1931 MG C Type Montlhery

I took this photograph at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1999.

It's the 1931 MG C Type Montlhery of Barry Foster which has a 747cc supercharged engine. The MG C Type was developed from a car designed for International speed record attempts and was based on the 847cc MG M Type with a supercharged engine reduced to 743cc to try to capture speed records in the under 750cc class H. In January 1931 Captain George Eyston succeeded in setting speed records for this class with several runs at the Montlhery race track in France at over 100mph and the subsequent production MG C-Type was given the tag 'Montlhery'. At this meeting it was driven by Barry Foster and Mike Dowley in the Pre-War Sports Car Race.

1931 MG C-Type Montlhery

I took this photograph at McLeans Corner during the Williams Trophy Race for Pre-1934 Grand Prix Cars at the Vintage Sports Car Club's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in May 2011.

It's the 1931 MG C-Type Montlhery of Barry Foster which has a 746cc supercharged engine. The MG C Type was developed from a car designed for International speed record attempts which was based on the 847cc MG M Type with a supercharged engine reduced to 743cc to try to capture speed records in the under 750cc class H. In January 1931 Captain George Eyston succeeded in setting speed records for this class with several runs at the Montlhery race track in France at over 100mph and the subsequent production MG C-Type was given the tag 'Montlhery'. On the left is the 1928 Bugatti T35 of Bruce Stops.

MG C-type Montlhery

These cars took part in the 2 hour long VSCC Team Relay Race for Pre-War Sports Cars at the Vintage Sports Car Club's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in May 2011.

They are three 1931 MG C Type Montlhery Midgets, part of a four car team competing in the race. The MG C Type was developed from a car designed for International speed record attempts which was based on the 847cc MG M Type with a supercharged engine reduced to 743cc to try to capture speed records in the under 750cc class H. In January 1931 Captain George Eyston succeeded in setting speed records for this class with several runs at the Montlhery race track in France at over 100mph and the subsequent production MG C Type was given the tag 'Montlhery'. The silver car on the left, number 92 in the race, is that of Hamish McNinch and the programme of the event says it has a 847cc engine. In the middle, race number 91, is the 746cc car of Barry Foster, and on the right, race number 93, is Oliver Richardson's 750cc car.

1963 Lotus 23B

This car took part in the 2¼ hour long 'Historic Motor Racing News Gentlemen Drivers' race at the VSCC's meeting at Donington Park in May 2001.

It's the 1963 Lotus 23B that was driven in the race by Fred Boothby and Barry Foster. The Lotus 23 was introduced in 1962 to compete in the smaller classes of sports car  racing and was used with engines with capacities ranging from from 750cc up to 1600cc. The programme of the event shows this car as having a 1,098cc engine, presumably the Ford Kent derived 4-cylinder inline Cosworth MkIV unit. It proved to be an extremely successful car and about 130 examples of the Lotus 23, 23B and 23C were produced between 1962 and 1963.

MG Montlhery & J2

I took this photograph in the paddock at Oulton Park at the Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting in June 1982.

Both the MGs featured here took part in the first race of the day, a 5 lap handicap race. The car in the foreground is the 847cc 1932 MG J2 of Duncan Cotter, and behind it number 115 is the 747cc MG C-type Montlhery of Barry Foster. Oulton Park paddock looked a far more homely place then than it does now it's been covered with tarmac, though I suppose it's better for everyone now when it rains.