MG EX135

This is a car displayed by BL Heritage Ltd at the Northern Classic Car Show at Belle Vue, Manchester, in September 1983.

It's the MG EX135 which between 1938 and 1952 in the hands of Goldie Gardner broke numerous world speed records. It started off life in 1933 as a six-cylinder 1087cc supercharged MG K3 Magnette which the owner George Eyston had fitted with a single-seater offset body finished in brown and white stripes, which earned it the nickname 'Humbug'. In 1934 George Eyston took the car to Montlhery where he set 12 Class G records, including a Class record speed of 128.69 mph, after which he sold the car.

Four years later, in 1938, the car re-emerged with its new streamlined body designed by Reid Railton and in the hands of Goldie Gardner who set new Class G records, including 186.6 mph over 1 km and 186.5 mph over 1 mile on the Frankfurt to Darmstadt autobahn. The following year at Dessau, also in Germany, he raised the 1 km, 1 mile and 5km records to 203.5 mph, 203.2 mph and 197.5 mph respectively. Two days later, after an engine rebore taking the capacity to 1105cc he took the Class F records to 204.3 mph, 203.9 mph and 200.6 mph for the same distances.

In 1951 Goldie Gardner took the car to Bonneville Salt Flats, USA, and set 6 International and 10 American records in Class F, and at Bonneville the following year 5 International and 16 American records in Classes E and F.