Close-up rear view of George Harrisons 1966, Austin Mini Cooper S/ Radford Mini De Ville GT, on display at the 2023 London Classic Car Show
Harrison’s Mini was one of four that London-based Harold Radford Coachbuilders created for each member of the Beatles. Harrison’s car – officially called a Radford Mini De Ville GT – was originally painted metallic black, and styling features included a full-length sunroof, horizontally mounted Volkswagen taillights and hood-mounted rally fog lamps. The Mini’s transformation continued when Harrison commissioned Dutch artists Simon Posthuma and Marijke Koger – known collectively as “The Fool” – to paint it bright red and add mystical signs taken from the book, “Tantra Art: Its Philosophy and Physics,” in 1967. The car expressed Harrison’s holistic approach to the universe and perhaps a bit of his lighter side, as well. “People have had a concept of me being really straight ’cause I was the serious one or something,” Harrison once said. “I mean, I’m the biggest lunatic around. I’m completely comical, you know? I like craziness. I had to in order to be in the Beatles.” Shortly after production wrapped for “Magical Mystery Tour,” Harrison gave the head-turning Mini – with reg plates LGF 5960 – to close friend and fellow musician Eric Clapton. Clapton returned it to Harrison in the 1970s, but not before it was completely repainted. Since no one took detailed photos of the car wearing its original “Tanta Art,” the task of recreating the theme was eventually completed using old photos and images from the film. Although some specifics were lost, the Mini still retained its charm. After Harrison died in 2001, Olivia Harrison agreed to show the car in the 2008 Chelsea Flower Show as part of a “George Harrison Garden” exhibit. It also appeared at the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed, and BMW featured Olivia and the Mini in a 2009 ad. Research failed to turn up any documented sightings of the car in recent years. Appropriately enough, however, it is still possible to see the car in miniature form. Both Corgi and Spark immortalized Harrison’s Mini Cooper as a die cast collect
Size: 5235px × 3744px
Location: Olympia London Hammersmith Road London W14 8UX
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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