Katt MinLast fall, in early October, eight enthusiasts from Colorado to Rhode Island gathered in Perrysburg, OH, to help their friend, Kraig Mackett, an entrepreneur, beloved family man, Land Rover collector and off road enthusiast.
Kraig’s network of automotive professionals extends from race car engineers to British car collectors. His friendship group included a local metal fabricator who had stashed away 15 vehicles, piles of associated parts and reading material in two locations: a dilapidated house with a detached garage overgrown with trees and shrubs across from Lake Erie, and an old barn. Both locations included mounds of mice droppings, moth balls, spiders and species of crawly things surrounding the finds. Kraig knew the fabricator’s brother, who helped secure approval for the sale of the eclectic British car collection.
Kraig then recruited enthusiasts Charles Galpin, South Riding, VA, Doug and Trey Crowther, Concord, VA, Oliver Schmittenberg, Perrysburg, OH, Lazz and Christopher McKenzie, Cumberland, RI, and me (Colorado Springs, CO) to help organize the move. His quest to move the vehicles and parts was to find good homes for all of them.
The Land Rovers included:
- ’64 109” LHD 3-Door
- ’67 88”
- ’70 88” Military Lightweight
- ’71 88” Station Wagon
- ’72 88” Hardtop
- ’73 88” Hardtop
- ’77 FC 101 General Service
- ’77 FC 101 Ambulance
- ’78 109” Canvas Top Ex-MoD
- ’85 Defender 110 3-Door Ex-MoD
- Sankey Trailer Ex-MoD
Over 40 years ago, Rovers North’s Mark Letorney sold his much-loved ’70 88” Military Lightweight and and quickly suffered seller’s remorse and regretted the sale. He had been searching for decades and was delighted to find that Kraig might have well stumbled upon it amongst the barn finds.
The British cars also stored in the barn and garage included:
- ’71 Ford Escort MK I RS1600
- ’67 Austin Mini Cooper
- ’69 Austin Mini Delivery Van
Last but not least, a ’73 Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer, a parts collection and a large amount of reading material rounded out the collection.
Doug Crowther noted that while all the vehicles reflected the fact that they had sat for decades, most were in solid condition. All had to be towed out of the barn using his Defender 90, and then towed or pushed onto Kraig’s trailer. Moving the vehicles to Kraig’s warehouse and sorting through the amazing parts trove required two days of steady labor by the crew. The parts included Series IIA wings in the original wooden packaging, original binder workshop manuals for Land Rover 90 and 110s, workshop manuals for the Escort, multiple sets of the rims for the Minis, and
Finding good homes for the Land Rovers, as well as the rare Escort RS and the Minis took is underway as we go to press, but most have found appreciative owners. It took Kraig two years to arrange for the sale and transfer of ownership, and to find the right stewards for the Land Rovers and the British car classics. I took great pride in joining the crew of enthusiasts and felt honored to participate and help in this effort.