To historians of MG, the fact that Cecil Kimber first modified Morris Oxford saloon cars is well documented. These humble family saloons were slightly tuned by Kimber at the Morris Garages in Oxford, England, given flutter springs, fitted with clean smart bodies, and sold at a premium. As we all now know, he was very…
The first car I ever sat in may have been an MG. However, I can say with complete confidence that the first car I ever saw was an MG—an MG TA back in 1938, when my father took me to the Abingdon Works on a British bank holiday. The factory was open so that families…
Runners to your marks…get set…bang! GO! Another Olympic year is upon us. Many of us couch potatoes will more than likely be spending more time in front of the tube this summer hoping our men and women can bring home the gold. For the last 15 years or so I have been the owner of several MGs,…
The MG owner stared at the lug nut in his hand and silently cursed the gas station mechanic. He looked back up at the parts store. “Tiny’s Auto Parts.” The words were painted on the storefront window of a narrow brick building, sandwiched between a dry cleaner and a shoe repair. A dusty collection of…
Old British cars seek me out. Honest. The more needy they are, the more likely they are to end up on my doorstep. Old British cars find me. In the Midwest, back in my misspent youth, it seemed there was always a family who took in strays of all varieties. It was usually a family…
On our recent trip to MG ’99 in Vancouver, we were privileged to visit with Peter Welch who has assembled a private collection of MGs—the condition of which has to be seen to be believed! I have seen many collections of automobiles, including other MG museums, but I have seldom seen a selection of cars which have…
When I bought my MGB, I knew just a fragment about the mechanical aspects of a car, but each day I would learn something new. One day it was how to set the gap on spark plugs and contact points. The next it was bleeding brakes and slave cylinders. By the time I had owned…
As we went to press with the Fall issue of “Moss Motoring”” we were saddened to learn of the passing of “MR M.G.” John Thornley during July. Wc promised that we would give a fuller appreciation of this remarkable individual, and the contribution John made to the most famous British marque of all. We here at…
A lot of boys have broken their picks in an effort to build a sports car out of the family sedan. After endless planning and alteration they usually wind up with a hybrid that outwardly resembles a sports car but lacks many of the characteristics that are inherent in true members of the breed. In the…
Design work on the twin-cam MG was inaugurated in March of 1953, but the public announcement did not take place until July of 1958—a lapse of a little over five years. Although this is an extraordinarily long interval (two years is normal practice, except for Ferrari, where they do this kind of thing in three months!),…
