MG VA

I photographed this car at a local car show, in Ashton-under-Lyne, in March 1987.

It's a 1937 1½ litre MG, presumably a VA, a model that was produced from 1937 to 1939 as a 4-door Sports Saloon, a 4-seater Open Tourer, or a Drophead Coupé. The MG Car Club has an SVW Register for owners of the MG SA, VA and WA models.

MGA Twin Cam

There were three stands for MG enthusiasts at the Northern Classic Car Show at Belle Vue, Manchester in September 1986, the MG Car Club Ltd, the MG Owners' Club and the MG Octagon Car Club. It seems from the insignia on the umbrella behind the car that this photograph was taken at the MG Car Club stand.

It's an MGA Twin Cam, and you can read about the Twin Cam in this piece by the MG Owners' Club. The brochure of the 1986 Northern Classic Car Show said this about the MG Car Club Ltd:

'MG Car Club Ltd

The MG Car Club was founded in 1930 at the factory in Abingdon, it catered for the enthusiasts at the time who raced their cars. Today of course it caters for everyone who likes MG's. The magazine 'Safely Fast' began then as well, and is now still the club's magazine. The club spans 56 years of MG's from the very early Midgets to the saloon Metro, Maestro and Montego's of today, on our stand we hope to reflect this age. There will be a supercharged 'Y' type to look at and a ZB Magnette. More modern machines like the Metro Turbo and 6R4 rally car will be on display. There will also be a jubilee edition Midget, the only one ever built. To get back to the racing scene there will be a race prepared MGA.

As I said before the club caters for all the MG's. And all aspects of MG's. So come and see us on stand A19. For further information, contact Pat Stoot, The MG Car Club Ltd, PO Box251, Studley, Warwickshire, B80 7AT'

MG Project EXF

This is one of the cars that was in the MG Car Club display at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1998.

It's the MG Project EXF, an MGF which was specially prepared to take part in the Speedweek festivities at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, in August 1997 during which a top speed of 217.4mph was achieved.

MG J2

This is a photograph I took in June 1987 at a 'Vintage & Historic Vehicle Display & Run' organised by Saddleworth Museum. It was taken at the King George V Playing Fields in Uppermill.

The car is a 1931 MG J2 and the programme of the event says this about the car:

1931 MG, 1275cc, 6 cyl, JW 3166. Rare model MG. Restored by owner and wife from box of bits.

The names of the owner and his wife aren't given, but I have found a reference to the car in the MG bulletin of 20 September 2009 bulletin of the Triple-M Register (which is part of the MG Car Club) and in 2009 the car was owned by Steve Clarke.

Wikipedia says this about the J2:

'The J2, a road-going two-seater, was the commonest car in the range. Early models had cycle wings, which were replaced in 1933 by the full-length type typical of all sports MGs until the 1950s TF. The top speed of a standard car was 65 mph (105 km/h), but a specially prepared one tested by The Autocar magazine reached 82 mph (132 km/h). The car cost £199.

The most serious of the J2's technical failings is that has only a two-bearing crankshaft, which can break if over-revved. The overhead camshaft is driven by a vertical shaft through bevel gears, which also forms the armature of the dynamo. Thus any oil leak from the cambox seal goes into the dynamo brushgear, presenting a fire hazard.

Rather than hydraulic brakes the car has Bowden cables to each drum. Although requiring no more pedal force than any other non-power-assisted drum brake if they are well maintained, the drums themselves are small, and even in period it was a common modification to replace them with larger drums from later models.'