In 2002 Channel 4's Driven program featured a Maxi being driven, from the UK .... first across Europe to the Atlas Mountains in Morroco and then onto the Sahara desert ...... a few weeks later the same car was driven across Scandinavia and into the Arctic Circle. The car - JOY 946N - was purchased for £650 by Channel 4 from a former club member - Terry Ealham. Sadly its not known what happened to it after the series ended. The approximate route taken by the car is shown on the map opposite.

The film - a light hearted take on the BMW Mini adverts of the time, "Its a Mini adventure" - proved that a 27 year old car + several gallons of petrol could do the biz. Unfortunately I can't provide you with a link to the feature on channel 4's website as they seem to have removed it.

Sybil Fawlty - harassed wife of eccentric Torquay hotelier, Basil Fawlty - drove a Maxi in the short, but hugely successful comedy series Fawlty Towers. Sybil was of course played by actress Prunella Scales. Amazingly there were only 7 programme's ever made.

A Maxi owned by member Lesley Ayres, has had a starring role in ITV soap, Emmerdale Farm. According to the club magazine, the car was used for an amorous scene involving soap character Sadie King (played by Patsy Kensit). Not only has the car been in Emmerdale Farm, but apparently it will also be seen in a new TV drama called Faith.

The picture opposite shows Lesley's car at the International Classic Car Show, at the NEC in Birmingham in 2005.

Club Spares Advisor Morry Cook hired his car out to Channel 4 Television in 2004, for the purpose of making a documentary about a former teacher who became a property developer. Her empire is apparently worth about £600 millions today. She and her husband is said to have driven a Maxi, when first starting up her company. The picture opposite shows Morry driving North to Birmingham in 2005 for the Austin Centenary bash.

Granada TV contacted the club in 2004, asking us to supply a Maxi for a feature in a forthcoming TV series entitled "Men and Motors". The feature was called "Used Car Heaven". Granada's feature compared 3 cars, a Saab, a Triumph Dolomite and a Maxi. The purpose being to ascertain which car was the most suitable purchase for "Joe Public". The Saab was chosen last, the Maxi second and the Dolomite first. The Maxi chosen to take part belonged to Brian Winn, our Technical Officer.

Here are some examples of how the Maxi was used to promote the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships in the 1970's. Some years ago member Kevin Stephens came across the following photographs at the British Motor Industry's Heritage Centre at Gaydon in Warwickshire.

1. The first shows model "Saskia" sitting on the bonnet of a 1750 cc Maxi, registration number MOC 408 P. The photo was taken on the 15th June 1976 (Gaydon Negative Number 267129-31).
2. The second photo shows loads of pretty young girls standing or leaning against a white 1750 cc Maxi (Reg: ADA 612 T). Kevin reckons the girls are courtesy drivers, employed for the duration of the Championships (Gaydon Negative Number 295454).
3. The third photograph shows a white 1750 HL at Wimbledon on the 27/06/79, in front of South East Hall. There are two men standing in front of the car one of whom appears to be the 1930's champion Fred Perry and ex-player and current referee Alan Mills (Gaydon Negative Number 295464).

webmaster: Sadly I'm unable to reproduce any of these photo's on this page as the copyright belongs elsewhere. However if you want to buy copies of them, you can do so by contacting the British Motor Heritage Centre at Gaydon in Warwickshire. Kevin says that they are about £10 each. and measure approximately 8"x6".

The Maxi has had several famous owners including:
Beatle, John Lennon, who trashed his Maxi and then had it turned into a piece of sculpture as a reminder of how he cheated death.
Sid James (he of the Carry on Films). Apparently his car came up for sale a few years ago in "Classics Car weekly". The owner wanted a whopping £10,000 for it. Its not known whether he got the asking price.
Olympic Gold medallist, Keiran West ...... seen opposite leaving Buckingham Palace in 2001 following a reception to celebrate his winning gold in the GB rowing eight at the Sydney Olympics.

Here's an example of where a Maxi was used for a wedding car. The happy couple are Teresa Wykes and Paul Vincents, who married each other in 2003 at St Peter's Church, Netherseal, Derbys. The Maxi was supplied by friend and club member Phil Marrison. For more pictures of the happy event go our features page (wedding).