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Post by administrator on May 15, 2010 18:14:45 GMT 1
From Doug Wright, Canvey Island. Set of seven photos of the Biota midget, circa 1970s. Is more known of this midget car? Apart from owning the car, Doug knows nothing else about it. Biota 1Attachments:
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Post by administrator on May 15, 2010 18:15:14 GMT 1
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Post by administrator on May 15, 2010 18:15:45 GMT 1
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Post by administrator on May 15, 2010 18:16:28 GMT 1
Biota 4That's Doug Wright in the Biota midget car. Attachments:
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Post by administrator on May 15, 2010 18:17:09 GMT 1
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Post by administrator on May 15, 2010 18:17:37 GMT 1
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Post by administrator on May 15, 2010 18:18:15 GMT 1
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Post by haflinger121 on May 15, 2010 20:44:08 GMT 1
Something in the the dim recesses of my mind recalls the name Biota. I have a sneaky feeling it might have been some sort of Autocross special. Although obviously not complete, the pix suggest a car based on Mini mechanicals and very likely front wheel drive - that certainly appears to be a beam axle at the rear. A car of that design wouldn't be a great midget, but would certainly have done OK on grass. I also seem to recall a feature, or maybe ads for the car, in Car & Car Conversions magazine, very early 1970's I think.
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Post by ezwalk43 on May 17, 2010 19:39:07 GMT 1
Biota were one of the numerous kit car manufacturers that sprung up in the early 1970's and produced an open two seater kit based on Mini mechanicals. Think this midget was their attempt to cash in on the then booming midget car formula. Have seen references to it elswhere but don't believe it was ever successful. The kits I seem to remember were advertised in CCC and Custom Car and I too seem to remember that there was some connection with competition, maybe as you suggest autocross.
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Post by rodpashley on May 18, 2010 6:45:43 GMT 1
Biota was run by a man named John Haughton, I suspect perhaps the same John Haughton that raced Midgets,late 1960s-early '70s
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Post by ovaltrack on May 21, 2010 20:14:29 GMT 1
Hi everyone - apologies for not contributing for a while but the new day job means less motorsport and less time on the computer!
I am fairly sure the first Biota was the "Black Lawnmower" although I have never managed to square John Houghton being from Rotherham which seems a long way to come for racing one of a handful of Spedeworth Midgets. The original Black Lawnmower (with virtually no bodywork) can be seen in the DVD "The Long Black Strip" winning a heat at Ipswich. I seem to remember (without looking through my extensive GP Midgets history site) that Colin Byrne became the owner of one as well. The one in the pics looks like it's got some later bodywork.
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Post by haflinger121 on May 21, 2010 22:30:13 GMT 1
I must say I hadn't considered that Richard, but you could well be right. I've got a funny feeling The Black Lawnmower was front wheel drive for a start. Also, that fairly hideous front end depicted in the shot Biota 6 might well be a 'cleaned up' Lawnmower - yes, a BL really was uglier than that!
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Post by ovaltrack on Jun 15, 2010 17:35:44 GMT 1
Been looking at some late 60s Spedeworth stuff and have found some text by John Houghton which seems to differentiate between the Black Lawnmower and Biota although both were built by John.
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Post by rodpashley on Jun 17, 2010 22:52:45 GMT 1
Can anybody ID these two front engined Midgets please? Attachments:
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Post by haflinger121 on Jun 25, 2010 0:27:07 GMT 1
Richard might know, Rod. That Hot Rod in shot is Geoff Scott I think but, although I vaguely remember those midgets, I can't help with those. That one with the Castrol stripes looks very 'home brewed' though...
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