Wood & Pickett Metro

21,743 · January 13

I got recommended this by the ebay AI because I'm a BL licker.

I've no intention of buying but it's an interesting window in history and (I assume) came at a time when interest in W&P Minis had died off.

I've seen a few of their Minis but never a Metro. Did they convert anything else, eg non BLARG, buses etc?

Presume W&P died a death not long after based on decisions like this?

13,412 · January 13

Nice it existed though. There were quite a few 60s beautiful people had w and p minis. Peter Sellars being one if memory serves.

January 13

Funnily enough, I saw a post on a Metro Facebook group earlier linking to one of those (or a very similar) dashboard kits for sale.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/177770390910?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=Owz4fKLaQJa&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=WpsSdTgtRXi&stype=1&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY&fbclid=IwVERDUAPTQh9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR66_WG-5s6yEXx0Y1kZgU7wByswYr1dSy3hEzuDUXuRB3IBVfqMo0XtWWzxkA_aem_T6XIb1qz1Y0d4kfrGK_dFg

3,717 · January 13

I remember an article in Motor around 1981/ 1982 that showed these & i think the Tickford Metro too.

Interesting how when it came out what a big deal the mini Metro was.

22,229 · January 13

The excellent AROnline has lots of WP info:

https://www.aronline.co.uk/the-converters/wood-pickett/

Sellers with his one-off Hooper Morris Mini Cooper. Radford made a 2nd one for a Pink Panther film.

6189PK still taxed. Sellers alas not.

Given the market surprising in a way the Mini did not get the Vanden Plas treatment - sure they'd have sold. I expect they were too busy with the Princess.

January 13

There was some bumpf on Facebook a few months ago.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/127519529899/posts/10161903702139900/

13,627 · January 13

From memory there was a period of a couple of years between MiniMetro launch and when the luxurious Vanden Plas and the sporty MG were added to the range. During this period there were multiple aftermarket companies who offered to pimp your Metro into either a luxury or a sporty vehicle. I recall a road test in possibly What Car?, Motor or Autocar where several aftermarket sporty Metro conversions were tested. I think most, such as Turbo Technics just added a turbo, stiffer suspension and 80s GRAPHICS!
I remember this W&P Metro, there were definitely others. Frazer Tickford rings a bell? MG & VP Metro launch killed all that off over night.

2,221 · January 13

W&P are still going, technically. They only sell parts now I think. I bought a couple of mini bumpers off of them last year.

I’m sure I remember seeing one of their Metros on eBay about 10 years ago (possibly that blue one from the Facebook post) unfortunately it had no engine and was rotten, so it’s probably long gone by now.

3,717 · January 13

I remember the Cooper Metro, then it became the Monaco I think.

20,297 · January 13

outside nice inside i wanna be sick

7,889 · January 13

I recall an allegro/maestro badged up and marketed as a cooper s a while back. Sure it was red and white. Google search engaged.

47,458 · January 13

IIRC there was also a tickford which was similar. Back in 2007 ish i bought a VP500 metro for £300 and there was a guy on the forum that had a W+P and a tickford both of which were so cool.

the tickford was more performace orientated IIRC

21,743 · January 13

23 minutes ago, bangernomics said:

I recall an allegro/maestro badged up and marketed as a cooper s a while back. Sure it was red and white. Google search engaged.

Yes I remember that one. Maestro "Cooper S". Some cock and bull story about how it was a factory prototype but it was basically just giffer tat.

23,956 · January 13

Remember how Metros would oversteer-crash as petrol sloshed out of the filler and lubricated the rear tyre?

3,717 · January 13

7,235 · January 13

1 hour ago, HMC said:

IIRC there was also a tickford which was similar. Back in 2007 ish i bought a VP500 metro for £300 and there was a guy on the forum that had a W+P and a tickford both of which were so cool.

the tickford was more performace orientated IIRC

Imagine having that many fog lights in 1981. You’d literally be getting all the fanny.

DVLA thinks WMJ141X was an ‘81 Cortina L by the way.

3,859 · January 13

They did some Range Rover classics too iirc

Edit- obvs I'm going to put this one on😁

January 13

The guy that use to own Wolfrace wheels back in the 70s and 80s had an original Golf Gti that was also a W+P upgrade along with whatever was the latest Wolfrace wheel design, using it for advertising but also as his own transport at the time. He still has it in his garages amongst his F40, F50, Enzo, Testarosa and 3 other Ferraris I can’t remember and things like an AC Cobra, S type, XK140, ZR1, Model T, Cooper, Moggy convertable, a huge Rolls limo and a wee fiat 500. There’s also a Car, so old it has no brand, more of a motorised carriage than a car as we know it.

21,743 · January 13

2 hours ago, ETCHY said:

Never seen nor heard of it. Great spot.

Wadham Stringer of Tavistock supplied my mum's 1.3 Automatic Metro (ATT 995Y). It was silver; she wanted blue.

3,717 · January 13

26 minutes ago, grogee said:

Never seen nor heard of it. Great spot.

Wadham Stringer of Tavistock supplied my mum's 1.3 Automatic Metro (ATT 995Y). It was silver; she wanted blue.

I think there was some issue with it being called a Metro Cooper & they changed it to Monaco or something like that.

42,466 · January 13

I imagine Volkswagen were calling emergency meetings at Wolfsburg over hearing about the W&P Metro. I read somewhere in light of it they were considering culling the Golf GTI and going, cap in hand to W&P and begging them to work together.

7,394 · January 14

13 hours ago, grogee said:

Yes I remember that one. Maestro "Cooper S". Some cock and bull story about how it was a factory prototype but it was basically just giffer tat.

It was owned for years by a guy in Plymouth and was on a non-dating plate. It was street parked in the Southway area. These are the only pics I can find at the moment.

Shows up as an Austin Cooper S

January 14

16 hours ago, Mr Laurence said:

W&P are still going, technically. They only sell parts now I think. I bought a couple of mini bumpers off of them last year.

I’m sure I remember seeing one of their Metros on eBay about 10 years ago (possibly that blue one from the Facebook post) unfortunately it had no engine and was rotten, so it’s probably long gone by now.

W&P are still going,the company changed hands recently and have just launched a new Margrave conversion but it's ££££.I worked for them in 2006/7 when they were still based at Leatherhead.My paycheck regularly bounced so they were struggling I assume.They closed in 2019,the name was sold to a classic car company in Birmingham and indeed were just selling off the old stock for a while before being sold again to the present owners.They want about 75k for their new car.....

21,743 · January 14

1 hour ago, Dan the van said:

W&P are still going,the company changed hands recently and have just launched a new Margrave conversion but it's ££££.I worked for them in 2006/7 when they were still based at Leatherhead.My paycheck regularly bounced so they were struggling I assume.They closed in 2019,the name was sold to a classic car company in Birmingham and indeed were just selling off the old stock for a while before being sold again to the present owners.They want about 75k for their new car.....

Still Mini based stuff?

January 14

Yes indeed.

Still an A series,1310cc,100 bhp.

3,727 · January 14

Also comes in beige

|

I quite like this, other than Aliexpress Carplay stereo, but 75k is a lot of money! Can't imagine they'll sell a lot of these.

January 14

And the Pound Shop cup holders.And they've re designed the dash around the standard gauges.The original was way better.

21,743 · January 14

40 minutes ago, Dan the van said:

Yes indeed.

Still an A series,1310cc,100 bhp.

Would/Wood

36 minutes ago, IronStar said:

Also comes in beige

|

I quite like this, other than Aliexpress Carplay stereo, but 75k is a lot of money! Can't imagine they'll sell a lot of these.

I like it too. It's a lot of money but there seem to be a few outfits making these restomod things for megabucks. Eg 205 GTI for £100k (I think?) and Delta Integrale for £even more. I also saw a mk1 Escort project that was similarly expensive.

There must be a market for them, perhaps it's overseas eg USA/Japan/Middle Ea$t?

21,743 · January 14

2 hours ago, 500tops said:

It was owned for years by a guy in Plymouth and was on a non-dating plate. It was street parked in the Southway area. These are the only pics I can find at the moment.

Shows up as an Austin Cooper S

Maybe we've already discussed this @LightBulbFun but is there a way to contact the Doovla and get the vehicle make or model updated/changed?

I'm thinking that's what has happened here.

Because there's no way Longbridge had anything to do with that abortion.

1,798 · January 14

12 hours ago, grogee said:

Never seen nor heard of it. Great spot.

Wadham Stringer of Tavistock supplied my mum's 1.3 Automatic Metro (ATT 995Y). It was silver; she wanted blue.

Near enough for the time I guess

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