Neil Thompson from Ireland received a very special 50th birthday present from his mum, one which reignited a passion that began as a child andhas since led to classic thrills and adventure at Spa and Le Mans.
My interest in all things mechanical started as a young child fascinated watching my late father work on small displacement engines from vehicles such as the Fiat 500 and the Ford Anglia. I can remember my mother not being very impressed with me ‘helping,’ particularly as my dirty hands sometimes transferred oil to the soft furnishings of which she was so proud! Having spent school summers working at a local garage helping the mechanics, pumping petrol and topping up fluid levels on customer cars, I was hooked on motors for life.
For my 50th birthday my mother decided to buy me an MGB, obviously having made peace with the dirty hands of my childhood. Having completed an internet search and found no suitable cars in Ireland, the mammy and I headed to see Nigel Guild of Former Glory in London. There were many beautiful models to consider, and before long a deal was done on a Damask Red 1974 MGB GT. The mammy, then 81 years young, enjoyed the trip in the MG back to Holyhead, and on the boat home I entertained her with plans for the new wee sports car. The MG adventure had begun.
The car was bought in January 2011, and the first major outing was to the inaugural Spa Classic in May, accompanied by my youngest son Shane, then 11 years old. Unfortunately, our adventure started with a breakdown on the way to the ferry from Rosslare to Pembroke when the engine started to stutter, then eventually stopped. With no symptoms immediately obvious, it was time to call the AA. As we were rushing for the boat, the AA man suggested taking the MG on the back of his truck to the boat and having one of his UK colleagues meet us in Pembroke. This worked smoothly, with the AA taking us to a local garage on our arrival in Pembroke. After much scratching of many heads, the garage fitted a new coil, all seemed well again and we were on our way to Dover.
Denne historien er fra March 2018-utgaven av MG Enthusiast.
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Denne historien er fra March 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).
