Mini – classic : Paul Banham Conversions

A chop-top Mini, or retro-style on a plate…

To find out more, contact Kit Car magazine


Banham Roadster

IN 2003, having concentrated on the production of his own bodywork designs for several years, Paul Banham went back to his coachbuilding roots by offering this good-looking open-top version of the Mini. The aim here was to provide Mini-lovers with a nippy yet inexpensive sports car which retained the essential style of the original car.

While there have been other convertible Minis in the past, offered by companies such as Crayford, Daly Cars, Domino Designs, L&H and, of course, Rover themselves, the Banham’s unique selling point is its speedster-like styling elements: the chopped-down windscreen, twin roll-hoops and removable rear cover panel.

With so much of the original car retained, owners can take full advantage of the wide range of mechanincal and interior options available for Minis, while Banham can provide full weather protection equipment in deference to the great British weather…


Banham Sprint

SOME 30 years after the launch of the Austin-Healey Sprite, Banham introduced their modern-day interpretation of the car. While closely resembling the orginal car from most angles, the Banham Sprint is all Mini under the skin, with its transversely-mounted engine with transmission-in-sump presumably liberating some useful extra space for the occupants.

The Sprint also has an opening boot (the MkI Sprite’s boot could only be accessed from inside the car). Bulid time is estimated at 150 hours, and by all accounts the Sprint is every bit as good to drive as the Mini itself – but with the bonus of a better power-to-weight ratio.


Information and images used with permission from Paul Banham Conversions.
Further information on both these models can be found at their website

Keith Adams
Latest posts by Keith Adams (see all)

7 Comments

  1. Banham Sprint looks great… When I was in infant’s school (yes – many many years ago), I remember the Lady Headteacher had a turquoise blue Austin Healey Sprite. Looked almost identical to this one. Start of my interest in cars back then.

  2. Hello,

    Could you tell me if Paul Banham is still about please?
    I would be very interested in having a chat with him.

    Many thanks,
    Nigel

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.