Mk1 Elf in Mini World

Have a look at the next Mini World mag due out in the next couple of days. It features a very rare early Mk1 Elf in Yellow and Blue and is owned by Craig Matthews in Northern Ireland. I'm sure some of you will have seen this show winning car at a few shows both in Ireland and across the water in England. It still has the very early half leather half fabric seat covers and matching door trim which considering its near 50 years old is quite something.

Nice car and write up but seriously not my colour!
Andy and Zoe told me they had covered two Elfs in Ireland just before they did mine.

Nice looking Elf and nice article too, not sure about the colour though.

One thing that caught my eye was the note on the ignition switch saying the single raised pimple was thought to only have been fitted to 59 minis. That looks just like mine!

i like the fact he stay true to the original 100%. yes the colour isn't my choice either.
59 mini's and early mk1 elf's have a few things in common. need to get my mk1 riley elf out of storage this year and start working on it .

have seen this car in the flesh and it is mint - and the yellow is so unusual you'll probably never see another like it. a truly special little car...

Pleased to say that I got my Hornet in the same issue, not quite to the same level but at least it has a photo in the 'My Mini' section. I sent the photo and text originally in November/December time, and since then my claims for total reliability came back to haunt me after the Dynamo went. Oh well, fame at last....sort of!

Elf Service wrote:Have a look at the next Mini World mag due out in the next couple of days. It features a very rare early Mk1 Elf in Yellow and Blue and is owned by Craig Matthews in Northern Ireland. I'm sure some of you will have seen this show winning car at a few shows both in Ireland and across the water in England. It still has the very early half leather half fabric seat covers and matching door trim which considering its near 50 years old is quite something.

I'd like to find this mag as a back issue. Which one is it ?
Many thanks in anticipation

July 2010 Edition of Mini World

Never see another one like it? Well. Maybe not exactly, but my blue and yellow (Florentine Blue/Chartreuse Yellow) Mk I Elf is the other one mentioned in the article. It was built enough later that it has the more conventional interior seats...but still only has 33,000 miles from new.

The colour combination is certainly not one I would choose to paint a car, but it seems so fitting for the period, when matched with the powder blue interior, that it grows on you.

cheleker wrote:Never see another one like it? Well. Maybe not exactly, but my blue and yellow (Florentine Blue/Chartreuse Yellow) Mk I Elf is the other one mentioned in the article. It was built enough later that it has the more conventional interior seats...but still only has 33,000 miles from new.
The colour combination is certainly not one I would choose to paint a car, but it seems so fitting for the period, when matched with the powder blue interior, that it grows on you.

Have you already posted photos of your car or could you, please ?
Thanks a lot !

Hi Chuck,

There is another Florentine Blue/Chartreuse Yellow car that too is registered 4 numbers and MG like Craig's. It belongs to a guy in Nottingham England, but he's repainting his as he doesn't like the colours!

I have to say it's not a colour I'd choose but I do like it..

No photos posted. I'll see what I have and send them on to someone to post for me.

The Mk I with 33,000 miles, lives with a Mk II with 17,000 miles and a Mk III with 11,500 miles. They share the garage with a Heinz...with lots of miles and a broken displacer.

cheleker wrote:No photos posted. I'll see what I have and send them on to someone to post for me.

The Mk I with 33,000 miles, lives with a Mk II with 17,000 miles and a Mk III with 11,500 miles. They share the garage with a Heinz...with lots of miles and a broken displacer.

Any chance of details of the Heinz????

Jase

The Heinz is documented by TCCCC. 861. Purchased in 1984. Second one I've owned. The first one, 815, was purchased in 1977 and sold a few years back to Marcel, in Canada, who is doing a very nice restoration on it.

cheleker wrote:No photos posted. I'll see what I have and send them on to someone to post for me.
The Mk I with 33,000 miles, lives with a Mk II with 17,000 miles and a Mk III with 11,500 miles. They share the garage with a Heinz...with lots of miles and a broken displacer.

Three low miler plus an Heinz ! You lucky man ...
Please share photos.