The MG marque has always inspired a passionate following – we talk to an enthusiastic group of MG owners about their cars, and their passion for the cars that bear the famous octagon badge.

Since its early days MG has become renowned for its two-seater open sports cars and, quite rightly, they have become very popular with classic car fans. The marque’s early vehicles were very basic, modestly priced two-seaters, yet they offered sufficient speed and manoeuvrability to attract discerning drivers – and their format would become the template for virtually all future MG sports cars.

The MG story actually began in 1912, when William Morris opened his company, Morris Motors Limited. A subsidiary, Morris Garages, would in due course be shortened to MG when it started manufacturing its own cars in 1923.

Cecil Kimber, MG’s general manager, believed the public wanted an appealing sports car that could be at home touring country roads and on race-tracks. The other criteria were that it also needed to be easy to maintain and moderately priced. The result was the first MG, which boasted a four-cylinder, 750cc engine and a respectable top speed of 132kph (82mph). The following year, the car won a gold medal at the Lands End Trial.

The success of the MG led to the creation of a new company in 1928. Called the MG Car Company, its factory was in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

MG production was sporadic during World War II as England transitioned into war production. When MG production resumed following the war, rapid expansion soon saw the MG sports car making an appearance in the US. Although MGs were considerably smaller than American cars of the time, their performance quickly earned the respect of sporting US drivers.

In 1952 The British Motor Corporation absorbed the MG Car Company. Consequently the MG line expanded and sales grew, with the company’s best years through the 1950s and ’60s. The tough economic times of the ’70s finally led to the iconic MG factory in Abingdon being closed in 1980. Although the MG name would return, the closure marked the end of a special era in British motoring.

So, lets return to MG’s golden age as we talk to an enthusiastic bunch of MG owners about their cars.

1949 MG TC, 1250cc- Maurice and Heather Paton

We purchased our TC in 2003 when it came on the market as part of a deceased estate.

Why a TC? Well, because it has to be one of the most classic of all MGs, the car that relaunched the magic of MG after WWII, and the car the Americans fell in love with. It is the quintessential British Sports Car with its tall skinny 19-inch wire wheels, those beautiful flowing guards, and lively handling just begging to be driven down a winding country road. And raced! We doubt there is a TC in existence that hasn’t seen some form of motor sport.

Our TC is no exception. The lovely finned cast iron brake drums, the not so lovely tubular dampers and the fact the battery has been shifted from the scuttle to behind the seats all point to competition. The non-original engine block and welding repairs to the aluminium sump would also suggest an engine blow-up or two, a not uncommon complaint when more was asked of that eager little engine than it could actually produce.

As far as we know all this took place in Australia, as that is where our TC was sold new. She was already 15 years old when she arrived in New Zealand. She then flirted with several owners before settling in Timaru in the mid ’70s.

When she came into our hands almost 30 years later she was in desperate need of some TLC. We repainted her and fitted her with a completely new interior and hood. Her engine, front steering and brakes were expertly rebuilt, and to aid her circulation a new wiring loom was installed. Some new chrome work here and there, and the makeover was complete. She now goes and looks almost like new. She is, after all, 61 years old!

At the moment she is in the care of a brother, Graham, while we spend our time sailing in the Med, the only condition being that he drives her as often as possible. TCs need to be driven!

Graham made the following comments – “While the TC has been in my care it is always a joy to get her out on the road when the sun’s shining to sparkle on the chrome radiator, headlamps and best of all the knock-ons as they rotate. These cars take a lot of concentration to drive and are best driven with the hood down and side screens removed to get maximum visibility. The view along the long bonnet and the world going by being reflected in the cone shape of the headlamps is something special. The Bishop cam steering, unlike the modern power assisted rack and pinion units used today in our modern cars, needs constant correcting to keep the car in a straight line.

“The makers of these cars [show they] had their priorities right, in that the engine revolutions were more important than how fast you are travelling, by putting a large tachometer in front of the driver, and to scare the passenger the speedo was placed on the left hand side in front of them. A grab handle is attached to the dash for the passenger to brace themselves on winding roads.

“Being in Howick I have only a short time to travel to some great MG roads around Whitford, Maraetai, Clevedon, Brookby and Ardmore. These roads are also used for many of the social outings organised by MG Car Club. In 2009 she travelled to the MG Pre-’56 rally held in Whangarei. It was during the motorkhana that Maurice got very competitive and the TC finished the event with much smoke pouring out of the bonnet vents. What had he done? Lifting the bonnet it became clear that oil in the air cleaner had spilled out onto the manifold. Oh for the modern paper element units!

“Whenever I am out cleaning my cars people stop to express an interest in the TC and ask if it’s alright to have their photo taken alongside and sitting in the driver’s seat. There is no doubt they are a draw card. As Maurice says, the MG TC is one of the most classic of all MGs.”

1954 MG TF1250cc – Jan Starke

It all started in 1992 when my son bought rusty MG Midget with a tired engine. For me the MG was new, as I’d been born and raised in Holland and hadn’t met one before. The Midget was sold a couple of months later, but in 1993 we decided to join the MG Car Club and started looking for a MGB. We found an orange MGBGT, which we subsequently enjoyed in the company of many wonderful new friends in the MG Car Club (MGCC) for a number of years, only selling the car last year.

As well as the MGBGT, in 1996 we started looking for a T-Type MG and, more specifically, a TD. However, unable to find a suitable car, we had a look at a TF. When we saw this car, painted in Old English White, we liked what we saw and purchased it.

Our first drive in the TF was from West Auckland to Ranui/ Swanson, and it turned out to be the most terrible drive – it took a long time and a lot embarrassment to get home. Once in the home garage, we discovered that the car was running on only three cylinders and I’m sure it was only on two cylinders during that drive!

Fortunately it was an easy fix and, after fitting new spark plugs, the car went fine and has been problem free ever since.

In February 1998 the car was displayed at the Ellerslie Intermarque Concours d’Elégance (it actually won the event three years in a row, 1976-’78) and when I returned from a walkabout to admire the other cars on display, I noticed a young lady on her back under my car whilst talking on her mobile. I soon discovered she was Amy Bowyer, and that she had been talking to her dad, Phil Bowyer, in Melbourne about the car. It turned out that this was the car Phil had restored in 1973/1974. Amy later showed me photos taken during the restoration, and while taking part in MG club events. There was also a photo of Phil and Denny Hulme in the car on the Pukekohe race circuit, signed by Denny.

The TF is very much the same as when we bought it, except that we had a five-speed gearbox installed so that the engine would not make too many revs at motorway speeds. We have really enjoyed this improvement over the original four-speed ’box. There have been occasional problems, as you would expect from a 46-year-old car, but repairs were always relatively inexpensive. We hope to be able to drive our car for quite a few more years and, when the time comes to sell it, we have a pretty good idea who will be interested in becoming the TF’s next owner!

1957 MGA Roadster – Tony Bushell

I bought my first MGA Roadster (1600cc) with disc brakes in 1995. I had great fun taking part in MG Car Club events, and sold the car five years later. After having major heart surgery six years ago I thought ‘what the heck, life’s too short’ and bought this MGA. By then, there weren’t any 1600s left as they had become very popular. A 1957 1500 Series MGA was for sale in Blenheim, so my wife – tired of me chasing about the countryside looking at cars – booked me a one way ticket! I purchased the car and drove it home.

My MGA was first registered in Auckland on March 8, 1961 as a used import from the UK. The car had 13 owners (including four car dealers) before I became its owner. It had spent a considerable time in the South Island around Christchurch and Rangiora, then finally Blenheim. That’s where I came in, purchasing it from AJ Leslie who, unfortunately, was having trouble getting into the car after knee and hip surgery. I purchased it and drove with the hood down all the way home to Auckland, staying overnight in Levin.

My new purchase had been the subject of an excellent and loving restoration by Geoff Beveridge of Christchurch, conducted over many years. There are now 27,359km (17,000 miles) on the clock, give or take a few, as I fitted a 3.9 ratio axle (30kph per 1000rpm) over the standard 4.3 ratio (27.3kph per 1000rpm) to lower the revs and give it ‘longer legs’. Geoff also fitted it with a free-flow exhaust to help it breath more freely, and widened wheels to make it more sure footed.

As a member of the MG Car Club for 36 years I enjoy autocrosses, hill climbs, track days and especially regularity trials (where consistency is more important than speed). Of course, there is the socialising with other MG owners, including weekends away, day trips and even trips overseas. These included a visit to Silverstone and even an Alaskan cruise. This year will be a Mediterranean cruise and a visit to Beaulieu swap meet and Goodwood Revival Meet. Once again with wonderful MG friends.

I have to thank my older brother for my interest in MG cars as in 1960, when I was only a tender 15 years old, he purchased a 1933 swept wing model MGJ2 for £19. Following a three-year restoration he sold it for £35. He subsequently drove from the UK to NZ via Europe and India with a friend in a 1953 DKW!

I emigrated to NZ in 1967 and bought my late father’s 1971 MGBGT. I then joined the Auckland branch of MG Car Club. After seeing Phil Bowyer’s fully restored TF, a T Series seemed most desirable.

I purchased a 1950 MGYT four-seat tourer. This was a great car when the family were younger, and we drove it for many happy kilometres. I still own this car and the BGT, which reside in mother’s garage. Driving any MG has to be the best way of converting petrol into pleasure.

The only trouble to date has been a SU petrol pump that expired (as they do) on the return trip from the Pre-’56 Rally in Oamaru. We made it all the way to Huntly, where a kindly AA officer helped us and even escorted us part way up the motorway. We made it home without stopping, so were very lucky. My only other mishap was at a Pre-’56 rally at Napier at which I broke an axle during an autokhana. It was very embarrassing having the MGA loaded onto a transporter truck. Amazingly, with local help and a second hand axle I was hill climbing the next day. This was one of the reasons for changing the differential to the later fine-splined type, the same as that fitted to the 1600cc MGA.

1958 MGA Fixed Head Coupé, 1500cc – Rex Thompson

This car was originally purchased by a New Zealander living in Canada. He changed it over to right hand drive and brought it back to New Zealand before selling the car when he returned to Canada.

The MG then had countless owners before being restored in Hamilton in the early ’90s. I purchased the car from fellow club member, Tony Simmonds, and have now owned it for 12 years.

It was in good condition, although the motor did require major work, which was handled by MG specialist Garth Bagnall. The car was repainted four years ago – the original colour was black, although it was painted blue at some time in its life. For me, the MGA is without doubt the best model MG ever. I had a MGA roadster when Sheryl and I met and married in the early ’60s, so I do have a soft spot for the A, and she will more than hold her own in modern day traffic (the MGA that is).

The car is used mainly for car club events, having done rallies in Nelson, Oamaru, Masterton, Napier, Whangarei and Waitangi, plus weekend club runs all round the country, and it is still original.

There is an art in packing the car for a long trip. First, the spare wheel is fitted to the luggage rack on the boot lid then, using soft bags for clothing, everything is fitted into the now empty boot along with tools and spare parts. Anything else – raincoats, jackets, shoes and food – are placed inside, leaving just enough room for the driver and navigator.

The MGA’s four-speed gearbox has the traditional central remote-control lever, and the traditional fly-off handbrake is so easy to use. The MGA is astonishingly fast for a 1.5-litre production car and, of course, the coupe has the advantage of being more streamlined than the open version, so will obtain and excellent timed speed of over 164kph (102mph). The rack and pinion steering is very accurate and not too heavy, nor does the driver feel that he must hang on at higher speeds. The brakes are drums all round and stand up well to hard driving.

Once, when on our way to a speed event, we were followed by a four-wheel-drive vehicle flashing its lights. We stopped and the driver came up to us and exclaimed – “I restored this car in Hamilton in the ’90s, glad to see it’s still going well.”

The MGA is one of the strongest model groups in the club, and the coupé, while being fewer in number, is without doubt the most attractive model MG of all!

Our MGA shares a garage with a MGBGT, and they sometimes get up to mischief with flat batteries and flat tyres – I’m sure they talk to each other!

I can only say in closing that she is a real pleasure to drive, and has a large smile on her grille every time she gets on the road.

1969 MG Midget MkIII, 1275cc – Cameron Walbran

This car had an active history with the MG Car Club in speed events, races and rally events with previous owner Doug Dingle. However, like many other classics, three decades of enthusiastic use had taken its toll and Doug decided to take it off the road for a serious rebuild. As can sometimes happen, other things got in the road of the project progressing very much, and the car had to wait.

In 2004 it all started when I turned 14. I decided that, seeing as I was going to be able to drive soon, I should probably be getting myself an MG soon (like the rest of the family). While searching around here and there, my dad told me of Doug Dingle’s old Midget which had been sitting on blocks since before I was born. Within a couple of weeks, a very tired-looking Midget arrived at our place on a trailer.

Over the next month or so, I stripped the car of everything that was still there. Initially I thought, this is easy – rebuilding won’t take very long! I soon realised how incredibly wrong I was. Dad also realised what a mistake he had made in suggesting I buy Doug’s Midget, as he discovered that his bank account was mysteriously being drained

After two years, not a small amount of late nights (3am sometimes) and several (missed) deadlines, the MG was re-registered after sailing through the VIN first time.

When rebuilding the Midget, the performance modifications from its previous life were retained – 67kW (90bhp) engine; uprated suspension, brakes and rear axle; and a limited slip differential was also fitted. However, I did not want it to be just a race car and finished the MG to a very high standard, achieving a very original appearance by tucking the modifications out of sight and spending much time poring over period photos to clarify exactly how various parts of the car would have looked when it left the factory. These efforts resulted in a win in the concours at the MGCC’s North Island Easter Rally on its first time out.

Since completing the restoration, I’ve used the car extensively across a wide spectrum of activities – from further top concours placings, to the motorkhana event at the NZCC Classic Car Weekend, and shipping it to England in 2007 as part of the family team which won the high profile California Cup Autotest event at Silverstone.

Following the Silverstone event, along with the rest of the family in four other MG Midgets, I took the car on a 6000km tour through Europe, with a particular focus on the classic Alpine rally roads and passes. It was an amazing trip, highlights including the opportunity to drive at the famous Nürburgring in Germany, climbing Italy’s dramatic Stelvio Pass to over 2743 metres – one of the highest of the 50 passes we crossed – and some superb rally roads in the French Alps and foothills.

However, the trip was not without its challenges – such as driving for over a week and 2500km without a clutch between breaking the cable and catching with up a replacement! My navigator got very fit from pushing the car to get it moving enough to select first gear, and when we had to stop on a one in eight uphill grade on the Gross Glockner pass in Austria, it was all hands to the pump from the other cars to get it moving fast enough to be ‘on-cam’ when it was slipped into first!

We have some brilliant bits of road here in New Zealand and on a fine day, in an MG with the wind in your hair, there are few better places to be.

1974 MGBGT – Amy Bowyer

When I was about 20 years old and had gone through two MkI Escorts and a ’67 Holden HR station wagon, dad got sick of me tinkering with old junk. He said, “Why not get an MGBGT.” Now I knew what MGs were, having grown up with my father’s TF, but had no idea what a BGT was. After some research I thought they were cute but complained about having a roof – dad said they were safer, drier and more practical. As a result we looked at about five GTs, in varying condition, although I had my heart set on a British Racing Green car with wire wheels – the quintessential classic combination in my eyes. However, as soon as we pulled up behind a little Carbine Red GT with Rostyle wheels, for some reason I just knew she was mine. The owner had let the registration lapse and didn’t actually know why she wasn’t running. A $13 condenser and point set soon changed that and, with at a bargain price of only $3500, my (costly) journey began.

Dad decided the head had a crack in it so we ported and polished a new one and added new inserts and hardened seats – but this motor is still on the bench! In July 2000, reverse gear failed so the motor and ’box came out, the overdrive was fixed, new frost plugs were fitted and an alloy rocker cover (a 21st Birthday present) gave the 1800cc a deserved facelift.

Ongoing mechanical issues weren’t that fun to deal with as I was a poor student, having to rely on an unpredictable old car for everyday transport. Still, I was the only student with a classic car. What I was looking forward to was restoring her to the same concours standard as dad’s 1954 TF. His car was perfect, but he was an engineer by day and went to a panel beating class at night, and took along bits and pieces to fix. The end product was the most enviable MG on the Auckland circuit.

Alas, my GT wasn’t to get the same treatment as dad had moved overseas. So, off to the local panel beater, where the car was bead-blasted back to bare metal and almost every chrome strip and rubber seal was replaced.

Unfortunately mere months after the 2003 restoration a distracted woman ploughed into the back of me. In 2004 the re-chromed bumper was damaged and on the Far North Trial in 2008 I had the most spectacular accident of them all. My new 15-inch Minilite rims didn’t quite fit under the rear wheel arch due to the offset, and weight from our luggage. I wanted to get up north at a reasonable time so I quickly swapped the rear Minilites for the old 14-inch Rostyles. I should have swapped the fronts too, but I didn’t. Twenty minutes away from our destination at Tutukaka, on a damp road, an easy off-camber corner sent her into a terrifying 180-degree drift backwards and through a sign post into a ditch.

I certainly haven’t lost my lead foot in the 10 years I’ve owned her, and it hasn’t been all accidents and no modifications. The dash has been enhanced with an imitation wood panel and new Smiths gauges, and we’re holding the back-end steady with a Panhard rod along with shock and spring upgrades. Vented disc brakes and modified front suspension also help.

The overdrive has decided to work intermittently, but overall she runs quite well for a car five years older than me. Although use is limited to a weekly run and the odd event these days, I truly believe she comes alive during autocrosses and motorkhanas.

The greatest thing about owning an MG, no matter what the model, is the eternal pride. People smiling at you, stopping you in the street, telling you their MG stories. The marque has a reputation for fun, affordable sports cars. I love the fact you can be seen as having taste, yet be completely unpretentious.

1970 MGBGT – Louise Wright and Mike DeWit

Our MG is a family heirloom, having been in the family since Louise’s grandfather, Jack Swindale, bought it new in July 1970 from Wadhams Limited in Hampshire, UK. It cost £1137 18s and was originally registered in the UK as VOB22H. The invoice describes the car as a 1970 MGBGT, finished in Antelope with black trim.

Grandfather optioned the car quite fully with overdrive, wire wheels, servo-assisted brakes, underseal and a sump guard (we’re not sure where that went!). He bought the car with the intention of taking it with him when he returned to New Zealand to retire, and the import documents show he duly declared it at $2669 when he arrived in New Zealand with it in December 1970. Being a keen fly fisherman he lived in Rotorua, and for most of the ’70s used the car around town – even fitting a tow bar to allow him to launch and retrieve his boat.

Once grandfather could no longer drive the MG, ownership passed to his youngest daughter, who used it mainly for errands and going to golf – yes, you can fit a full set of clubs and a trundler into an MGBGT. However, by 2007 the grandchildren were getting too tall to sit in the back, so it was slated to be replaced by a Honda Jazz. Rather than let the MG leave the family, we knowingly traded our super-reliable Toyota instead, and received an old English car in exchange – thereby becoming its third generation owners.

The car has been garaged since new and well maintained, and has only done 148,060km (92,000 miles) in 40 years, so it is actually in good condition for its age. It is stock and largely unmodified; by nature we are more inclined to be restorers than modifiers. The engine, gearbox and overdrive have never been modified or needed to be overhauled, except the head, which has been rebuilt with new valve seats for unleaded fuel. The only real alteration of note is a silencer. The exhaust note has had a bit more of a bark to it ever since, as well as a tendency to set off parked cars’ alarms when driving up hills under power.

By the time we got the car, the interior was getting very tired, so we replaced the interior carpets, which were threadbare and very faded. Grandfather was a smoker, so it took a fair bit of elbow grease to change the hood liner colour from ivory back to white. We’ve also patronised Walbran Motors for replacement chrome items and badges, plus an endless succession of rubber and mechanical parts.

We’ve done seals, springs, shocks, hubs, steering, brakes, instruments, even the heater (a legendarily horrible job). At times we wonder what we were thinking when we traded the Toyota!

According to family legend, grandfather originally ordered a BRG car but received an Antelope-coloured one, and everyone’s always joked about how much nicer the car would look if it was painted some other colour. Over the years it has had several accidents, and some of the panel beating work done is quite rough. We will probably end up repainting most of the panels as we redo the car, but we won’t be changing the unusual colour. As time has passed it has become steadily more fashionable, and now receives a lot of positive comments.

We intend to keep the car and pass it on to a fourth generation, so we try to look after the MG. It doesn’t get a lot of day-to-day use, mostly being driven for club events and similar outings. Our favourite events are trials and tours, but recently we have also tried a few more adventurous endeavours such as autocrosses and motorkhanas. It’s a fun car to drive and we enjoy the excuse to take it out, particularly when we can go to an MGCC event to socialise with like-minded enthusiasts.

1977 MGB V8 – Elizabeth Walker

My dad, Kim, purchased this 1977 rubber bumper MGB roadster – which had been imported from the US – in the late ’80s. At that time it was still left hand drive. The car was painted in Tahitian Blue and fitted with a non-overdrive four-speed ’box, with Rostyle wheels. Overall it was not a very well cared for MG. His intention was to turn the base car into a high spec V8 roadster which looked like a 1968-year model, with chrome bumpers and no external signs of being a V8.

During the next three years the MG was stripped down and taken to the panel beater, where dad and I spent what felt like a year of weekends stripping off many layers of paint, nearly all different colours. When we finally got down to the metal, we discovered a lot of badly bogged up dents, which meant a lot more work.

After that, the car went down to Tauranga for new paint and, while that was going on, dad was getting the big assemblies ready. The rear axle was overhauled and reassembled with a limited slip differential with 2.23 ratio, plus Nissan Skyline disc brakes and rotors using MGB axles, hubs and bearings. Nolathane suspension bushes were also fitted. A Borg-Warner five-speed T5 ’box (with 0.73:1 fifth gear ratio) was fitted.

The engine was taken from a Range Rover Vogue V8. It has a hotwire EFI fuel injection system, a Kent Sports camshaft, and high flow heads by Lynn Rogers with double valve springs and larger inlet valves. There are Grant racing pistons with a 10.5:1 compression ratio, and the crank was balanced with its clutch and front pulley. The plenum chamber and manifold have been machined down and the trumpets shortened, lowering it to fit under the standard MGB’s bonnet. Fully dressed this unit is about 13kg lighter than the standard four-cylinder unit. The clutch is a 267mm Chevrolet with Quartermaster hydraulic throw-out bearing, and a lightened steel flywheel balanced with the crankshaft for 7000rpm.

Fitting the engine into the roadster proved to be quite a feat, with only a few centimetres clearance. The car is now painted in Vivid Blue – a metallic match to the original Tahitian Blue. The 15-inch alloy rims are fitted with Dunlop Direzo 205/55-15 tyres.

Now the car is on the road I can say it definitely lives up to expectations. I have not driven a modern high performance car that steers as well or sticks to the road as well.

The biggest drive I ever had in it was the national meeting up North. My dad was the president of the MG Car Club at this time, asked me to drive the car up and around Waitangi. At 18, I thought I must have been in petrol-head heaven. It was the first time I drove the car, and I couldn’t believe the raw power.

The last event of that national meeting was the best – the grass motorkhana and autocross. As it had been raining a bit, and the field was in perfect condition. It took me quite a while to be able to go through a whole circuit without completely spinning out, the power threw the car so easily. But I got it in the end and had a lot of fun.

The drive back home was just as amazing, and the thought of running away with the car did cross my mind. Ever since, I’ve been driving it every now and then, which I reckon is more than I could ask for.

Edited by Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

This article is from Classic Car issue 235. Click here to check it out.

In the ’80s, European manufacturers began to experiment with performance models of their city cars. Power from forced induction was a favourite ploy, but during the ’90s some European manufacturers continued work with natural aspiration. Here, we cover four noteworthy small performers (two turbocharged, two normally aspirated) from the early ’80s to the late 1990s, all available in New Zealand, though none were big sellers.

Citroën AX GT and GTi

In 1986 Citroën released the new AX, a very efficient small car, built very light and with a very smooth body (Cd of 0.31), though the styling of both interior and exterior showed little of the flair expected from a Citroën. The first AX hot hatch, the limited run AX Sport, was released in April 1987, paving the way for the slower but more refined AX GT, released in late 1987.

The GT’s 1360cc four cylinder produced 63kW (85bhp) and combined with its light weight (722kg) and a quick, if a bit imprecise, gearbox with close ratios, progress was easy and entertaining. The steering was light and direct, and reserves of grip were high despite the skinny tyres. A five-door version of the GT came out late in 1989, slightly heavier, and down a little in performance. Both three- and five-door models were sold in NZ, from late 1989 through until early 1993.

The AX GTi came out as part of the revised AX range in late 1991. The new version was more strongly built, with revised styling and noticeable changes to the interior included stronger materials and soundproofing adding to the air of extra solidity. There were also changes to the suspension and brakes. The weight jumped by roughly 100kg, and to counter this the engine in the GTi now featured fuel injection and a higher compression ratio, raising power to 75kW (100bhp). However, what with the weight gain the extra power meant little, and straight-line performance was similar to the old AX GT, though the handling was further improved. Imports of the GTi to NZ were limited.

MG Metro Turbo

Only a year into the MG Metro’s production run in 1983, the high performance Metro Turbo was introduced. The engineering development of the sporting model was partially handled by Lotus. The powerplant was an evolution of the old A-Series design, and retained carburetion rather than fuel injection.

The 1275cc engine had changes made to the crankshaft (reverting to Cooper S specification), pistons and sodium filled exhaust valves to help it survive the application of the Garrett T3 turbo, though that had a specially designed boost control system which regulated boost to assist power delivery, fuel economy and above all (though MG would likely not admit it) reliability. The boost was regulated to four psi low in the rev range, and increased to seven psi higher in the rev range, with a neat Lotus-developed system which helped minimise turbo lag and made for smooth operation. It also lessened sudden loadings to the weak four-speed gearbox (a standard A-series four-speed sump-mounted ’box with relatively long ratios), but even with the boost control failures were common.

Upgrades over the normal Metro included four-piston disc brakes at the front and uprated suspension, including a rear anti-roll bar. These helped to ensure that the Metro Turbo stopped and cornered well enough to match its turn of speed.

Contemporary road tests praised the solid brakes, the useful turn of speed and competent handling. However, while a fairly entertaining drive it faced strong competition from contemporary rivals.

This, combined with reliability issues and often poor build quality, meant the Metro Turbo was never a particularly strong seller. It was available in NZ from late 1986 to late 1988, selling in small numbers only.

Fiat Uno Turbo

In 1985 Fiat decided to try its hand at a hot super-mini and released the Uno Turbo. The boxy yet aerodynamically efficient body, with a low Cd of 0.34, sported the now obligatory ‘Turbo’ decals along with a lower air dam, rear hatch spoiler and 13-inch alloy wheels. Mechanically, the engine was a purpose-built unit that utilised all the latest technology in the form of electronic ignition (including a knock sensor), Bosch fuel injection, and an intercooler. Power was 78kW (105bhp) with strong torque — which meant the stronger gearbox from the Strada was needed for the job, as the normal Uno gearbox was not up to it. In an attempt to quell inevitable torque steer, Fiat used equal length driveshafts.

The Uno Turbo was a real rocket, charging to 96.5kph (60mph) in nine seconds and able to touch nearly 200kph flat out.

The brakes were not really up to the performance, nor was the chassis, despite slightly sharper but heavy steering and the addition of an anti-roll bar at the rear. It was nose heavy, encouraging understeer, and suffered from excessive body roll. Though not as lively a handler as its rivals, the Fiat was still a very fast, fun drive but worked much better in a straight line — it was a point-and-squirt device. Still, it was quite a successful model for Fiat, combining strong performance with a relatively affordable entry price (at least in Europe!).

In 1990 the Uno range was face-lifted and, as well as styling changes, the Uno Turbo received a revised motor, with capacity bumped up to 1372cc (thanks to use of the new Tipo 1.4 block) as well as changes to the fuel injection system, boosting power to 88kW (118bhp). Even faster now, the Uno Turbo dropped its 0-96.5kph time to 8.3 seconds and could now crack the 200kph mark flat out. Changes to the brakes helped pull up the Uno better as well, even if the drum rears were still retained.

NZ had the Uno Turbo briefly available in 1986, and in greater quantity from mid-1990, when the 1372cc facelift model was introduced, then in limited numbers through to late 1993.

Peugeot 106

The Peugeot 106 was built on the Citroën AX platform, and introduced in 1991. The XSi model used the same 1360cc engine as the Citroën AX GTi, in a slightly lower state of tune at 71kW (95bhp).

The 106 XSi was heavier than the Citroëns at 890kg (approx), but was little slower and would run 10 seconds to 100kph and top out at 190kph (118mph). The handling of the 106 XSi was very good, with road testers often ranking it at the top of its class.

In late 1993, the iconic 106 Rallye was released, so named to reflect the homologation requirements to enter the 0-1400cc rally class. The Rallye was developed from the XSi, with equipment levels pared right down until it weighed only 825kg. It shared the body styling of the XSi, without the front fog lights, but it also featured widened wheel arches and Peugeot Sport insignia. The motor used in the 106 Rallye was a combination of the older cylinder block from the 205 Rallye and the new cylinder head from the 106 XSi, both modified for the purpose. It displaced 1294cc and was fitted with EFI, producing 75kW (100bhp) at 7200rpm (with the redline at 7400rpm). The suspension was very similar to the XSi, the main difference being thicker anti-roll bars and uprated front suspension arms, but the springs, shock absorbers, ventilated front discs and rear drum brakes were retained from the XSi.

The 106 Rallye was a completely different animal to the XSi, raw, thrashy and pure driving excitement, further improving on the already good handling of the XSi.

In 1995 the 1360cc motor in the XSi was replaced with a new 78kW (105bhp), 1587cc sohc injected motor, and it was now 0.5 seconds quicker to 100kph at 9.5 seconds, with a top speed of 195kph.

This model was not on sale for very long, as in 1996 it was phased out with the 1996 facelift of the 106.

The facelift (often referred to as the ‘phase 2’ or S2) included a mild restyle of the 106, and offered more equipment for each spec level.

The XSi was replaced by the car that Peugeot enthusiasts had been waiting five years for, the reincarnation of the GTi nameplate on a small Peugeot, the 106 GTi.

The 106 GTi sat low on 14-inch alloy wheels and used a variant of the 1587cc engine introduced in the XSi, with an all-new 16-valve twin cam head that helped the GTi make a strong 89kW (120bhp).

The handling of the GTi was superb, grippy and ultimately controllable with lots of steering feel and responsiveness. These qualities, along with the strong engine, solid build quality and reliability are what caused the 106 GTi to be often referred to as a contender for the title for the best hot hatch of all time. The GTi was as much fun as the Rallye at ten-tenths, but retained the fun factor in normal spirited driving while remaining totally useable as an everyday car with all the amenities that the Rallye lacked.

The Rallye was revised also, being based this time on the GTi. It also used a derivative of the 1587cc engine, but it used a simpler single cam eight-valve unit similar to the late XSi, producing 77kW (103bhp). Externally the Rallye was similar to the GTi, though it lost the front fog lights of the GTi for some air intakes, and the rear spoiler was no longer there.

NZ availability of the 106 performance models began with the XSi 1.4 in late 1993, with a one-year run, with the XSi 1.6 replacing it, through to mid-1996. The GTi came in from July 1997 but only for about a year before imports were discontinued, while Rallye models were either special or personal imports — there are a few around, including a few further competition-ready clubsport variants.

Buying Tips

With less well-known European makes like the ones mentioned in this article it is always essential to find a specialist workshop with marque experience, to check them out pre-purchase and for regular maintenance.

Citroën AX

The revised AX, from 1991 onwards, fixed the main complaints of indifferent build quality and lack of overall refinement made about the original cars, but in doing so lost some of its peppy performance and great fuel economy. Though there are not many around, the AX GTi is arguably a more sensible buy, with better build quality and refinement, while still retaining good performance, and is regarded as a more fun car to drive. Still, consider an AX GT as they are a very entertaining car and slightly more common. The AXs are built down to a weight and, simply put, they do tend to fall apart, and interior trim and some electrics can be very flimsy. The body panels were made of thin metal in as many areas as possible to save weight and they dent and mark easily. Later cars are noticeably better though. Mechanically, they are relatively simple, but cars that have been well maintained are always a better choice.

MG Metro Turbo

The MG Metro Turbo was a typical ’80s British car, never assembled particularly well. However, near the end of its run Metro quality did improve. It was still not perfect but an improvement over the earlier cars. Since NZ only got the very last MG Metros it is likely they are at least some of the better ones. The best things about the MG Metro are its oddball nature among hot hatches, and they are likely to have been owned by MG or British car enthusiasts who have cared well for them. If you find one for sale it is always essential to get it checked over by an expert regardless.

Fiat Uno Turbo

The Uno Turbo has developed a following worldwide for being a tuneable little package; this has even extended to NZ, though we would recommend restricting your search to unmodified examples. Replacement parts are quite hard to get and/or expensive in NZ. Parts that are not unique to the Uno Turbo are easier to find, as there were a reasonably large number of Unos on the road in NZ in the late ’80s and earl ’90s. The Uno Turbo falls prey to the Italian car rust issue, especially around the wheel arches and sills. The facelifted cars were better, but rust can still plague them. Electrical difficulties can be a problem, as this model Uno is well equipped with electrical devices that can fail, but always check the earthing — it’s sometimes an easy fix. Fiat specialists are definitely the place to go for servicing needs.

Peugeot 106

The 106 in all its forms is a solid buy, probably the most sensible choice of the cars covered here, as they are the most reliable and well put together and arguably, are dynamically the best in this size bracket. As long as the 106 has a decent, known service history and has been well maintained it will likely be a nice, reliable, useable car. As with most cars, Peugeot has got the quality control sorted in the later models, and early niggles and faults have been rectified. Low kilometres are usually better, but don’t necessarily shy away from a car with higher kays if it has good history.

The XSi models are the most common and the cheapest and still offer a fun, warm hatch drive. The Rallye is perhaps the most rewarding 106 to drive fast, and while it lacks the refinement of the other 106s it could still be used also as a daily driver if you are somewhat of a masochist. However, being a special model they are very unusual and often fetch more than a 106 GTi, which many consider the best buy of the 106s, with all the speed and handling of the Rallye in a more usable package. You are also more likely to find one for sale, and it may even be cheaper than a Rallye.

Specifications

Citroën AX GT and GTi

Production: 1987-’91, 1991-1995
Engine: AX GT: 1360cc four-cylinder 8v sohc twin-choke carb, 63kW (85bhp). AX GTi 1360cc four-cylinder 8v sohc EFI, 75kW (100bhp)
Performance: AX GT 0-96kph (0-60mph) in 9.5 seconds, top speed 175kph (108mph). AX GTi 0-96kph (0-60mph) in 9.3 seconds, top speed 183kph (114mph)

MG Metro Turbo

Production: 1983-1990, 21,968
Engine: 1275cc four-cylinder pushrod ohv single carb turbo, 69kW (93bhp)
Performance: 0-96kph (0-60mph) in 10 seconds. Top speed 175kph (110mph)

Fiat Uno Turbo

Production: 1985-89/1989-’94
Engine: 1300cc four-cylinder 8v sohc EFI turbo, 78kW (105bhp) then 1372cc 8v sohc EFI turbo, 88kW (118bhp)
Performance: 0-96kph (0-60mph) in 8.3-9 seconds. Top speed 193-203kph (120-126mph)

Peugeot 106 XSi, Rallye and GTi

Production: 1991-’96, 1996-2003
Engine: 1294/1360/1587cc four cylinder sohc/dohc, 72-90kW (95-120bhp)
Performance: 0-96kph (0-60mph) in 10-7.4 seconds. Top speed 190-204kph (118-127mph)

Words: Phillip and David Cass

This article is from Classic Car issue 222. Click here to check it out.

Recently I got the opportunity to travel to one of the most peaceful and idyllic settings I have visited in many years. Not only did the shores of Lake Okareka offer a tranquil landscape, but also some challenging, tightly twisting and narrow roads to test Tony Shelbourne’s wonderfully sorted Toyota twin-cam-powered MGA.

When Tony suggested I pilot the little roadster from his house on the lake’s edge, to the location we had chosen for the photo shoot a few kilometres away, I didn’t need to be asked twice. Stretching the MGA’s legs for the first time was satisfying to say the least. The car felt well balanced, with more than enough power up front to tempt the right foot into pushing harder at every available opportunity.

Driving this car was addictive, and I can understand why Tony was keen for me to get behind the wheel and experience the sheer thrill of driving his MGA — I was tempted to just keep driving it all day.

A passion for MGs

Tony is no stranger to this type of motoring and has been involved with British sports cars, especially MGs, from a very early age. His parents owned a 1930 M-type MG Midget, in which he probably had his first ride. However, the little boat-tailed Midget obviously wasn’t big enough for carting baby gear, as Tony first appeared in the family photo album in a Le Mans Singer. By the time he was three years old the family car was a bright green 1937 1.5-litre, open four-seater MGVA which he remembers well — he was car sick down the side of it on more than one occasion.

Tony first learned to drive in his father’s 1947 TC at the age of 11, and later went on to drive the family VA. He vividly remembers sitting in an MGA in 1956 for the first time in a showroom in Nottingham, but his father eventually bought an Austin-Healey 100/6, with more room for his long legs, and much more luggage room. At 1.9 metres (six feet, 5.5) tall, Tony should have known better than to become enamoured with MGAs!

Whilst a student in Oxford, he well remembers bug-eyed Austin-Healey Sprites and MGA bodies rolling down Iffley Road on transporters. He visited the Abingdon factory once, about 1957, when collecting his father’s rebuilt Healey (after an encounter with a dry stone wall), but never saw his (eventual) hero, Syd Enever, the man who designed the MGA and B, amongst others.

Then followed a long sports car drought, occupied by VWs and a Peugeot 404 station wagon that transported Tony and his family from North Carolina to San Francisco prior to their emigration to New Zealand. The trusty 404 served them here for another 20 years.

The MGA project

The drought was finally broken by a 1965 Lotus Elan, which Tony bought from a farmer’s shed in Lincolnshire whilst on a trip to the UK. Once back in New Zealand, the Lotus was treated to some much needed TLC and restoration work, during which time Tony soon learned all about chopped-strand fibreglass mat and resin.

Then, in early 2003, Tony discovered that Garth Bagnall, of the MG Shop in New Lynn, had an MGA chassis and body tub left over from another restoration. However, it wasn’t for sale until the owner was sure it wouldn’t be needed. A year later, in January 2004, the decision was made to sell the MGA parts, so Tony and Murray Strutton of Vintage Restorations of Te Puke (later Autoform) picked up the body tub, chassis, one rear wing, two doors, as well as an MGB Salisbury rear axle and a complete MGB front suspension, including discs, callipers and steering rack.

This was the beginning. Its very incompleteness fitted Tony’s original concept of a ‘recreated’ MGA, with a strong, rigid chassis and excellent road-holding characteristics. MG, of course, had essayed its own twin-cam version of the MGA, but it only remained in production for a short while from 1958-60, with just over 2000 examples being built. MG’s twin-cam version of the B-series 1588cc engine quickly developed a reputation for burning pistons and oil and it was, perhaps, a far too sophisticated engine for MG’s parent company, BMC, to handle. Today, in New Zealand, you won’t find too many MGA twin-cam engines knocking about and, anyway, Tony’s idea was to update the MGA Twin-Cam with a modern, electronic-fuel-injected motor, five-speed gearbox and a few more mod cons. This was Tony’s vision of a practical everyday sports car, with the MGA’s delightful styling.
Phil Bradshaw’s website on Toyota 4A-GE motors and T50 gearboxes provided Tony with a lot of information, and Murray managed to obtain, ex Japan, a 4A-GE motor and gearbox, plus engine loom and computer from an AE86 Levin, the last of the rear-wheel-drive Corollas.

He also wrecked a couple of AE82 Corollas, initially as a model for the application of the electronic system, and also to acquire a complete wiring loom for the whole car, spare motor, steering wheel and steering column, instruments, indicator stalks and other dash parts which would come in handy along the way.

The mistake of building the car around a surplus roll bar caused major problems when it came time to fit (a rather tall) Tony under the standard MGA hood frame (supplied by Moss Europe). Not having a windscreen at that stage, they were unaware that Tony wasn’t really going to fit inside the snug cockpit as far as headroom was concerned.

Tony’s long legs were another story. Eventually, Tony and Murray ended up constructing the seats around the chassis cross-member to give maximum legroom, and lowered the driver’s side floor for more headroom. The clutch and brake pedals were also custom made specially to increase legroom.

Fitting the parts

Although the MGB front wishbones and Armstrong shocks fitted the MGA chassis mounting points (after facing the shocks outwards rather than inwards), spacers were needed on the ex-Nissan Primera alloy wheels, found on TradeMe. There is also a basic difference in A versus B suspension and steering layout, which Tony learned. For the B, the steering arm is fixed to the king pin assembly a couple of centimetres below the stub axle, whereas in the A, this is at exactly the same level as the stub axle. The B rack’s mounting points are also much wider apart than the A’s, which necessitated attaching new brackets to the chassis. However, mounting the B rack at the same height as the A’s rack had been mounted meant it was too high for the B steering arm, something that took a while to figure out (with Rod Brayshaw and colleague Peter’s help), and there wasn’t room above the chassis cross member to lower the rack. After appropriate modifications, the car now steers and corners as it should.

Cosmetically, Tony always liked green cars, going back to the sick-making MGVA, and this colour was recaptured in modern metallic.

Tony admits he has never liked the dashboard of the A, or the T series, but the early mid-1930 cars usually had wooden dashes, and this is echoed in the solid Tasmanian blackwood (Acacia melanoxyon) dash. The FXGT Corolla instrument cluster, while not particularly elegant, was simple to fit, and functional. There were no bumpers and, as Tony always liked the look of stripped-down MGA racers, he decided to add a front fairing and two XK 120-type over-riders at the back. The grille is an original, repaired MkII version, the last of the As from 1960-62. The rear light clusters are styled after those on the MGA MkII, though not quite, as they are Murray originals.

Fettling the MGA

Installing the 4A-GE on new engine mounts, removing the sump and refitting it with the deep part to the rear, away from the chassis cross member, was all relatively straightforward. The alternator was a tight fit that needed a special mount, and some chopping of bodywork enabled Murray to handle the electrical side of things with relative ease.

Go it certainly did right from the start, though the imported motor had noticeable piston slap which Tony couldn’t tolerate, so the spare AE82 Corolla motor was rebuilt and fitted with the appropriate AE86 rear-wheel drive components. Selecting the correct differential ratios was really important, as these motors like to rev, so Tony copied his FXGT Corolla’s ratios, which give 3400rpm at 100kph. This necessitated a 4.555:1 back axle which was then installed in the banjo-shaped axle off an earlier MGB, the same as used in the A, replacing the Salisbury axle originally fitted (its 3.9:1 ratio meant driving most of the time in third or fourth gear).
Tony had the help of a few friends along the way, and admits that this project would not have been possible without their professional advice and commitment.

Gordon Cromb of Tauranga Quality Upholstery did a fine job on the upholstery and carpets, building the foam for the specially crafted seats, developing them to offer Tony and his passenger full support. Rod Brayshaw of the MG Car Company in Katikati supplied Tony with new and used parts, together with some sound advice along the way.

Neville Lucas of the new MG Shop in Mt Maunganui provided parts, sourced from Moss Europe, including the much-needed 4.555:1 back axle.

Murray Strutton, of Autoform in Papamoa, was the man who meticulously managed this project from the start, and is the brilliant craftsman who has re-created this MGA to produce something which Tony believes to be a good deal better than the mass-produced original. Four years after starting the project, Tony now has a nicely-sorted MGA with a Toyota twin-cam engine which he believes Syd Enever would have loved to have put into his everyman’s sports car — remembering that MG, during this period, used many proprietary parts in their cars.

It is strange how these things sort of connect; rumour has it that Lotus had some hand in the design of the 4A-GE motor which, of course, went into the Toyota MR2. And, that Japanese mid-engined sports car has always been rumoured to have been designed by Lotus. Whether that is true or not, Mazda’s MX-5 was spiritually descended from the Lotus Elan.

It all seems to fit together and, in doing so, proves that the much-maligned British motor industry evidently had brilliant designers; designers who could produce cars with a lasting influence. And Syd Enever was one of the best.

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

Touted as a successor to the charismatic Austin-Healey 3000, the six-cylinder MGC was roundly criticised right from the start — but was the MGC really as bad as contemporary road-testers made it out to be?

I have several friends who really don’t see the point of a classic car. While they may admire the drop-dead looks of a Ferrari 250GTO, the aggressive stance of a Big Healey, the sumptuous, leather and walnut wrapped interior of a Mk2 Jaguar or the sheer grunt of a big-block Corvette, they simply can’t understand why anyone would want to drive an antique car totally bereft of modern conveniences and driver aids. In a world where even the lowest cost, modern Korean car features anti-lock braking, electronic stability control and a multitude of potentially life-saving airbags, some view classic cars as something of an anachronism. And, whilst they may respect the abilities and persistence of those who choose to drive and restore old cars, they tend to see classic car owners as being somewhat masochistic.

And, for younger car enthusiasts — those who were born well outside the recognized classic era — performance and handling is also an issue. Why put up with stuff like an ancient, overhead valve engine, worm and sector steering, drum brakes and oddball overdrive gearboxes when, for minimal outlay, it is possible to purchase a modern, twin-cam Japanese performance car; one that goes round corners, brakes efficiently and, in some cases, can be modified to out-perform even the most powerful of the traditional classics.

Look closely at the world of today and those attitudes are understandable. The modern world is all about instant gratification — whatever you want, if you’ve got the cash, is available right now, anywhere in the world, on the internet. Why, for instance, advertise something for sale in the traditional print media — with all its attendant publication date delays — when you can make it happen right now on a web-based buying/selling site? Couple that with the declining attention spans of the MTV generation and it’s easy to see why many are simply not up to the challenge offered by a car which doesn’t deliver modern conveniences. It’s just too hard — too much time is required to alter driving techniques that have already been acquired on modern cars.

So, why do some of us still prefer to drive a classic car?

Missing the Point

Driving a modern car, to me, is rather like operating a dish-washer or a refrigerator — they all do the job they were designed for efficiently, but very little personal involvement is required. Turn it on, drop it into gear and you’re on the way to your destination.

But, as the old saying goes, sometimes it’s the journey, not the destination that counts.

That’s why I like classic cars so much. Paradoxically, it’s also why I choose not to use a classic car as my everyday transport. I’ve always admired those who do use their classic cars as primary transport — NZCC columnist, Greg Price, is a good example — he hates driving modern cars. However, I prefer to ration myself and am always afraid that if I use a classic car for every trip — including dull, grid-locked treks into the city — the pleasure will diminish. As a result, every time I step into my Lotus it’s almost like a new experience each time.

And it’s an experience that is there to be savoured to the full — a world away from the gadget-strewn environment of merely modern transport.

However, for me it’s not just a question of dialling into the characteristics of the car and the satisfaction of getting everything right whilst driving — it’s also the feelings that a classic car evokes in me.

Another Age

As a case in point, driving our featured MGCGT brought back a flood of memories associated with driving in the late ’60s and early ’70s. It was a less complex period when everyone seemed to have more than enough time to reach their destination, a period long before the modern day’s rush-everywhere attitude. Drivers stuck to safe following distances, were not intent on overtaking everything in sight, and didn’t indulge in dangerous, late-braking manoeuvres. As a result, driving was a much more pleasurable, lower pressure activity.

I still remember all-day trips, with my father at the wheel, from Manchester to North Wales in the family car — a sit-up-and-beg Anglia — during the early ’60s. Forty years later that same trip would take three hours, but the modern traveller wouldn’t have time to make stopovers en-route at Chester, indulge in a leisurely picnic alongside the Swallow Falls at Betws-y-Coed or check out the supposed resting place of Prince Llewelyn’s faithful hound, Gelert, at Beddgelert.

Driving cars that were built in the ’60s always bring back such memories — I suppose that’s just a measure of my advancing age.

Hidden Pleasures

It’s been over 30 years since I last got behind the wheel of a six-cylinder MGC but, once I’d settled into the MG’s soft, leather seats, I was instantly transported back to the ’60s — a pleasurable experience in itself and surely one of the major benefits of owning and driving a classic car?

Twist the ignition key and the big, six-cylinder lump up front burst into rude life. It didn’t sound especially sporty, but the rumble of the engine sent a ripple of vibration through the car, which can be felt by fingers on the steering wheel.

Slot the gear lever into first, clutch out and the MG powered away. The heavy steering was at first a little disconcerting, but quickly became more comfortable once on the move. Driving more briskly, the MG revealed hidden pleasures — such as selecting fresh gear ratios with the simply flick of an overdrive switch while storming through an uphill series of corners.

For contemporary road-testers, the MGC’s defining handling feature was understeer — unavoidable with that heavy, nose-mounted big six — but, I have to say, after a few kilometres this became less noticeable. Indeed, with the larger section tyres fitted to our test car (and the correct tyre pressures), understeer wasn’t a major factor in the car’s handling. Having said that, there is little doubt the MGC doesn’t respond to aggressive driving in the same manner as a four-cylinder MGB, or even a Big Healey. It feels less responsive, less chuckable. As well, the MGC’s six-cylinder engine doesn’t really feel like a traditional sports car powerplant.

However, treating these factors as perceived disabilities is rather missing the point of the MGC — quite simply it isn’t a sports car in the MGB or Austin-Healey mould, rather it should be seen as a grand routier in the traditional sense of the term.

Sales Disaster

The MGC doesn’t streak off the mark with any real sense of urgency but, once in its stride, it is an effortless cruiser and, as you dial into its handling style, it reveals itself as being capable of very rapid point-to-point driving.
To be sure, the MGC is not about to set the performance world alight in the manner of the car which it was originally intended to replace — the Austin-Healey 3000 — yet, in many respects, the MG is far more pleasant to drive than the Healey. The MG’s gearbox feels crisp, the steering — while heavy — is far more forgiving than that of the Healey, as is the car’s handling, and in the braking department the MG is much more efficient.

So, why was the MGC such as sales disaster?

Part of the answer must rest on the shoulders of BMC and its poor preparation of the original cars it passed out to the motoring press. The MGC earned a bad reputation for handling very early on partially as a result of that mistake, and early impressions are notoriously hard to eliminate. Another factor in the MGC’s relative failure has to be put down to the car’s overall styling — in effect, the MGC looks exactly what it is; a re-engined MGB. It was not sufficiently different in looks to the four-banger MG and, of course, how was BMC ever going to follow a car as good-looking as the Healey?

Quite simply, the MGC was hamstrung right from the start — it was designed on a shoe-string, compromised at every juncture during its subsequent development, and was expected to replace a much-loved, highly charismatic sports car. That final factor was a little like the reception you’d expect if Milli Vanilli followed the Rolling Stones!

And that’s a real pity because, with all those time-honoured prejudices removed and judged upon its own merits, the MGC is actually a very good car. I certainly enjoyed our day with the MGCGT — it transported me with some style back to my youth, and reminded me once again why I like classic cars so much.

Refurbished and Upgraded

Our featured MGCGT was originally imported into New Zealand in 1988 and carries a full service history — which includes a British Motor Industry Heritage certificate. During its time in New Zealand, this C has had two owners and has been extensively upgraded. Work included a complete engine overhaul within the last 3200km, and receipts are available for rings, bearings and pistons. In order to tighten up and improve the MG’s handling, the car’s refurbished suspension now features nolathane bushes, an upgraded anti-roll bar and new Bilstein shock absorbers. The MG’s original, 15-inch wire wheels have also been respoked and now wear 195/60 tyres.

On the purely cosmetic side, the MG’s interior has been extensively refurbished and now boasts beautiful, tan leather upholstery and brand new carpets. The car’s original, massive 16-inch steering wheel has long ago been replaced with a smaller diameter, Mountney sports wheel. Additionally, the car is fitted with a quality CD player, Aston Martin-like town and country horn and front-mounted driving lights.

This MGCGT has now covered 77,000 miles (123,919km).

Replacing a Legend

In 1957, when Austin-Healey became part of the MG family, the ensuing integration of the two marques hinted at some interesting possibilities — one of which was the possibility of a six-cylinder MG. Of course, there had been several six-cylinder MGs in previous years — the K3 Magnette being a notable example — and, indeed, MG’s Syd Enever had even postulated a modern, six-cylinder MG in the same year that Austin-Healey joined the MG fold.
After initial surveys of a Healey ‘big four’-powered MG, the scene was soon set for a dual project. ADO51 was to be an Austin-Healey, while ADO52 was marked up as a six-cylinder MG — the ‘C’ designation being applied right from the start. Intended as a direct replacement for the aging Austin-Healey 3000, these two new cars were developed in tandem — presumably the best one would reach production.

Unwilling to use the powerful, but heavy C-series engine of the Big Healey, MG’s engineers toyed with the idea of using the Australian-developed Blue Streak engine — a 2433cc six-cylinder unit that would see service in the Australian-built Austin Freeway and Wolseley 24/80. This engine was considerably lighter than the C-series but, alas, Morris Engines was reluctant to invest time and money into building the engine in the UK, and the cost of importing engines from Australia was out of the question. Instead, BMC decided to redesign the venerable C-series engine with seven bearings instead of four. Although MG would suggest several further modifications to the new engine, Alex Issigonis — who was in charge of the project — refused to alter the specifications.

As a result, the new 3.0-litre Austin engine was only 20kg lighter than the outgoing C-series.

Compromise

Additionally, BMC did not have the funds for a clean-sheet design, so the new MGC would have to be developed from the MGB. With the new 3.0-litre engine, it quickly became apparent that several major changes would be needed to make it fit into the standard MGB body-shell. These changes included a completely new front suspension cross-member (although, fortunately, much of the work on a new cross member had already been completed when MG had built a Blue Streak-engined prototype), plus a revised bonnet which would include a large, overall bulge to accommodate the engine’s height and a lesser bulge to cover the leading SU carburettor. As well, in order to save space in the reworked inner arch areas, torsion bar front suspension was also necessary. Larger, 15-inch wheels were specified to replace the MGB’s 14-inch units.

Just to make things even more difficult for the MG design team, BMC insisted that there also be space for possible fitment of the bulky Borg-Warner BW35 auto transmission. Life would have been much simpler if the engineers had been allowed to develop a new front firewall pressing, which would have allowed them to shift the engine location further into the car’s wheelbase, but this was deemed as being too expensive.

Meanwhile, Austin-Healey’s project was looking more and more like the MG. A prototype Austin-Healey MkIV was produced — but it was simply a six-cylinder MG with a few extra bits of trim and a Healey-like front grille. Not surprisingly, Donald Healey pulled the plug on the whole deal and, in 1966, washed his hands of the MG project — firmly determining not to put his name to the new creation. Instead, he widened a MkIII by 102mm and dropped in the Rolls-Royce 4.0-litre six as used in the Vanden Plas Princess. It seemed like a good idea, but the BMC/Jaguar merger of 1966 scotched that car — there was no way William Lyons was going to be privy to a car that would challenge his E-Type.

So with only the MG project remaining work continued apace, with the first working MGC prototypes being built from November 1966 to July 1967 — the new car making its debut appearance at the 1967 Earls Court Motor Show.

Hostile Reception

The initial reception from the motoring press was remarkably hostile — almost everyone disliked the car, complaining of dreadful understeer, sluggish engine characteristics and uncomfortable seats. Amazingly, BMC had under-inflated all the front tyres on its press cars, which exacerbated the MGC’s natural tendency towards understeer — an inevitable consequence of the overly heavy engine.

Suitably chastened, BMC went back to drawing board and added better, reclining, seats to the car, a close-ratio gearbox and revised final drive ratio, and they upgraded the car’s trim to differentiate it from the cheaper MGB.
These modifications didn’t exactly turn the tide, and the MGC remained largely unloved throughout its short production life.

By the time of the 1968 formation of British Leyland, the writing on the wall was clearly evident as far as the MGC was concerned. With Lord Stokes at the top, MG as on a sticky wicket anyway — as the man in charge, Stokes showed a distinct bias towards Triumph, indicating that the recently launched TR5 was his preference for a corporate six-cylinder sports car. And as far as Stokes was concerned, the Triumph Stag — then under development — represented the sporting future of British Leyland.

The clock was ticking and the final MGC was completed on September 18, 1969 — although, further indicating the MGC’s lack of popularity, the final car didn’t leave Abingdon until March 1970.

As a sign of what might have been, around 150 MGCs were purchased by London-based MG dealer, University Motors, in 1969. These cars were considerably modified — some even receiving Downton Engineering tuning conversions (the top-of the-line conversion, complete with triple SU HS6 carburettors, was claimed to be good for 130kW (174bhp). With their upgraded interiors, the University Motors’ cars delivered what had previously only been promised — but by then it was too late for the MGC.

1969 MGCGT – Specifications

Engine        Six, in-line
Capacity        2912cc
Bore/ stroke        83.36 x 88.90mm
Comp ratio        9.00:1
Valves        ohv
Max power        108kW (145bhp) at 5250rpm
Max torque        230Nm at 3400rpm
Fuel system        Two SU HS6 carburettors
Transmission    Four-speed manual/ overdrive
Suspension (F/R)    ¨F: Independent via torsion bars, wishbones and anti-roll bar R: Live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs
Steering        Rack and pinion
Brakes        Disc/disc
Wheels        15-inch wire
Tyres        Dunlop SP41 165-15
Dimensions:
Wheelbase        2311mm
Overall length    3893mm
Width        1524mm
Height        1276mm
Track F/R        1251mm
Weight        1116kg
Performance:
Top Speed         192kph (120mph)
0-60mph        10 seconds
Standing ¼        17.7 seconds
Economy        14.1l/100km (20mpg — approx)
Production:        ¨¨1967-’69 8999 ¨(4542 roadsters, 4457 coupes)

Words Allan Walton, photos Dan Wakelin

You tell him you have an MX-5 and he gives you one of those old-fashioned looks¦

In our 2007 Yearbook we attempted to work out what was the greatest classic sports convertible ever made, using a number of criteria by which we judged ‘sports car.’ The MG T-Series ended up, using our criteria, in eighth place, not a bad result in some fabulous company.

Had we been selective in the criteria which we used to come to our conclusion, the MG T-Series would have come a great deal higher and might even have won. To many eyes it is what most people think a sports car should be. For all sorts of different reasons we voted the Mazda MX-5 into tenth place.

We asked which car was the ‘seminal’ sports car, and we believe that both the MX-5 and the MG T-Series came very high on the list of what your average person would think of as a great sports car at the time of its production. In both cases they were great sellers, and both opened up the world of small sports cars to the Americans, who since the inception of each have bought more sports cars than anyone else in the world.

Both were excellent club racing cars and gave the owner that great wind-in-the-hair feeling. Today the MG is still regarded as a stylish representative of the great age of simple, affordable sports cars.

The look of the old MG and the feel of being out in the open air is to many people the appeal of these cars. There is one key difference between the two, and that is that an MX-5, whilst being very enjoyable and simple to own, is a common sight on our roads.

You don’t have to be an MG enthusiast to admire or aspire to the open air and vintage look of an old MG. The feeling of driving around in a car that looks like this really makes your day a better day. People of all ages admire your car, and being in the open air you can often hear children telling their parents to have a look at what’s going past. No matter how cold the day, you get a warm feeling inside when that happens.

Many people who both own and see these cars on the roads are not judges of whether the car is genuine or old or correct in every detail, just admirers of the concept of freedom, style, and the mere fact that their drivers are different. To the general public, the customers or owners of replica sports cars would all be the same and want the same thing, but the truth is very different.

For a start we are not all purists. The degree to whether we can pick out what’s right and what’s not are different, and the amount that we care differs greatly too. What we want out of our hobby car also differs hugely.

The Alternatives

The likelihood of a true MG enthusiast buying a replica is pretty slim. The likelihood of an MG admirer buying a replica is quite high. The likelihood someone who knows very little about MGs, but likes the style, will buy a replica is even higher.

A genuine T-Series MG is, at the minimum, over 50 years old. That is an old car. Old cars take a lot of looking after, and to be a custodian of one is quite a responsibility. In the ’40s and ’50s it was taken as read that a car needed constant and regular maintenance, and today’s owners need to have that built into their ownership duties. Compared to even the most mundane cars today, cars of that age are slow, have poor brakes and weather proofing, and are not that comfortable in terms of ride, appointments or driving technique.

For a start we are not all purists. The degree to whether we can pick out what’s right and what’s not are different, and the amount that we care differs greatly too. What we want out of our hobby car also differs hugely.

The Alternatives

The likelihood of a true MG enthusiast buying a replica is pretty slim. The likelihood of an MG admirer buying a replica is quite high. The likelihood someone who knows very little about MGs, but likes the style, will buy a replica is even higher.

A genuine T-Series MG is, at the minimum, over 50 years old. That is an old car. Old cars take a lot of looking after, and to be a custodian of one is quite a responsibility. In the ’40s and ’50s it was taken as read that a car needed constant and regular maintenance, and today’s owners need to have that built into their ownership duties. Compared to even the most mundane cars today, cars of that age are slow, have poor brakes and weather proofing, and are not that comfortable in terms of ride, appointments or driving technique.

To some, that is their appeal, but to others it is a liability. Then there is the cost to take into account. Even the most daggy MG T-Series in a roadable condition will cost upwards of $25,000, and the costs won’t stop there.

To release yourself from all these issues you can buy a replica. There is a train of thought that goes — ‘well a replica is a replica, and that’s it.’ Not so. There are degrees of replication. There are people who want the car to look exactly the same and give similar experiences, but simply don’t want an old original, or can’t afford one. There are people who want the look but have no interest in getting their hands dirty, and have no technical knowledge whatsoever. Then there are people that want a hobby, which is to build a car, and there are people who don’t care whether the look is identical as long as the idea is conveyed.

There are degrees to which people would put up with the foibles of an old car, and degrees of performance and comfort that they want to achieve. There are people who prefer the TF look to the TD look, and so it goes on.

The good, the bad and the ugly

Ten or more years ago when there was a kit car boom in New Zealand and overseas there was a huge choice of cars which loosely provided the ‘T experience.’ Some were horrible and some were quite good. Using the old adage of ‘survival of the fittest’, today in New Zealand there are three choices, and they are all good, but they are not competitors because they each give the customer something entirely different in terms of a lifestyle and driving experience.

The first is to buy an original MG. Frankly, it is likely that most MG enthusiasts will have either stopped reading this by now or not even started the article, so we will leave that option for another day. The second is to pay upwards of $50,000 for a TD2000.

What you get there is a reasonably faithful replica of an MG TD with a modern engine and live rear axle, fully assembled and finished to a high standard, everything brand-new from a proper factory in Malaysia. No work to do, no input and a car with modern performance and weather-proofing but typical live axle handling.

What Russell Hooper of Alternative Cars International does is something entirely different again. You might think ‘International’ sounds a bit grand, but Russell Hooper sends 80 per cent of his production overseas, many to the home of kit cars, the UK, where there is more choice than anywhere else in the world, and it is somewhat of a fillip to this Onehunga-based company that, with so much choice, so many go for the NZ-built product.

Russell has gone for a ‘look’ rather than a replica, and that ‘look’ is clearly more of the later TF than it is the earlier TD models. The original MG TF was the last of the ‘vintage look’ MGs, and to many minds the best-looking.

Whilst you can order a fully built-up TG Sports from Russell’s company (and many do, our featured car being an export example ready to be shipped to the UK), it is not really the aim of the company to fulfil that market.

However, and it’s a big however, the ride and handling, steering and brakes of the TG are as least as good, and theoretically better than, a modern Mazda MX-5. That means, by any standards, it is good. How so? There’s a fully independent suspension set-up that has been praised the world over, and matched to the exact power train that it was intended for — having been taken from an otherwise unusable MX-5 and placed into the TG Sports.

All the components that sit under the bodywork of this car, apart from the propshaft, are taken unfettered from an original MX-5, so there is no mixing and matching of components, and no funny business to make them work. It’s straight bolt-on, bolt-off sub assemblies. The reason it is potentially better than an MX-5 is that the engine is placed further back to fit inside the triangulated
bonnet, hence there’s a slightly shorter propshaft, and correspondingly better weight distribution.

It might not look it, but the TG is actually lower than an MX-5 too, and you still benefit from the MX-5’s clever torque tube-type of arrangement between the power unit and diff.

What’s Down Under?

What you have here is a car that is not a faithful replication of any MG, but looks the part of a ’50s sports car and gives you the same wind-in-the-hair experience, together with admirable looks, but with the trouble-free and excellent dynamic characteristics of one of the best modern sports cars on the market, and certainly one of the most reliable. It’s a good package, made all the more reasonable by the fact that you can use MX-5 components of any age, knowing that by definition they are durable and reliable, and buy and build when you want to suit your pocket.

Whilst it is a car that comes in a kit, Russell feels there are certain connotations that go with the phrase ‘kit-car’ which he would prefer to distance himself from. Whilst you fit the sub assemblies together yourself, there is very little in the way of remanufacturing and finishing that the owner has to do. Some kit cars are notoriously badly finished and shoddy once finally on the road. Alternative Cars products’ are not shoddy. The radiator shells, for example, are built by the same person who built the radiator shell for the concours-winning MG TB we featured a few months ago.

Russell’s workshops are tidy and cleverly laid out so that everything fits on a jig whilst it is manufactured, and if it fits the jig it will fit together when you do it yourself. If the owner can wield a spanner, that’s pretty much all they need to do: there’s no drilling and fabricating, and the only time the owner needs skills beyond the comprehensive instruction manual is when making the engine computer talk to the engine. Apparently any decent auto-electrician can do this.

Wing it

The glass fibre body is fixed to a sturdy steel box section chassis, with all the attachment points that an MX-5 would have to its suspension and power unit assemblies. The chassis is strong, with all the calculations done by Walter Wing, who used to be a compliance engineer. I’ve known Walter a long time — if he says it is strong enough, it’s strong enough.

So what you have here is, as the name of the company suggests, a life-style alternative, every one of which involves slightly more effort than buying a brand new car — the more you pay the less effort. If you pay the minimum, currently NZNZ$23,950 plus GST in New Zealand, here is what you get.

The unpainted (unless otherwise ordered), fibreglass body is pre attached to the painted chassis with fender welting all fixed in place. This includes the front and rear mudguards, doors, gas tank cover, the steel bonnet panels with their piano hinge, and the chrome-on-brass grille and radiator. The bumpers, wiring loom for all lights etc, all weather seals and sundry rubbers, door catches and hinges, the upholstery set including carpets, the door panels, and soft convertible top, and a fibreglass dash panel with instrument positions. The brake, clutch, and accelerator pedals are all fixed to vehicle, as is the windscreen wiper system, awaiting the donor parts. All lights, interior and exterior mirrors, the luggage carrier, heater demister system, and other miscellaneous parts are supplied.

As the new owner you have to find all the Mazda MX-5 parts, including the engine computer system, as well as the windscreen glass, headlight inners, instruments, and anything from the options list. When you have finished it you have a period-looking

Ample performance

A turnkey car is what we tried out, and it’s quite an unusual experience for anyone used to a classic car. It looks like one and in most respects feels like one. But you don’t get the appalling scuttle shake, you get ample performance and remarkable comfort, ride and handling.

Russell has gone to a lot of trouble to make the usual bug-bears of hood sticks a thing of the past, and to ensure that everything fits without your needing the dexterity of a micro surgeon or the strength of an Olympic shot putter.

Its weather-proofing will never be as convenient and effective as an MX-5’s, but that is probably one of the few sacrifices you make to have a car of such character.

More than anything else, what I liked about this product was the guy who sells them. Russell Hooper is not a trained engineer, but he is a very good one, and he thinks long and hard about the way he manufactures the cars and has the degree of honesty and transparency that you can trust — that alone gave me a great deal of confidence.

I enjoyed my day driving the TG sports, having a look around the small but efficient factory and chatting away to Russell. He is an enthusiast, the same as you and me. He wanted an original MG T-Series but couldn’t afford one, so he decided to build his own and started selling them back in 1984 using mainly Triumph components. Naturally, using Triumph bits the car would still retain a large element of the ‘vintage’ aspect in feel and finish, but the arrival of thousands of Japanese import MX-5s allowed Russell to create his master stroke.

His original Triumph-based design was widened and refined, and the way the MX-5 is built allowed him to make the kit simplicity itself. The efficacy of the MX-5 donor gave the car a much wider appeal, no longer was it an old-fashioned car in anything but looks.

Specs

TG Sports

Chassis: Semi-monocoque chassis with full Automotive Engineering Design including frontal crash impact area

Suspension: Mazda MX-5 fully independent front and rear suspension

Steering: Standard rack and pinion steering from Mazda MX-5

Brakes: D D Disc brakes, lines and hoses from Mazda MX-5

Fuel system: Mazda MX-5 tank with return line, fuel lines and filters

Electrical: All new wiring looms including computer loom. All new instruments

Body: Fibreglass gel coat. Coremat is added to give stone protection in mudguard areas the grille is all chrome-on-brass, hand-crafted with stainless slats and solid brass octagonal cap

Bonnet: 1.2mm electro galvanised steel with genuine louvres and stainless steel hinge. Push button catches. Door: fibreglass with side intrusion protection. Stainless steel burst-resistant hinges, double action burst-proof catches

Motor and transmission, choice of: Mazda MX-5 1600cc — 87kW (116bhp) at 6500rpm, MX-5 1800cc — 99kW (133bhp) at 6500rpm

Words Tim Nevinson Photos Jared Clark

The modern — although very traditional-looking — TD2000 attempts to recapture the motoring spirit of the classic MG T-series sports cars. Does it succeed? In order to answer that question, we put an MG TA driver into the TD2000’s driving seat and asked him for his expert opinion.

Words: Allan Walton & Denis Crampsie Photos: Quinn Hamill

The MG TA was launched rather a few years before I was born, but I have a very clear picture of these spindly little sports cars from Abingdon, mostly based on British war films of the ’50s. The TA was the kind of car, it seemed, that all RAF fighter pilots drove — and the movie images of actors such as Kenneth More whizzing around a fictitious Fighter Command airbase are indelibly marked onto my memory.

The TA was the kind of car, it seemed, that all RAF fighter pilots drove

With that in mind, it is highly appropriate that our featured 1938 TA was once owned by J A Breckell, a navigator who served two tours of duty in Lancasters with Bomber Command during WW2, earning a DFC and Bar. ‘Breck” (as he was usually known) was the father of the current owner’s wife, Sue Crampsie. Sue’s father — like all those stiff upper-lipped British actors — had owned and driven a TA during the war years and, during the late ’70s — now resident in New Zealand — he began to develop a desire to own a TA once again.

Sue’s father eventually found this MG in Bell Block, New Plymouth and, around 25 years ago, he travelled down country to purchase the car. He made the journey accompanied by Sue’s husband, Denis, and together the two men checked out the TA, and settled on a purchase price prior to driving the MG back to Auckland.
Several years ago, when Sue’s father died, the MG TA — quite rightfully it seems — was handed over to Denis and Sue, and it has been a part of their family ever since. With many years of driving experience in the MG TA, we couldn’t think of a better person to put into perspective the difference between this classic sports car and its modern iteration — the TD2000. At this point, we’ll let Denis take over.

A Chance Meeting: By Denis Crampsie

My first view of the TD2000 was in March 2005 — at a car show at the Bruce Mason Centre in Takapuna. On display there were a contingent of Lotus cars (not to mention a Noble) and two examples of the reborn MG TD of the ’50s, the TD2000. My primary aim in visiting the show was to photograph my then five-year-old granddaughter Eilis (an old Irish name) beside the iconic ‘Elise’ emblem on the rump of the Lotus Elise — five-year-olds don’t spell that well, so I doubted she would spot the difference. I had this vague hope she would, one day, become a wealthy actress or model and buy me an Elise before I got the chance to fail the 80 Plus Driving Test.

That same afternoon, I rolled out our 1938 MG TA for its weekly jaunt around Lake Pupuke, taking with me my digital camera in case the TD2000s were still on show. Roger Phillips of Lotus Cars kindly allowed me to park alongside his TD2000 and take a few shots, which confirmed the impression of a distinct lineage — despite the 67-year age difference. Some months later, we were delighted to be invited by NZ Classic Car to the Lotus HQ in Waiuku for lunch, and a rather more professional photo shoot featuring the TD2000 and our MG TA.

Something Old, Something New

The huge age gap between the two roadsters negates any rational comparisons on their respective mechanicals and performance, however, over the last 70 years aeronautical engineering and design must surely have outstripped its automotive cousin ten-fold. Apart from indicators, air conditioning and seat belts, these vehicles share the same technology, albeit substantially improved over that seven decade gap. Aesthetically, they have deliberately similar forms with shared ‘classic’ features, so if you find one attractive, you will feel the same about the other. Any preference would be subjective, possibly based on nostalgia, history, or a fond memory.

My drive in the TD was as you would expect from a new car. The steering was positive and responsive. The 2.0-litre Toyota engine is well mated to the chassis, revved freely and never felt loaded. The gearbox was slick, the suspension firm but not too hard, and the brakes were light years better than those in my old TA. The cockpit felt a little cramped, possibly due to the distance to the bulkhead being longer in the TA.

MG T-series cars scored hundreds of motor sport successes at home and abroad

The driving experience is the same in both cars apart from the wind influence at speed with the top down. The TA is too slow for it to be a problem, but you may need a Biggles leather cap and goggles at 100kph in the TD2000. At lower speeds you can still smell the flowers by the road, the horse manure on the road, a field of cut grass and the diesel truck two kilometres ahead of you.

I envisage the typical TD2000 owner to be a lifestyle block couple (notice how I avoided the adjective ‘retired’), with stables for the horses and a four-car garage housing the TD2000 sandwiched between a Range Rover and a BMW Mini. The Rangie for towing the horse float, the Mini for the ghastly trips to the big smoke, and the TD for pleasurable and regular runs to the local dairy and beach.

It is interesting to note that my imagined line-up appears to be very British — however, the Rangie is now a Ford product (US), the Mini is a BMW (Germany) and the TD is built in Malaysia.

Oops — I nearly forgot the fourth car in that ideal garage — a classic pre-56 T-series MG, naturally.

Why? Because it looks great¦ and it really is British!

MGTA & TD2000

Engines: Toyota 3S-FE, four in-line    In-line four
Capacity: 1998cc    1292cc
Bore/stroke: 86mm x 86mm    63.5mm x 102mm
C/R: 9.5:1    6.5:1
Valves: dohc    Pushrod, ohv
Max power: 96kW @ 5600rpm    37kW @ 4500rpm
Max torque: 180Nm @ 4400rpm    81Nm
Fuel system: Electronic fuel-injection    twin SU
Transmission: Five-speed manual    Four-speed manual (opt three-speed auto)
Susp Fr: Independent with coil springs
Susp Rear: Semi-floating rear axle
Steering: Rack and pinion    Worm and peg
Brakes F/R: Ventilated disc/solid disc    Drum/drum
Wheels: 6J x 15″ wire wheels (stud mounted)    19″ wire wheels
Tyres: 195/65HR 15    4.50-19

Dimensions

Length: 3744mm    3577mm
Width: 1590mm    1436mm
Height: 1450mm (hood up)     1359mm (hood up)
Wheelbase: 2420mm    2410mm
Kerb weight: 910kg    800kg

Performance

Max speed: 180kph    125kph
0-96.5kph: 6.7 secs    23.1 secs

Soft Option

In mid-1936, the debut of the MG TA was the first of the T-series MGs, founding a line that would stretch to the final TF1500 which was introduced in 1954. However, by that time the car had become an anachronism and, the following year, the very last T-series MG rolled off the production line — to be replaced by the thoroughly modern MGA.

In their later years, the T-series cars attracted major criticism — the contemporary motoring press derided them as ‘vintage’, while staunch MG enthusiasts took the opposite view, reckoning that the TD and TF diluted the original concept of MG’s founder, Cecil Kimber. Interestingly though, TFs are now the most sought after of the T-series MGs. As well, it should be remembered that there were similar howls of anguish when the PB Midget was replaced by the first MG TA in 1936. Larger — and more comfortable — that the PB, the TA was considered to be a soft option, perhaps not even a true MG.

With its softer springing and roomy cockpit, the TA would, later, even gain syncromesh on third and top gears, and hydraulically actuated brakes. Additionally, on its original release, critics felt that the TA sounded too ordinary, and missed the old rorty snarl of the earlier cars. MG addressed this issue early on during the TA’s production run, reinstating a noisier, more sporting exhaust.

However, the main bone of contention — and effectively a backward step for MG — was the TA’s engine. Whilst the PB has utilised the Wolseley twin-cam motor, the new car was saddled with a rather more humdrum pushrod unit. At the time, this loss of the twin-cam engine meant only one thing — the beginning of the end for MG. Fortunately, the nay-sayers got it all wrong; 3003 MG TAs were sold, and T-series sales would remain strong until the early ’50s, while MG’s international reputation was upheld as both works and privately entered T-series cars scored hundreds of motor sport successes at home and abroad.

Additionally, US servicemen posted in Great Britain during WWII ‘discovered’ these diminutive sports cars, and began shipping them back home after the cessation of hostilities. MG’s post-war success in the US can be largely attributed to these returning servicemen, starting a trend that would be cemented by British car-loving US motoring writers — the MG has a top speed of only about 85 miles per hour [137kph] if driven within normal limits, but many a big fat eight-cylinder Detroiter has been humiliated in an attempt to catch it.

Ken Purdy, Kings of the Road (1955).

Edward Teo — The Man Behind the TD2000

During 2005 I had the pleasure of sitting down with Edward Teo, the Malaysian businessman who, in 1999, purchased the entire TD production facility from its Australian owners and shifted the whole operation to Kuala Lumpur. Edward, along with his technical director, Roland Funk, was responsible for re-engineering the TD — turning it from a Nissan-powered front-wheel-drive car into a Toyota-powered rear-wheel-drive sports car.

On initially meeting Edward, the first impression gained is that of a softly spoken, well-dressed, well-groomed executive. During our ensuing conversation, while it was clear that he is a car enthusiast, it was also evident that he places great emphasis on the pure business side of his company’s development of the TD2000. Edward was clearly very enthusiastic when telling me how proud his company was when his country’s Prime Minister ordered and purchased a TD2000 — but he was equally enthusiastic when recounting how he had brokered a deal with Toyota for supply of Toyota drive-lines for the re-engineered car.

For Edward, marketing of the TD2000 has obviously been a major driving force. Not satisfied with selling the car only for his local market, he was convinced very early on that his car was good enough for major export markets. Plainly, he was not wrong — and within a few years of the first TD2000 rolling out of the new, purpose-built factory in Kuala Lumpur, Edward was able to launch the car in both Japan and Australia — thereby managing to sell Japanese components back to their country of origin and, ironically, selling a car originally conceived in Australia back to the Australians.

However, Edward is not a man who would be content to rest upon his laurels, and the TD2000 has been the subject of an almost constant stream of developmental tweaks since 1999. In this area, Edward successfully combines business and car enthusiasm, and is always prepared to listen to other people’s ideas. As a direct result of this type of interaction between TD2000 owners, their dealers and the factory, Edward has instituted many changes to the original TD2000 concept.
The latest changes includes the option of a Bentley-type chrome-mesh radiator grille (rather than the old MG vertical chrome strakes) and subtle alterations to the lines of the car’s wheel-arches. This last is an important point when considering modern MG T-type replicas — something than be easily spotted when comparing the chunky, low-profile tyres of the TD2000 with the tall, spindly tyres of the MG TA.

The TD2000’s driveability has also come in for close consideration — and each successive car we have driven has been better than the last as suspension, alignment and steering engineering has been progressively upgraded, altered and improved. Under Edward’s confident stewardship, the TD2000 looks set to be around for the long term.

Edward Teo is no blinkered, one-eyed car enthusiast struggling to turn a hobby into a business, he is a straight thinking and methodical businessman who has combined corporate acumen with petrol-head sensibilities to produce a car which is not only practical and usable, but also very desirable.
For a full history of the TD2000, refer to NZCC, February 2005

The Division of Power

The year 1935 was a troubled one for MG. On July 1, William Morris (made Baron Nuffield in 1934) sold the MG Car Company Ltd to Morris Motors Ltd. In effect, MG, Morris and Wolseley were amalgamated into the all-embracing Nuffield Group. This amalgamation hit MG particularly hard. Leonard Lord, the boss of Morris, took control of the MG factory at Abingdon, while Cecil Kimber was demoted to managing director under Lord. Lord quickly let it be known that he did not care for sports cars, and that he regarded racing as impractical, expensive nonsense. For MG, this was bad news — its entire reputation had been gained on designing, building and racing its sports cars.

From all accounts, the relationship between Lord and Kimber was not a good one and, fortunately for MG and Kimber, Lord’s attempts to cease sports car manufacture were forgotten when Lord was fired in 1936, to be replaced by Oliver Boden, and design of what would become the TA was approved. However, major changes were included into the TA’s development programme. As part of its inclusion into the Nuffield Group, MG was forced to design the TA using as many parts from the group’s other cars as possible. Alas, its choices didn’t include the Wolseley twin-cam engine — that had been scrapped during the rationalisation period.

Which left MG with only three engine choices — the Morris Eight engine, a six and the Morris 102mm-stroke engine. The first of these engines was considered too small, while the six — usually found in larger cars or light trucks — was too large. This left MG with only one option, to use the 102mm engine which had originally been designed in 1919, and used in the Bullnose Morris. Luckily for MG, an overhead valve conversion on this engine (previously only available in side-valve configuration) had been prepared for the Wolseley 10/40. With some judicious tuning and the addition of twin SU carburettors, MG had its new engine. The remainder of the car was speedily developed during the latter half of 1935, and the MG TA was released in 1936; with MG finally overcoming the difficulties of the previous year.