There is a possibility some things here could be wrong as reliable info is hard to find!
But this is how I see it.
Basic Facts.All Minker's are MK2 XR4x4 Sierra based.
The Minker name comes from the owner of TT, Geoff Kershaw’s surname & his wife’s maiden name. (Min + Ker).
Anything they considered special got the name Minker, hence there is or was even a Minker surf board!!!!
3 K1 Minker's & 6 323's where built by TT.
All the Minkers where built at Northampton or TT south not at the dealers.
Some cars where built after 1995 but these where not built by TT, they where either copies or made up of Minker parts after that arm of TT that did the conversions stopped trading.
These later cars where not true Minkers as they lacked many of the STD Minker spec parts.
It's believed TT built 9 Minker spec cars.
K1's are the full Minker spec (interior, bodywork & mechanical)
323's are just mechanical with interior as optional etc.
In 1990 a K1 was £41,900 new. A 323 was £34,500 new in 1991.
HistoryIn 1987/8 TT came up with the Minker idea & had a red development car on the road.
It used the new Sierra 2.9 XR4x4 MK2 as a base that had just been released.
This was at the 1988 Motor show.
The red one was for the body kit development mainly & was fitted with a single turbo TT250 2.8 engine.
So it looks like a Minker but does not have the go of one!
The TOP GEAR Motor Fair show report was started off with Noel Edmunds driving the red car that was fitted with the boring 2.8 TT250 engine, as it was a prototype.
Interestingly it had the number plate from the TT Dimma Peugeot on it!
The finished K1 spec as of 1989/90. You will notice the power is only 300hp & the torque is less plus it also comes in later than later cars. Still development work ongoing :)
Then in 1990 TT built the Blue K1 (press Car) that dulux now owns on here.
This was the car that the press raved about at the time, also TT had now got the engine to make 320 bhp & 345 lbs at lower revs than before.
Later in 1990 the white K1 was built for a customer.
It was delayed as a strike was on-going at the time at the Ford factory & it took TT 5 months to do the conversion. Also it was interesting that was it was owned by Storment vehicle hire & the guy paid for it monthly
Last update of K1 spec Jan 1991
In 1991 TT decided that maybe the public was not ready for the K1, so they built a "Minker 323" press car which was a K1 but without the bodywork & interior mods. It looked nothing special but was infact one of the fastest road cars you could buy at the time.
Power rose to 323bhp & torque went to an amazing 348lbs at 2800rpm
1000rpm lower than the first K1's.
TT Now had a brochure for both cars.
That's about it, TT did not build anymore K1's but did go on to build some 323's.
Sierra's then went out of production & that was that.
TT was just in the middle of completing a TT set-up for the 24V Cossie engine in 1997 when that side of the company ceased trading.
Dam shame that as Geoff's sprint car which has the development engine in, is still considered the best 24V around.
Infact it is a championship winning car & holds a number of track records.
Alan bought what he could from TT & went on to build more Minker based cars in various specs.
However none where full on conversions.
CarsMNK 01 Was the prototype test engine/car that eventually made 400BHP & 460 lbs.
This is the actual car Geoff crashed on the track but he used the engine until 96ish, then Alan fitted the engine to his own spec car. Phatphil on here looks after it for his mate who bought it from Alan. Still alive & well.
MNK 02 Is Dulux's Blue K1 car. Alive & well.
MNK 03 is the white K1. Alive & well.
MNK 04 is the black 323 press car & is down London way. Alive & well.
MNK 05 is a black 323 with an RS kit fitted. Alive & well.
MNK 07 is the white 323 from the Oldham area. Alive & well.
MNK 09 is my black 323. Alive & well.
There is/was said to be a 1989 (first registered) red 323 car. This car has not been taxed or sorned since 2007 so I assume it's dead!
This car is/was either MNK 06 or 08 & must have not been Minkered as new as it's the only way it would fit into the time line!
However it should be noted that I am told there was some debate if this car was a TT built Minker or a clone!
I never saw it so can't comment but I assume it was the real deal.
There was a prototype red K1 car but it only had a 2.8 single turbo engine so is not included above.
This is the car that Noel Edmunds drove on T.V.
I was told this car was in bits in a guy’s garage.
Talk of a goldie coloured one but I think it is only talk.
Alan went on to build some high spec cars with the parts he bought from TT.
But as I said before these didn't have all the STD Minker mods so are not actually Minker spec cars.
I know of 4 of them.
Gengis's dark grey car was one but is something completely different now!
Another was a blue XR4x4 that got smashed up.
Lastly a very STD looking estate that got broken for parts.
Also MNK 001 as included above, Alan built the car but the engine was from the first Minker.
There are as many if not more TT based cars that are running Minker power but where not built by TT as a Minker, so do not include the package of mods.
The Minker package was the result of years of testing, so was far more than just an engine!
The end.
