surround and steel tube bumpers instead of the block fin panel's which was added to the mk2's spec it also had a thicker lip around the car .Only three mk11/2 were built HPO69H ( which was a mk1 but converted to mk11/2 and later in to a mk2 ) , NPT**J the other one was possibly turned it to a six wheeler Mini Bug called a Midi-Bug.
To complete the Mini Bug mk2's spec Barry added front and back block panel's and a glass-fibre windscreen surround and side pods and hit the scales at 9cwt with a wheel base of 68inch and a 58inch wide track with a total length of 8ft,8inch and made in four colour's Pirate Red , Golden Yellow , Light Blue, and White .By early Summer 1971 Barry took on a partner journalist Ian Smith and the company changed name to Barrian Car's Ltd ( Barry and Ian ) and the whole project moved to West-Bourne , Hampshire and Jem Car's and Runamoke ( London ) became agents .Ron Smith owner of Runamoke remembers Barry's enthusiasm for the Bug and remembers selling five to ten kit's for him , there was even a agent in the Netherland's who had 12 kit's imported and registered as Barclay Mini Bug Stimson . At Barrian up to four kit's per week came out the work shop and went to all over the world ,two demo car's found there way to South Africa .There was even a restaurant in Zurich named The Mini Bug Lunch who had a engineless car on show ,even British Leyland showed a interest in the Bug and had one for a week's evaluation in 1971 but decided not to percue it.. The Mini Bug also found there way on to the tv in the BBC's Wheelbase program , The Cliff Richard's Show and the children's tv program The Freewheelers and was to be used in A Jaunt To Monaco were Jackie Stewart was going to drive it around the track for the BBC's Wheelbase program but thing's didn't go to plan as they gave a Daily Express journalist David Benson a go and he crashed it in to a concrete barrier with Graham Hills wife Bette in the passenger seat ( NPX144J ) which Ian Smith , Barry's partner drove all the way to Monaco .
By late 1971 a stage two kit was on the market which only needed a engine and a few odd's fitting to it .In late 1971 Barry also came up with the Safari Six and the CS+1 a competition special of the Mini Bug mk2 , the main difference being 3" wide cockpit area ,triangulated chassis and a louver panel on the bonnet to cover up the Mini Bug badge and only four was ever made.
In spring 1973 Barry left the project in the hand's of the laminators Fauchan Plastic's and set sail for the Med ..... Barry returned in the spring of 1974 and working as a art editor for Car And Car Conversion's ( CCC ) he decided to start the CS+1 project again which was made in Barry's bank manager's garage in Waterlooville , Hants useing the old proto type CS+1 which he had kept hold of that John Bevan used to drive but problem's over the mould's slowed down the whole project again ,and in a small work shop in Brighton in mid 1976 the
Mini Bug was back in bloom again only this time being sold as the CS+2 and the company had changed name again to Nouveau Developments and now being sold for £340 + vat only two kits where sold at Nouveau but they had better luck selling Barry's other car the Scorcher.Barry left Nouveau to become a consultant for J.Evans & Sons Ltd , Portsmouth in late 1976 to design Honda TNT truck based vehicles and had persuaded them to make the CS+2 again they only made two demo car's ,one of the cars was tested by Hot Car Mag and for the first time the kit was sold with hood and roll bar at the then price of £475 +vat . In September 1977 the CS+2 project was sold to Mini Motors Rochdale a Mini specialist and was back on sale again but this time sold as the CS2 and for £485 +vat with the optional four point roll cage at £100 +vat the new owner Tony Scotson was to develope a Moke type version using the the mini bug front end ,but with four seats but never came of the design bench , about 25 CS2's were sold and in 1979 the Bug was sold again to Sarronset Ltd , Birkenhead , Merseyside who altered them to a one piece body with a lift of bonnet panel similar to the mk1 spec who also offered a electric version and the last one made was in 1985 and numbers made are unknown . Some of the mould's then made there way to the Midlands and ended up at Mini's , Car's And Part's in Cannock ( 2001 ) and was going to be produced again as the Willspeed Minibug and to be sold at £600 chassis and body kit form but none was ever made . The mould's then ended up on eBay in 2007 and are now in Newcastle Upon Tyne , Northumberland with a Mini Bug owner.
This little master piece as made more come backs than Rocky in the film's so who known's watch this space.......
Click on thumbnails below for bigger pictures
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MK 1 MINI BUGS
Picture 1 Barry in the proto type hpo69j , picture3 Vince racing in 1971 at Barnsness , picture 4 Vince at Cowdenbeath ,Fife 1971 , picture 5 Vince at
Ingliston Circuit 1971 pictures 6,7,8 Custom & Hottroddings work shop December 1970 Vince is at the wheel picture 6
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MK 11/2 MINI BUGS
   
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MK 2 MINI BUGS
  
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CS+1
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CS+2
   
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CS2
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THE MOULDS OF THE MINI BUG
   Only the bonnet mould is missing .
The mould's are now with a new owner (April 2010 and still in the UK) who will be able to make new panel's and even complete car's soon.
So if anyone need's anything for there Bug or would like a new one give me a shout and will pass it on to him....
******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* A list of companies that have made the Mini Bug with frame number's
1970-1971 Design Developments Chichester , Sussex **DD
1971-1973 Barrian Cars Westbourne & London **DD +DD**
1973 Fauchan Plastics Walburton Sussex DD***
1974-1976 Nouveau Developments ,Brighton Sussex CS**
1976-1977 Evans & Sons ,Portsmouth CS**
1977-1979 Mini Motors ,Rochdale Lancashire MM**
1983-1985 Sarronset Ltd Birkenhead CSNJB*****
I have over 70 bugs and frame numbers on record out of which oveer 40 are known to me and are still around.
If you have a bug that as not been regesterd or came with no reg email me the frame number as i may have it
on file with the reg or could date it so you may not need SVA test .
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THE SAFARI SIX
JYM***K was the proto type and was first seen on Tomorrow's World tv programme in 1971 but was not officially introduced till December 1972 but press photos have the proto type as NPX144J which the reg was used off a Mini Bug that was later written off in Monaco and all picture's where taken off public highway's and registered in 1972 as JYM***K just before being shipped. of to Malta to The International Trade Fair . The proto type had a wiper motor in centre screen at the top and a opening tail gate and a block fin rear panel like the mk2 Mini Bug and had five holes in the grill .The Six's were 12ft long a full 1ft longer than the mini traveller and the rear track a full 1ft wider than the Mini and could carry up to seven hundred weight it also came with a lockable under floor boot, only six car's were reported to be made by Barry four mk1's of three are still in the UK and one in the USA and two mk2's both still in the UK ( but have read some were that 20 where made and i no to 9 of them).The mark 2's all had a single bumper bar ( mk1's had twin bumper bar ) and twin wipers like the normal mini . The six's were not sold in kit form ,it came full assembled with a factory re-conditioned 850cc engine and box for £800.00 or £600.00 less the engine and box , and a choice of three colours Yellow ,Cream and Orange (Red) and all made at Barrian Developments , London factory 1971 to 1973 .The mould's were then sold to a company in, Lampeter , South Wales in 1974 and was going to relaunch and rename it as the Shikari with a Ford Crossflow engine from the Fiester or the Peugeot engine . They made the Blue six in photo in late 1975 and modified the floor pans to take the later rod gear change and only made one which was never finished , they stop trading in 1983 .Were are the moulds now ????????????????????????
MK1's
       
MK2's
       
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STIMSON SCORCHER
The Scorcher is a three wheeler front engine and Mini subframe car/trike in which the rider/driver and passenger's sat in tandem astride the chassis and had by law to wear crash helmets,
about 30 were made and sold for £375.00 +vat which included four Alloy wheels ( one spare ) and you had to supply your own running gear , steering, foot pedals , handbrake and fuel tank.
The proto type reg was OWV472R and were all made by Barry at Nouveau in Brighton from late 1976 and less than 5cwt in weight had a claimed speed of 100mph from a 850cc Mini engine on a air field test track with standard gearing advertised as having a ptw ratio of 200bhp per ton! and was available pre-assembled or as a kit and could be regestered as a new motorcycle as the law stated it was a three wheeler motorcycle . All Barrys Scorcher's frame number began with SCR*** and prob the best / worst car he is known for , and last made by Barry in 1980 . Barry sold the Scorcher project in 1981 to a Mr Gerald Pickford of Clanfield , Oxon he was going to build three kits to test the market for late 1982 and redesigning the lower front end with a new integral air dam .Number made by Gerald are unknown believed to be only three.The red one in photo is the only one in the uk ,there is also one in Tenerife ,the third one was painted blue and silver and awaiting rebuild .Were are the moulds now????????????????????
      
Gerald Pickford Scorcher's
   Photo's of Gerald's moded engine cover
 
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STIMSON TREK ( THE TREK KING )
The Trek was designed and built over a six month's ,and the full build was in Kit Cars magazine from January 1982 till it was finished in June 1982 . The Trek was also known as The Trek King and were supplied in four colour's Blue , Red , White and Green .The driver sat in the middle and the two passengers sat each side at the rear , they also had foot rest by the side of the driver,s seat to stop them falling off. The Trek sold at £785.00 +vat basic kit containing main body tub, bonnet , dash panel , steering column cover , air-dam , front + rear lower cowlings , screen base with laminated windscreen , tunnel cover , drivers seat , rear coilover shocks , rollcage and pre-drilled chassis ( extra's included two person rear seat at £25.00 ,boot box at £20.00 ,over head switch panel at £9.00 and lower dash panel at £7.00 and a four-piece hood with side pocket's all +vat ).
The Treks chassis was constructed from 60ft of 14 gauge 1"x 1 " box . The chassis were all fabricated by Jago Fabrication's in Chichester and a part of Geoff Jago empire ( Jago Jeep/Geep fame ) .The Trek used a standard Mini steering rack with a modified Allegro steering column . As the driver sat over a tunnel to allow pedals on both sides two pedal box's were used. A standard Mini fuel tank which was mounted under the rear seats .Barry's dad Burt Stimson also got involved in the project and was called in to sort out some mechanical and electrical problems with the proto type car .The Trek's weight was around 7 or 8cwt which even with the smallest mini engine would pull it along at some speed . The proto type Trek LGO903Y was written of in an accident in Sweden and repaired in the Uk and then spayed Kawasaki Green. Where are the moulds now ????
               Some of the build photo's from Kit Cars Magazine of the proto type
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SOME SALE'S STUFF FOR BARRY'S MINI BUG'S
  
               Below photos of weller wheels
6x10 wellers type used on minibugs
  6x10 four spoke wellers used on the six
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******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************Thanks Thanks to Richard Porter of the Mini Marcos Owners Club for photos of the yellow six &scorcher.
Thanks to Vince Gonelli for his info
Thanks to Collin Lourie for the photos of Custom & Hottrodding
Thanks to Steve Redd for the photo,s of his Blue Trek and for the leads .
Thanks to Jeroen Booij writer of Maximum Mini , for the Dutch ads
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HERE IS A FEW LINKS TO SOME SITES AND WELL WORTH A LOOK....
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SOME PHOTOS OF MY BUG
      My bug with home made steel bonnet and screen surround.
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Have you ever owned one of Barrys car's? and would like to now if it's still about ?or would like it back please email me mite have it on record..
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Hi any info on this mini bug it's a mk2 ? its a 1971 bug but was re-regesteerd in Ireland in 1993 but was 1st regestered in the uk its a 1971/72 car dated by the frame number ( uk reg unknown) ????
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Wanted any info on this Trek colour was Red from new but was sprayed White and used to promote a bike company ?????
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Wanted any info on this mk2 bug its a 1971 reg unknown
   
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Any info on these bugs
 Or any info on these reg's
KBD491L , MSY650K ,JCJ547N ,
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CARS FOR SALE AND WANTED
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Do you have a bug for sale or no of one ??
Wanted mk1bug ,mk2 bug, Scorcher , Trek and Safari 6 Buyers waiting
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Stimson Cars In Print
Cars That Time Forgot By Giles Chapman
Amazing Mini By Peter Filby
Maximum Mini By Jeroen Booij
British Specialist Cars Volume 1 By Chris Rees
************************************************************************************************************************** ANY MORE INFO OR PICTURES OR HAVE YOU OWNED ONE IN THE PAST ,DROVE ONE ,BUILT ONE , OR HAVE ONE NOW PLEASE EMAIL ME @ wildy_uk2000@hotmail.co.uk
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Some of my other project car
One of ower Mini's i am doing at the mow list of part so far 2 wings ,2 A panels ,front panel , 2 inner sills ,2 outer sills ,2 rear 1/4 panels,o/s rear inner arch ,boot repair panel ,rear valance,boot hinge panel ,2 scuttle panels.Its now ready to paint .
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