David Knowles - MGA: The Revolutionary MG

ALFA ROMEO 916 GTV AND SPIDER

ALFA ROMEO SPIDER

ASTON MARTIN DB4, DB5 & DB6

ASTON MARTIN DB7

ASTON MARTIN V8

AUDI QUATTRO

AUSTIN HEALEY 100 & 3000 SERIES

BMW CLASSIC COUPS 19651989

BMW M3

BMW M5

BMW Z3 AND Z4

CITROEN DS SERIES

CLASSIC JAGUAR XK:THE 6-CYLINDER CARS 19481970

CLASSIC MINI SPECIALS AND MOKE

FERRARI 308, 328 & 348

FORD CONSUL, ZEPHYR AND ZODIAC

FORD ESCORT RS

FORD TRANSIT: FIFTY YEARS

FROGEYE SPRITE

GINETTA ROAD AND TRACK CARS

JAGUAR E-TYPE

JAGUAR MKS 1 AND 2, S-TYPE AND 420

JAGUAR XJ-S

JAGUAR XK8

JENSEN V8

JOWETT JAVELIN AND JUPITER

LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH

LAND ROVER DEFENDER

LAND ROVER DISCOVERY: 25 YEARS OF THE FAMILY 44

LAND ROVER FREELANDER

LOTUS ELAN

MAZDA MX-5

MERCEDES SL & SLC 107 SERIES 19712013

MERCEDES SL SERIES

MERCEDES-BENZ FINTAIL MODELS

MERCEDES-BENZ CARS OF THE 1990S

MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS

MERCEDES-BENZ W113

MERCEDES-BENZ W124

MERCEDES-BENZ W126 S-CLASS 19791991

MG T-SERIES

MGA

MGB

MGF AND TF

MORGAN 4/4:THE FIRST 75 YEARS

MORGAN THREE-WHEELER

PEUGEOT 205

PORSCHE 924/928/944/968

PORSCHE BOXSTER AND CAYMAN

PORSCHE CARRERA:THE AIR-COOLED ERA

PORSCHE CARRERA:THE WATER-COOLED ERA

RANGE ROVER:THE FIRST GENERATION

RANGE ROVER:THE SECOND GENERATION

RELIANT THREE-WHEELERS

RILEY:THE LEGENDARY RMS

ROVER 75 AND MG ZT

ROVER 800

ROVER P5 & P5B

ROVER SD1

SAAB 99 & 900

SHELBY AND AC COBRA

SUBARU IMPREZA WRX AND WRX

STI SUNBEAM ALPINE & TIGER

TOYOTA MR2

TRIUMPH SPITFIRE & GT6

TRIUMPH TR: FROM BEGINNING TO END

TRIUMPH TR6

TRIUMPH TR7 TVR 1946-1982

TVR: CARS OF THE PETER WHEELER ERA

VOLVO 1800

VOLVO AMAZON

VW KARMANN GHIAS AND CABRIOLETS

MGA

The Revolutionary MG

David Knowles

First published in 2019 by
The Crowood Press Ltd
Ramsbury, Marlborough
Wiltshire SN8 2HR

This e-book first published in 2019

www.crowood.com

David Knowles 2019

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the authors and publishers rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 568 8

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It is always right and proper for an author to acknowledge the assistance he or she receives in the course of researching a book of this kind. Any names which may have been inadvertently omitted from this list have been missed by accident rather than intent, and the help of all the contributors is genuinely appreciated. Some of their revelations were remarkable, but I will leave it to you, the reader, to find their gems. I am indebted to the following:

Michael Allison, MG historian and former MG Car Company employee; Mick Anderson, MGA Twin Cam specialist; Brian Aslett, MGCC South Africa; Lino Baggio, owner of the Canadian 1957 Sebring MGA No. 49.

Robin Barker, owner of 1960 Sebring MGA, and seasoned MGA Twin Cam expert; Vernon Barker, Riley Register; John Barrett, MGA Deluxe enthusiast and expert; Geoff Barron, MGCC MGA Register Chairman; the family of Tony Birt, formerly of BMC Hambro; Mary Blaksley, widow of MGA racer John Blaksley, of the Fitzwilliam race team; Richard Blaksley, son of racer John Blaksley; Rutger Booy, Dutch MG historian; Ken Breslauer, Sebring historian; family of Phyllis Buckle, owners of Harry Herring MG models; Hugh Burruss, owner of 1962 Sebring MGA No. 52.

Ruth Cathir, Path; Sue, Bill and Bruce Chapman, Nancy Mitchell family; Pete Cosmides, Motorcar Garage LLC; James Cottingham, DK Engineering (owners of Sebring MGA);Tom Coulthard, MG enthusiast; Jim (Sydney John) Cox, MG Car Company; Pat Coyne, MGCC South Africa.

Michael Dale, former BMC apprentice, leading ultimately to Jaguar Cars Inc. President; Lady Mary Barbara Damerell, daughter of Robin Carnegie; Roger Daniell, owner (for many years) of the ex-Dick Jacobs MGA Twin Cams 1 MTW and 2 MTW; Pedr Davis, celebrated Australian motoring journalist; Andreea DeMiere, Daniel Schmitt & Co. (Robert Redford MGA); Stefan Dierkes, Frua Register; Steve Dixon, custodian of MGA racers UPO 929 and SRX 210; Philippe Douchet, owner of MGA rally car MRX 42; Thomas Durham, DK Engineering; George Dutton, co-author of the book about the MGCC NW Centre, which supported the Le Mans MGA of Ted Lund.

Michael Eaton, NAMGAR historian and owner of 1957 and 1959 Sebring MGAs; Derek Edwards, Chairman of the MG Car Club South-East Centre; Gus Ehrman (and family), former Hambro, Inskip, BMC & BL Director and MG race driver and record breaker; Jill and Graham Eke, owners of the Glacier Blue MGA 1500 Roadster featured in this book; Ian Elliott, former Austin apprentice, BMC and BL publicity; Michael Ellman-Brown, who acquired the last MGA Twin Cam; Roger Enever, son of Syd Enever; Norman Ewing, MGCC South Africa.

Tanya Field, MGCC; the family of Richard Fitz W-Fitzwilliam (Robin and Amanda); Roger Allan Foy, BMC Australia expert; Terry Frisch, owner of the fourth MGA Twin Cam; Carla Frua, niece of Pietro Frua.

Jennifer Galpern, research associate/Special Collections Rhode Island Historical Society; Barney Gaylord, MGA enthusiast and The MGA with an Attitude website owner; Julien Giambagli, Supercars.net website; Bo Giersing, South African MGA enthusiast; Mervyn Gillespie, MGA and Dundrod fan; Simon Goldsworthy, editor, MG Enthusiast magazine; Adrian Goodenough, MG Car Company 196080; Paul Goodman, co-author (with George Dutton) of the book about the MGCC-supported Le Mans MGA of Ted Lund; Lynn Herson Grad, daughter of Joe Herson of Manhattan Autos; Frank Graham, owner of the 1961 Sebring MGA Coup 43; Malcolm Green, MG author; Michael Green, son of Dickie Green (of BMC Comps); Joe and Cathy Gunderson, owners of the unique MG EX 186 prototype.

John & Sharen Halfpenny, owners of the 1962 MGA Coup Deluxe 151 ABL, raced at events that year; Rupert Hambro, son of Major Jocelyn Hambro; Peter Hamilton, Riley Register; David Harrison, motoring enthusiast and writer; Don Hayter, MG Car Company design team; Bruce Henderson, Nigel Herring, grandson of MGs model maker Harry Herring; Mark Hester, MGCC MGA Twin Cam Group; Samuel and Pierre Heuer, driver (Samuel) of MGA EX 182 Twin Cam at Orton-Villars in 1958, and other Twin Cams at various events, and his son; Chris Higginbotham, MG enthusiast; Rob Higgins, former MGCC MGA registrar; Jane Hogan, Bonhams (for KMO 326 photos); Brian Hogg, South African MGA owner and enthusiast; Robin Howard, owner (2018) of MJB 191; Piers Hubbard, MGCC MGA Register; Lisa Hudman, Archive Department, British Motor Industry Heritage Trust; John Hughes, MGA Twin Cam owner; David Humphreys, MGA Twin Cam owner with ex-Sebring 1960 engine.