Some interesting cars are misunderstood for too many years, and the MG Magnette MkIII and MkIV definitely fall into this category. Had the British Motor Corporation made the wise decision to use another model name, the Octagon-badged 1½-litre 'Farina' would have stood a far greater chance of establishing a niche. Such Magnettes are now amongst the rarest post-war cars to bear the MG name, and Jon Langford, the owner of this immaculate 1964 example, regularly encounters people who are unaware that there was ever such a car. In fact, he reports that many only seem to have heard of the Austin or the Morris, and that plenty don’t know of the Riley or Wolseley variants either.
Back in the mid-1950s Leonard Lord, the then head of BMC, commissioned Battista 'Pinin' Farina to style the new generation of medium-sized and large saloons. According to Martyn Nutland’s fascinating book Brick by Brick: The Biography of the Man Who Really Made the Mini – Leonard Lord, the chairman had been mulling over European stylistic ideas for quite a while.
At the same time, the company also embarked on a programme of what became known as badge-engineering – a form of rationalization that was much derided in later years, but for which there were sound economic reasons because Austin and the Nuffield Group had merged in 1952, and Lord was faced with the potentially huge financial penalties from integrating and reforming 7000 outlets for the two historically bitter rivals in the UK alone. The solution was to use the various BMC marque names across one standard body, with minor engine and stylistic changes to differentiate between them. This was not an unknown practice in the UK – Morris and Wolseley had employed the same coachwork since the 1930s – but using five badges on the same design did mark new territory.
Bu hikaye Classics Monthly dergisinin February 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Classics Monthly dergisinin February 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
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REINVENTING THE PAST
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AN MG RARITY
The MkIII and MkIV Magnettes have forever lived in the shadow of their illustrious forebear, the Z-Type Magnette. Sales were never strong and scrappage rates were high, but fans are now seeking out and cherishing the few that remain.
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I was in a great rush as usual when I checked out the Allard P1 late one evening, only to find that the lights wouldn’t come on main beam.
A CHEEKY CHAPPY
The Austin A30 and later A35 are tiny by today's standards, but back in the 1950s they were everyday transport for many a family. With all the charm of a puppy they had a tendency to worm their way into owners' affections, and Ray Lewis' lovely 1957 example is no exception to this rule.
Light Fantastic
We revisit Audi’s cleverly engineered lightweight loss-leader. Just don’t mention the A-Class.
Prized Companion
Originally the second prize in a national driving competition for lady drivers, this Escort XL is now a cherished family heirloom.
Exhausting Gentry
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Major Minor Screen Problems
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10 Things You Need To Know About... Bmc 1100/1300 (1972-1974)
For a car that was Britain’s best seller for most of its 12-year production run, the BMC 1100 and 1300 are remarkably scarce with survivors being just a tiny fraction of the two million plus cars that were produced between 1962 and 1974. Built in both Cowley and Longbridge, demand for the 1100 was so great that even after Longbridge started building the Austin version in late 1963, the Cowley plant had double shifts working to build enough cars.
Project MGF
Last month saw us going right through the MGF’s cooling system and since then I’m happy to report that the garage floor seems to have remained bone dry.