The Radford Mini was one of the best-known products of Harold Radford (Coachbuilders) Limited, a London coachbuilder whose showroom stood in Melton Court, South Kensington. The firm began with bespoke bodies for new Bentleys in the late 1940s and, during the Swinging Sixties, earned recognition for luxury versions of the cult-car Mini.
Radford Mini at a glance
| Maker | Harold Radford (Coachbuilders) Limited |
|---|---|
| Base car | the British Mini, rebuilt as a luxury car |
| Company founder | G. Harold Radford |
| Founded | late 1940s |
| Showroom | Melton Court, South Kensington, London SW7 |
| Early speciality | bespoke bodies for new Bentleys |
| Best-known work | luxury versions of the Mini in the 1960s |
| Parent group | H. R. Owen, a member of the Swain group |
| Reorganised | March 1961 |
| Liquidation | September 1966, voluntary |
| Successor | Harold Radford Coachbuilders (1967) Limited, from October 1967 |
based on one source: the Wikipedia article covers the coachbuilder rather than the model, so this page describes the Radford Mini through the history of the firm that built it.
History of the Radford Mini
A Kensington retailer
Harold Radford & Co. Limited was a British retailer specialising in Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars. Its premises were at Melton Court, South Kensington, London SW7, directly opposite South Kensington tube station. Under G. Harold Radford the retail business grew a bespoke coach-building arm in the late 1940s, named Harold Radford (Coachbuilders) Limited.
Bentleys first, then the Mini
The coachbuilding business initially focused on crafting bodies for new Bentleys, tailored to the rural lifestyle of the landed gentry. That work established the firm as a maker of individually finished cars for wealthy customers. During the Swinging Sixties the same approach was applied to the cult-car Mini, and Radford gained recognition for its luxury versions of the small British saloon — the cars now remembered simply as Radford Minis.
Ownership and the end of the original firm
Harold Radford (Coachbuilders) Limited belonged to the H. R. Owen group; H. R. Owen had been a member of the Swain group, owned by the Provincial Traction Company Limited, since October 1959. In March 1961 the coachbuilding business was combined with the servicing and body repair operations of H. R. Owen and Swain under the Harold Radford (Coachbuilders) Limited name. In September 1966 the company voluntarily entered liquidation because it could not meet its liabilities. In October 1967 a new company, Harold Radford Coachbuilders (1967) Limited, was set up to continue acquiring cars.
Design and features
- Coachbuilt luxury on a small car: the Radford treatment turned the everyday Mini into an individually finished car for wealthy buyers.
- Bentley experience: the firm had spent more than a decade building bespoke bodies for new Bentleys before it turned to the Mini.
- A central London address: the showroom faced South Kensington tube station, in the middle of the district’s car trade.
- A enduring name: the Radford Mini of the 1960s is the work the company is still remembered for.
Radford Mini versions
- Bentley conversions (late 1940s onward): bespoke bodies for new Bentleys, aimed at the landed gentry and their rural way of life.
- Radford Mini (1960s): the luxury Mini versions that made the coachbuilder famous during the Swinging Sixties.
- Post-1967 cars: the successor company Harold Radford Coachbuilders (1967) Limited continued acquiring cars from October 1967.
The Radford Mini is a coachbuilt take on the British small car; more coachbuilt and special-bodied cars are gathered in the Radford collection.
Sources
- Harold Radford, English Wikipedia: company history, premises, Mini conversions, ownership