22 May 09
George Harrison: 1965 Mini Cooper S
Beatle George Harrison was another high-profile Mini owner. He bought his Cooper S in '65 and went down the tried-and-tested celebrity formula of commissioning coachbuilder Radford to completely strip and rebuild the Mini. In Harrison's case he painted it a menacing metallic black.
This wouldn't do as he became more involved in Sixties psychedelia, so the Mini was repainted using a much more colourful design. He was so impressed with the job that the car even starred in the 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour.
After the movie Harrison gave the car to fellow car fan and guitar hero Eric Clapton, but he missed it so much that he re-acquired the car sometime in the early Seventies.
John Lennon: 1964 Mini, Radford Mini de Ville
John Lennon is rumoured to have bought a Mini even before he could drive. The Mini was supposed to have been a gift for his wife Cynthia, but there were stories of Lennon being chauffeur-driven around in a Mini with dark tinted windows.
The same car was spotted again, this time, with Lennon behind the wheel on the way to the famous Abbey Road Studios. Speaking to the NME Lennon revealed that both the Mini and a Ferrari had been sold when his accountant warned the Beatle his money might not last his lifetime. Both were swiftly bought back later.
