Mini Comtesse

[Chris Thomas]

Dear Rumcar Readers

During my research into the Mini Comtesse I discovered this great little piece of film.

In the opening shot the car on the left looks like an electric Cedre badge on the front. The soft top version is also one I have not seen before.

Finally it is dated July 1969. which predates most text book datings for this car.

Can anybody throw any light on the date?

https://youtu.be/RoaE023ccjY

Chris Thomas

[Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)]

Nothing substantive on the car, although it sounds like the prototype mentioned on our forum by Denis. Several French pages have the car being designed by Émile Boussereau "in the late 1960's" with production by Acoma in Laval beginning in 1970 before moving to Saint Barthélemy d'Anjou, near Angers in 1972

http://www.rumcars.org/forum/index.php?topic=4166.0

[Chris Thomas]

Dear Malcolm

Thanks for that link. I had missed that previous discussion. I should have known better than to assume nobody had discussed this before.

Chris Thomas

[Barry]

Thanks Chris for the cooperation on DropBox files.  A great help.

Here is the link to Denis and Acoma.  The early one door cars are very interesting.

http://www.microcarfan.com/index.php/marques/72-acoma

[steven mandell]

Dear Rumcar Readers

During my research into the Mini Comtesse I discovered this great little piece of film.h

https://youtu.be/RoaE023ccjY

Chris Thomas

Great little piece indeed.
Also allowed me to discover another USA Today video that streamed in automatically after it concluded. It is an interview from the Concourse De Lemons featuring an early 1973 Mini Comtesse that I had brought to their Monterrey California show, during the Pebble Beach weekend.
This one was from 2014 where out of 125 international entrants, it won the most highly coveted award of the Concourse- "Worst Car of Show".
I had never seen it until just now, so thanks for the connection.
Last summer was the Flipper's day in the sun.
This year I haven't decided for sure yet.  But if I can get enough help sourcing a front windshield, and a way to make a buck to mold lower body battery case panels, I may go for the Tielhol Citadiene.

[Big Al]

Did you notice that the collection in Bangkok featured at least one Tielhol Citadiene. It might be that there has been a screen repair. They buyer/expert will be Arture Bohnart, known as Artura. Has not got great English, but he did have web presence.

[steven mandell]

Only 28 Tielhol Citadienes were ever made.  So my unsubstantiated hope was that they may have used some other manufacturers' windshield to save costs.
How do I get a hold of Artura to discover their origins/ how I can go about finding or creating a replacement?