Speedwell - MK1 performance conversions

SPEEDWELLout blocks, exhaust systems, brakeupgrades, suspensionimprovements, sound deadening,and interior accessories andadditional instruments. Parts couldbe bought individually, or in manycases as comprehensive kits. “Youwill find it more economical topurchase complete kits rather thanseparate components,” the brochureadvised. The company would evensell you a complete, brand new BMCcar, modified and ready to go.From its base in North London,not far from the Ace Café, Speedwelldistributed around the world, oftenvia local specialists and speed shops.Which is where this fascinatingselection of photos fits in, sharedwith us by German Mini enthusiastAndreas Klein. The images on thesepages are reproduced from originalslides found among the leftoverstock of a closed-down car partsbusiness in Austria. Andreas boughttwo boxes of the slides, labelled‘Speedwell Slide Trade Show’, fromthe former owner’s son. “I came in“The very ultimate inroad performance,”was how Speedwelldescribed its enginebuilds. “Modificationcan be carried out tothe customer’s ownengine or Speedwellwill supply thecomplete engine.”contact with him when he sold someSpeedwell brochures on eBay,”Andreas says. “Some months later hesent a mail asking if I would beinterested in these slides. I, likeanybody else, had never heard aboutthem and bought them.”Exactly what the slides were for isunknown. Andreas has shown themto Mark Forster, the early Miniperformance guru whose Sprint isfeatured in the previous article, buteven that has drawn a blank. Thelabel would suggest they were moreTwin SUs were just one of the fuellingoptions. Speedwell also offeredWebers, and a pioneering Amalmotorbike carb conversion.57MIM169.speedwell_pics 5721/12/09 1:49:19 pm