SOCIAL CLIMBING
Julian Harber's first car was a humble Austin A35, bought in 1966, when he was just sixteen-years-old. He spent a year rebuilding it. On those occasions he wasn't spannering on the A35, he busied himself working for his mother's catering business, washing dishes, peeling potatoes, laying tables etc. Soon, he had saved enough money to buy the very car he had wanted in the first place, but had been unable to afford: a Mini.
"This was 1968, and it was a Tartan Red Mini 850 Deluxe," recalls Julian smiling. "I did a few road rallies in this car. A pal of mine was an engineering apprentice and we got lots of parts machined during night shifts! It eventually ended up with a 1275S engine, mated to the standard 'magic wand' gearchange, although I'd fitted an ST straight-cut second, third and fourth gearset.”
"The grandfather of another pal of mine owned a
