Music · The Beatles · Former owner · custom build · on-screen association

George Harrison

Mini Cooper S · Radford Mini de Ville conversion

George Harrison’s red and gold psychedelic Radford Mini de Ville displayed indoors at the 2023 London Classic Car Show.
George Harrison’s actual psychedelic Radford Mini de Ville, photographed by Calreyn88 at the London Classic Car Show on February 25, 2023.Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Joyride serves the 3432 × 2549 Commons JPEG byte-for-byte. No crop, resize, retouching, generation or vehicle reconstruction. A responsive frame may crop displayed edges.
George Harrison in a December 1974 White House identification portrait by David Hume Kennerly.
George Harrison1974 · Identification portraitDavid Hume Kennerly / White House · Public domain — U.S. federal government. Joyride serves the current 2088 × 2720 Commons JPEG byte-for-byte. Commons records a 2019 slightly brighter version by Maximilian Schönherr. Joyride adds no crop, retouching or generation. A responsive frame may crop displayed edges.

A Beatles gift became a rolling psychedelic artwork

Connection
Former owner · custom build · on-screen association
When
Gifted in 1966 · Magical Mystery Tour, 1967
Identity
1966 Beatles gift · Radford Mini de Ville · surviving car displayed in 2023

George Harrison’s official site says Beatles manager Brian Epstein gave each band member a Mini Cooper S in 1966. BMW Group/MINI identifies Harrison as the owner of a Mini de Ville refined by coachbuilder Radford. Those sources support the gift date, Cooper S starting point and Radford conversion; Joyride does not turn the 1966 gift date into a separately verified model-year or chassis claim.

Harrison then had the car painted with psychedelic images, including yantras and Sanskrit mantras. Both the Harrison site and MINI connect this individual car to The Beatles’ 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour. That is an on-screen association layered onto documented former ownership and customization, not evidence about who owns it today.

Photographer Calreyn88 identified the surviving decorated car at the London Classic Car Show on February 25, 2023. The photograph shows the distinctive red, gold and multicolour Mini on display. The event appearance establishes that the car was publicly exhibited; it does not establish current custody or a present private owner.

Documented custody

Where the car went next

  1. 1966A Mini Cooper S gift

    Harrison’s official site records Brian Epstein’s gift to each Beatle; MINI separately identifies Harrison’s Radford-refined Mini de Ville.

  2. 1967Painted and filmed

    Harrison commissioned the psychedelic imagery, and the car appeared in The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour.

  3. February 25, 2023Public display in London

    Calreyn88 photographed the surviving Harrison Mini at the London Classic Car Show. The display does not establish present ownership.

Follow the evidence

Sources for this story

MINI and Harrison’s official site establish former ownership, the 1966 gift, Radford conversion, psychedelic treatment and 1967 film appearance. The licensed 2023 photograph identifies the surviving decorated car on public display. No chassis number or current owner is claimed.

  • El Mini clásico también fue parte de la BeatlemaníaBMW Group / MINI · 2023-07-06 · external source

    1966 Mini Cooper S gifts, Harrison’s ownership, Radford Mini de Ville conversion, psychedelic yantra/mantra treatment and 1967 Magical Mystery Tour appearance.

  • Charity Auction of George’s New MiniGeorge Harrison official site · 2009-05-31 · external source

    The 1966 Mini Cooper S gift, Harrison’s psychedelic treatment and the original car’s 1967 Magical Mystery Tour appearance.

Reviewed

Why this is the actual car
  • Photo identity evidence

    MINI identifies Harrison as the owner of the Radford-refined psychedelic Mini de Ville and records its 1967 film appearance.

  • Photo identity evidence

    Photographer Calreyn88 identifies the photographed vehicle as George Harrison’s 1966 Austin Mini Cooper S Radford De Ville GT and records the February 25, 2023 capture date.

The matching photographer, venue, date and vehicle history establish the identification; the chassis stamp is not visible in these photographs.