Classic & Sports Car UK – September 2019

September 2019 Classic & Sports Car 179

“Ralph spent too much time and money on the
racing.” The road car was also ‘premium priced’,
at nearly £1500 in top spec. Expensive for a Mini.
EOP 88D’s owner, Kent Thirley, picks up the
story: “In 1967 it went out to Holland to a guy
called Tonio Hildebrand, a privateer racer and
local legend. Tonio was a playboy; he always had
a big cigar and a new girl on his arm at every race
meeting. He was good friends with John, who
had suggested he try the Broadspeed.” Hilde-
brand raced it until 1971, mostly at Zandvoort,
with regular class-winning success.
“At the end of its racing life it was parked up at
the back of a garage in Amsterdam,” says Thir-
ley. “Lots of people knew about its existence, but
the story goes the Dutch weren’t happy about
letting it back out of the country.”
Eventually Mini expert and Broadspeed
superfan Chris Wooden prised the car back to
the UK, paired with the sister road car EOP
89D, which had been the launch model in Janu-
ary ’66. “Chris did a brilliant thing: he took it to
lots of Mini events in its unrestored state,” says
Thirley. “It came back to the UK mostly in
primer, and had clearly had an accident because
one of the front wings had been replaced. It had
flared arches, the engine had long since gone and
it was in a pretty sad state. Then Chris started
the restoration and documented it all on social

media, just so everyone knew where it was.

His attention to detail was phenomenal.

“For example, the paint is Rolls-Royce Regal

Red. It’s a colour that doesn’t exist anywhere –

but he found some. The seats he did acquire and

the magnesium wheels are new-old stock, but

I’m pretty sure the dashboard is original. Under-

neath, the car is a masterpiece. Everything is

lightened, all the subframes are drilled and it’s

got hydro-adjustable suspension. In terms of

condition, it looks very original. He could have

made it all shiny, but instead he kept it period.”

The racing Broadspeed GT 2+2 started life as

a 1275cc Mk1 Cooper ‘S’. “This engine was bored

and stroked, with a modified crank,” says Thir-

ley. “It’s also got a true Broadspeed camshaft,

which Chris was able to acquire from someone

in Birmingham who worked at the company. It’s

now 1366cc. Some way through 1966 Broad-

speed modified the car from SUs to a Weber

IDA coming out the bonnet. All part of Ralph’s

constant modifications. So when Chris restored

it he did so to this later, end-of-season 1966 spec.

Early pictures show the bonnet was covered.

“The roof and rear are glassfibre bonded on to

the steel body, the doors on this car only are

aluminium and so is the bonnet. It’s a racing car,

so it was all about weight saving.”

Thirley acquired the car through his job as a

salesman for JD Classics, which infamously fell

into administration last September. Wooden had

passed on both 88D and 89D to JD, with Thirley

finding a new home for the road car before the

axe fell on the company. Then at the turn of the

year, as he prepared to leave JD (now under new

management), he made an offer to the adminis-

trator for the race car. It was accepted.

So what now? Thirley, after all, is a car sales-

man with a cult Mini special in his possession, in

a big anniversary year... But there’s a problem:

while we’re photographing the car, he receives

a message that the DVLA has turned down his

bid to register the number. The key is there’s no

paper trail. “It does have a unique export number

stamped into the bulkhead,” says Thirley. “If

I had some paperwork from when it left the UK

that would be something. But I’ve got nothing

from Broadspeed and no logbook.”

For now he’s happy to show the car at events:

Chateau Impney in July – “I didn’t get into

second gear, but it was only a procession!”– the

Kop Hill Climb in September and the Revival, at

which he hopes EOP 88D will be a welcome

addition to the Mini 60th parade celebrations.

As Thirley says, “only more than 20 and less

than 30 were built” – but there’s only ever been

one race car. It’s good to see Ralph Broad’s little

cul-de-sac project back in circulation.

Clockwise from left:

leather-covered wheel

came as standard from

Broadspeed; GT will be

back at Goodwood for the

Revival’s Mini celebration;

Broad’s team developed

the racer, taking it up

from 1275cc to 1366cc;

Broadspeed slash on its

nose denoted ‘S’ spec –

five of which were available

“In terms of condition, it

looks very original. The

owner Chris could have

made it all shiny, but

instead he kept it period”