Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

did anybody go to the car show in chelsea today?

i didnt but earlier a fabulous (racing) posche on a transporter passed through new cross and as i stopped to take a picture an mg pulled into the side road with a minor mechanical.
i spoke with the owners while they worked and they told me a few things about it, interestingly that it had competed in the 1933 le mans and finished sixth overall and first in its class - a 750cc .....supercharged. driven by ford and baumer pictured below..

they were so sweet , gentle and polite. on parting when i thanked them for talking to me about it they in turn thanked me for showing an interest in it, the genuinely seemed happy to have been able to have shared its history with somebody.
sometimes its the smallest things that make you feel good about life in london,,,,life in general.
sorry about the size of the pictures.

oh, and the porsche? i let it disappear into the sunset

3 Attachments

That MG looks fun.
Bet it sounds great.

with a minor mechanical.

That's the thing with MGs, of any era. Whenever I see one I think, that's not a car, that's a hobby.

Careful - BRM'll be here in a bit...

@bodieanddoyle i was just thinking the same thing :-)

in this case it was minor. the thermostat would not engage the electric fan they had fitted and sitting in london traffic was making it run too hot. they also saw the funny side that once up and running they would have to put tape on the grill to stop the engine cooling too much.
its probably at it happiest on country lanes on a mild summer evening.

classic cars don't like traffic jams. FACT.

not being a dick but then again this has become the Volvo thread, oh well

What are you on about?

@coppi: Ferrari's and Lambo's aren't the biggest fans of them either.

When I worked on Sloane Street years ago, there were always Italians going pop because they were sat still for too long.

That's the thing with MGs, of any era. Whenever I see one I think, that's not a car, that's a hobby.

Careful - BRM'll be here in a bit...

Ha. I'd love to argue.

I have nothing.

A pal of mine has an MGC which is slowly rotting and seizing on his parents' driveway.

I fucken love the pre war mgs.
You can't compare them to anything mga onwards.

Saw lots of Spitfires zipping down the lanes around Winchester over the weekend- I think I'd like one of those.

@BRM: His looks like yours but with a massive bulge in the bonnet.

...except they are quite rare and worth a few bob.

I drove a few spitfires and didn't like them at all. They look good, but the ride and the driving position were just poo.

Would I fit in one without having to look over the top of the windscreen?

Would I fit in one without having to look over the top of the windscreen?

You won't look over the 'screen , but they are more cramped than a b

i see your spitfire, and raise you.

twas james bonds car in dr no
the overdrive is a nice touch as is the retractable steering wheel
the (fully lined) removable hard top is a snug fit and actualy feels like a part of the car rather than an extra.
the hood stows away neatly

All day long.

They are still reasonably priced too.
Just try and find a good one - I couldn't.

the owners club is a good source.

they have a bimonthly magazine wittingly entitled the alpine horn

actually the owners club for any classic shoud be a buyers/persons first port of call. i would say join the club before you even get the car.

this looks like it was candidate. mk5 are considered the better ones

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...vip=true&rt=nc

but the fins on the mk1 are gorgeous

Yeah definitely. I was a member of the tr register, the mgcc, the saoc and the tvrcc when I was looking. 30 bucks is fuck all for the assistance you get by just sending an email saying you are a yong bloke with an interest.

Raise you a tiger.

Owners club contains (the ones I met) know nothing oxygen thieves, time wasters and people who i would have happily stabbed in the eye for being a fucking time wasting full of shit.

Bitter moi?

Isn't that Australian for "being sick?"

you wins

So been MIA whilst in africa but im back now :) hurrah
Im thinking this would look nice on the mini, these.
Has anyone got a nice warm garage for the winter that i might be able to store it in? I would be happy to pay and my parents dont have any space now.

13s kill the handling. Stick to 12s, 10s are even better but you need to do a brake conversion.

Saw lots of Spitfires zipping down the lanes around Winchester over the weekend- I think I'd like one of those.

GT6 or GTFO