MGs at play

Browse pages
Current page

1

Current page

2

Current page

3

Current page

4

Current page

5

Current page

6

Current page

7

Current page

8

Current page

9

Current page

10

Current page

11

Current page

12

Current page

13

Current page

14

Current page

15

Current page

16

Current page

17

Current page

18

Current page

19

Current page

20

Current page

21

Current page

22

Current page

23

Current page

24

Current page

25

Current page

26

Current page

27

Current page

28

Current page

29

Current page

30

Current page

31

Current page

32

Current page

33

Current page

34

Current page

35

Current page

36

Current page

37

Current page

38

Current page

39

Current page

40

Current page

41

Current page

42

Current page

43

Current page

44

Current page

45

Current page

46

Current page

47

Current page

48

Current page

49

Current page

50

Current page

51

Current page

52

Current page

53

Current page

54

Current page

55

Current page

56

Current page

57

Current page

58

Current page

59

Current page

60

Current page

61

Current page

62

Current page

63

Current page

64

Current page

65

Current page

66

Current page

67

Current page

68

Current page

69

Current page

70

Current page

71

Current page

72

Current page

73

Current page

74

Current page

75

Current page

76

Current page

77

Current page

78

Current page

79

Current page

80

Current page

81

Current page

82

Current page

83

Current page

84

Current page

85

Current page

86

Current page

87

Current page

88

Current page

89

Current page

90

Current page

91

Current page

92

Current page

93

Current page

94

Current page

95

Current page

96

Current page

97

Current page

98

Current page

99

Current page

100

The recently-formed Early MG Society (Secretary Peter Mace, Kimber House, Hurston Lane, Storrington, W Sussex), which already has a magazine and had access to the MG archives of the late Wilson McComb, rallied to Mid-Wales over the weekend of September 19/20. It was mainly an 18/80 occasion and when we caught up with them at the Lakeside Restaurant at Llandrindod Wells on the Sunday, eleven of them were present and it would have been a round dozen had not one driver suffered the misfortune of a broken crown-wheel and pinion at Crickhowell.

These big MGs are among the most handsome of the Abingdon breed. They were supported by two 14/40 MGs, Phil Jennings’ boat-tailed two-seater, and a more standard two-seater with dickey. Also present, as a reminder of MG origins, was an upright Morris Six saloon — but I was assured that it has an 18/80 MG engine — and a “gate-crashing” Vauxhall 14/6 convertible, and Mrs Cook, daughter of Cecil Kimber, was happily recalling the past of the marque her father created.

The next Sunday more MGs were at play, on Pendine sands. This “Pendine Dash”, ably organised by Geoff Shirt of Cambridge, commemorated G E T Eyston’s Class H 118.39mph two-way mile record with the MG Ex 127 “Magic Midget” in February 1932. The MG Roadrunner Club had, remarkably, got seven miles of the famous S Wales beach closed by permission of the Commandant of the MoD establishment, for record attempts officially timed by the RAC MSA. To emphasise Eyston’s two-miles-a-minute run with a 750cc MG, 118 of these cars, in date formation, converged on Pendine from Glamorgan, to be greeted by Cecil Kimber’s daughter, Jean Cook, in her MG Metro. Unfortunately, John Thornley was not well enough to attend.

In all Geoff Shirt reckoned that perhaps 500 MGs, from J2s to MGB V8s lined the sands. The record-bidders were led by John Banwell’s J2 single-seater with engine shortstroked to put it in class 1 for cars of 350 to 500cc. He shared it with Mike Hawke, who set 22 records in this category in 1989 at Millbrook. It was hoped to improve on these figures and establish a f s mile record. The engine will run to 9000rpm, encouraged by a belt-driven Marshall supercharger. Piston speed is comparatively low but, to keep the valves seated, MGB valve springs are fitted. The chassis had a propshaft set to the near-side and angled, to give a low seating position, using a transverse chaindrive behind the bell-housing. In third gear 8000rpm equals 90mph. The John Burgoyne body is attached by six quickaction clips and small wheels were used for the attempts.

Another contender was Barry Foster’s 1931 C-type Montlhery MG Midget, out after short-distance class H targets. In the morning the special Bengry diesel-Peugeot 205 did a two-way 95mph, and the odd 3.6-litre VM turbo-diesel Ibex was after its own Elvington records. It was a great occasion, centred on the historic Beach Hotel. The records established set were, subject to official confirmation: Class-H Half-Kilometre (f.s.): Barry Foster (MG Montlhéry Midget C-type): 93.32 mph. British Class-1 One mile (s.s.): Mike Hawke (MG J2 Special): 39.67.

(Before the war International Class-1 (s.s.) mile record was held by Count Lurani’s 494 cc Nibbio, at 76.0 mph).