Pick of the bunch

Keith Preston felt he needed a classic car in his life but, with no previous knowledge of the subject, he set about finding the one most suitable and then spent 17 years refining his much-loved MGC GT.

- Jim Jupp

Picking a classic from scratch, with no ties to a particular marque, sounds like a potential minefield, particularly if you are not mechanically-minded and have no contacts to guide you. Keith Preston did his homework, diligently, for which he got a ‘C’. Maybe not a great mark if you’re at school but, in this case, we’re referring to a top-of-the-class MGC GT.

Before looking at specific cars he had to choose which badge it would wear, as he explains: “In early 2002 my wife Dizzy and I were in a position to achieve a long-held ambition to own a classic car. I started researching, buying classic car magazines, club magazines and buyers’ guides.” He also visited a few classic car dealers and auctions but decided against the latter. “I thought my best bet was to buy from an enthusiast, who wanted their car to go to another enthusiast, and MG was the best marque to go for, with its good selection of cars available, price and good spares and maintenance back-up network.”

He decided an MGC was the one to go for. “...as they are relatively rare and, I felt, a more interesting model. I looked for months and travelled all round the country looking at different ones that we could afford but they all looked too much of a project and I knew my limitations.”

So why choose a GT model over the roadster? “There are two reasons really. The soft-tops are always more expensive and there was a budget, and the other was the practicality and security of the roof. I saw the GT as the better one to go for and there is loads of room in the back so it’s really quite practical, and having the Webasto sunroof it’s a happy medium. It was always going to be a GT and our previous dog used to come with me in the back. She was a small labrador and could easily get in, so buying the GT was a good thing to do, for us.” Unless your furry friend has muddy paws, obviously.