Photo: Worldwide Auctioneers
Chassis number KA2S4732224 isn’t your average Mini Cooper S. The 1965 model was customized by Harold Radford & Co. for Paul McCartney, one of four examples of the breed. And as you found out from the headline, this extremely special means of personal transportation can be yours provided that you outbid other collectors at the Auburn Auction.
Offered without reserve by Worldwide Auctioneers, the DeVille doesn’t have an estimate to its name. Restored in 2001 and featuring a rebuilt engine, the Mini comes with Swinging ‘60s styling and the high performance expected from the Cooper S.
“Driven for years in Hollywood by subsequent long-term owner,” the DeVille comes with plenty of period photos documenting Paul McCartney behind the wheel and next to his beloved Mini. The twin-lamp setup up front is a nod to the rally-spec models from the 1960s, and whichever way you look at it, this fellow is a collector’s wet dream.
But how did Paul and the rest of The Beatles got hold of these cars? The story starts with Brian Epstein, the band’s manager. He ordered all four vehicles in 1965, three from Radford and one from Hooper. Fast-forward to the present day, and the bespoke Mini given to John Lennon by the manager is nowhere to be found.
George Harrison’s model remains with his wife, and Ringo Starr’s Hooper is in private hands. Turning our attention back to Paul McCartney’s Radford, the car comes with Aston Martin taillights, Webasto sliding sunroof, power window lifts, Moto-Lita three-spoke steering wheel with a wooden rim, woodgrain interior trim, Smiths gauges, custom wheels, and leather-wrapped seats.
Having started its life as a 1275 S, the DeVille comes with a four-speed manual transmission driving the front wheels with just around 75 horsepower and 79 pound-feet (107 Nm) of torque from a 1,275-cc four-cylinder engine. At 670 kilograms (1,477 pounds) without the driver, the Cooper S from the ‘60s also happens to be one of the lightest Mini models ever made.
“Driven for years in Hollywood by subsequent long-term owner,” the DeVille comes with plenty of period photos documenting Paul McCartney behind the wheel and next to his beloved Mini. The twin-lamp setup up front is a nod to the rally-spec models from the 1960s, and whichever way you look at it, this fellow is a collector’s wet dream.
But how did Paul and the rest of The Beatles got hold of these cars? The story starts with Brian Epstein, the band’s manager. He ordered all four vehicles in 1965, three from Radford and one from Hooper. Fast-forward to the present day, and the bespoke Mini given to John Lennon by the manager is nowhere to be found.
George Harrison’s model remains with his wife, and Ringo Starr’s Hooper is in private hands. Turning our attention back to Paul McCartney’s Radford, the car comes with Aston Martin taillights, Webasto sliding sunroof, power window lifts, Moto-Lita three-spoke steering wheel with a wooden rim, woodgrain interior trim, Smiths gauges, custom wheels, and leather-wrapped seats.
Having started its life as a 1275 S, the DeVille comes with a four-speed manual transmission driving the front wheels with just around 75 horsepower and 79 pound-feet (107 Nm) of torque from a 1,275-cc four-cylinder engine. At 670 kilograms (1,477 pounds) without the driver, the Cooper S from the ‘60s also happens to be one of the lightest Mini models ever made.
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