As Good As It Gets: Meet Steve and Linda Simmons, a Young Couple with a Serious MG Habit

The British car hobby, or any hobby for that matter, is more about people than things. Whether you collect stamps, comic books, or open-top roadsters, the true joy of owning something unusual comes from bonding with fellow enthusiasts, meeting people with similar interests, and making new friends. When it comes to collecting antique English vehicles, however, the median age tends to skew a bit to the grey side of the scale. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you, but you it can be daunting for a younger person to get involved in a hobby that requires liberal doses of patience, money, and a passion for history, all in equal measure.

Steve and Linda Simmons found this ’49 TC through a friend, and after a lot of elbow grease, cleaning, and mild restoration, they managed to turn a chuck of coal into a shining diamond, as evidenced by their recent best-in class win at the 2006 Moss British Extravaganza.

Every once in a while, however, we’re fortunate enough to meet someone that breaks through that stereotype. Steve and Linda Simmons are those kind of people. Steve was born with British petrol pumping through his veins. His grandfather bought a 1965 MBG when it was nearly new in 1966, and the car was passed down through two more generations of Simmons’ since. When Steve met his wife Linda, she was new to the world of English Iron, yet she caught on quickly and is now a passionate member of several car clubs in her own right.

The GT bug bit Steve as a teenager, when he briefly owned a ’67 MGB GT that was eventually sold because of high maintenance costs. In 2004 when he couldn’t tolerate driving a modern “spam can” anymore, he sought out another GT to serve daily driver duties.

Together the happy Woodland Hills, California, couple has amassed an impressive collection of MG vehicles, including (in chronological order) a 1949 MG TC, a ’53 YB, a ’58 MGA, the ’65 MBG that started it all, and a pristine ’67 MBG GT that serves as Steve’s daily driver as he commutes back and forth to gigs as a movie industry cameraman. They even built a custom two-story garage—complete with hydraulic lifts—to house the collection.

With enthusiasm and passion like that, we have no doubt that the future of the hobby is in good hands. Thanks for sharing your collection and time with us Steve; we can’t wait to see what you pick up next!