Two things symbolise the era of free love that was the 1960s – The Beatles and Alec Issigonis’ revolutionary Mini. Discovering a combination of the two is a seldom-found opportunity, but the very 1965 Morris Mini Cooper S DeVille used by Paul McCartney is going under the hammer with Worldwide Auctioneers during the 11th annual Auburn Auction held at the National Auto & Truck Museum, Illinois. according to autoclassic.com
Offering peppy performance from a 1275cc four-cylinder engine, mated with a four-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel hydraulic brakes, the heavily modified DeVille Cooper S isn’t quite the same machine as was immortalised by Paddy Hopkirk during the Monte Carlo Rally. Rather, the upmarket Mini was fitted with a host of custom interior and exterior touches, often to individual order.
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Paul McCartney’s Mini Cooper S was a Radford-built car, finished in California Sage Green and registered GGJ 382C. It was featured in the 1967 Magic Mystery Tour motion picture, before later being photographed with Paul driving and his future wife, Linda Eastman, seated beside him.
Bespoke features at the time included Radford’s signature twin driving lamps mounted within the grille, a Webasto sliding sunroof, Aston Martin taillights, power window lifts, a wood-rimmed Moto-Lita three-spoke steering wheel, rich woodgrain interior accents, luxuriously upgraded bucket seats, a central armrest, Smiths instruments and custom wheels.
After The Beatles split to pursue their solo careers, Paul’s Mini was exported to the US and regularly seen in the Hollywood Hills with then-owner Bill Victor, who had the Radford serviced at Hollywood Sports Cars. The engine was rebuilt during his tenure with the vehicle.
The Mini was sympathetically restored by Florida-based enthusiast Brion Michael Fisher in 2001, before being acquired by the current vendor. Displayed at the Sarasota Classic Car Museum and regularly taken out for major Florida shows and concours events, Paul’s Radford Mini Cooper S proved popular with all ages.
