James Scott (known to all his mates as Scotty) rescued this gorgeous Mk2 ZR160 when it was destined for the Longbridge scrap heap during a clearout of one of the factory buildings, but there was a little more to it than simply being in the right place at the right time.
I believe that you found this rather special ZR languishing in the Longbridge factory. Do you work there, or was it just on a visit?
I work there for SMTC UK which is the UK Technical Centre for SAIC, one of the best-kept secrets in the motor industry – we are 41st in the Global Fortune 500 and built 6.3 million cars last year. At SMTC UK we provide SAIC with automotive design and engineering solutions for the new range of MG cars and continue to employ graduates and apprentices here in the UK passing on skills to British and European engineers of the future, but if you ask, (present company excepted!) hardly anyone knows about us.
How did you end up working for SAIC?
That is a long story, but I will try to keep it brief. I was an Austin apprentice at Longbridge, but after completing my apprenticeship I moved to Canley at Press Cars. After four years there I moved on to engine development at Ashold Farm, which was the SU Carburettors factory but in the Engineering Centre we were working on the original K-series throttle body injection – I did the fuel mapping on that, back in 1989.
Then the company decided they needed to complement their new academic recruits with some core engineering skills. This instigated a scheme that took the best of the technicians, put them through a rigorous selection process and promoted the successful candidates to Development Engineers. That was unheard of at the time, to get engineering jobs without going to university or coming through the technical apprentice route, but it was a way of getting practical technical experience alongside young academics recruited straight from university.
Denne historien er fra February 2018-utgaven av MG Enthusiast.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra February 2018-utgaven av MG Enthusiast.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Love and devotion
Bob Nason waited eight years to get the car of his dreams and, 19 years later, he’s still smitten with it...
Tidy-up time
Craig continues his quest to save the modified ZS 120 he told us about in December’s issue of MGE and takes advantage of a break in the weather to focus on its bodywork.
XPress power
MGs on Track regular, Dave Pearce, has a range of MGs at his disposal including this rather special XPower SV-R.
Sparking memories
MGE reader Peter Morrey recalls his very first MG, his family’s experiences of the then-new MGA and advice from a chap with a bit of MG insider knowledge.
Gerry McGovern
When the MGF appeared, in 1995, it marked a return to the market for MG sports cars. MG Enthusiast caught up with the man responsible for the car’s styling.
MG's Twin-Cam engine
The Twin-Cam engine arrived in 1958 but was it a success?
Eyes peeled
This month Roger looks at other drivers’ habits and ponders whether autonomous vehicle lighting helps or hinders road users?
Dear Sir...
Paul Moran’s beautifully restored 1933 Midget J2 comes with some interesting documentation which illustrates just how the privileged new car owners of the 1930s dealt with the absence of a warranty.
CHEQUERED FLAG
THE ROADS LESS TRAVELLED... AND WHY THEY ARE WORTH SEEKING OUT
2019 HSRCA SPRING FESTIVAL
The 2019 Historic Sports and Racing Car Association Spring Festival was run during a brilliant spring weekend, between 28-29 September, in Goulburn (regional New South Wales).
