A Great British attraction

During the pandemic, so many things that were once normal have become rare or even vanished. Car shows, meets, races and more have all felt the force of social distancing and mitigation measures. Fortunately, things are now a little better, with more and bigger events now becoming a reality.

So now is the perfect time to introduce you to a great new visitor attraction. These are never a common event, even outside of the pandemic, so we were very excited to see not only a brand-new attraction opening, but one themed entirely around British cars.

The Great British Car Journey (GBCJ) is the brainchild of Richard Usher. If Richard's name is familiar to Veloce subscribers, it could be from his role as owner of Auto Windscreens, which he sold in 2001 to the RAC. If you're a track day fan, or take part in motorsports, you'll likely know him as the founder of Blyton Park circuit.

Richard has created an attraction with a unique aim: rather than showcasing the kind of rare and exotic cars that adorned the posters of our childhood bedrooms, GBCJ focusses on the everyday heroes that our Dads and Mums owned – the cars that heralded a revolution in personal transport worldwide. 

Situated in a former Derbyshire factory, Great British Car Journey has over 100 cars, spanning 100 years, and covering marques including Morris, Hillman, Austin, and Ford, to name a few. Each has been carefully chosen to illustrate how British-made cars changed the world for good, and among them you'll find gems such as the last ever MG Metro, and one of the 360 Morris Minor 'Millions,' of which an example of each was sent to every Morris dealer in the UK. 

For many of us, the cars at GBCJ stir memories of our childhoods, our first drives, and a myriad other personal milestones, and that’s the beauty of the GBCJ. These real-world workhorses are the stars, and their importance in the social and economic fabric of the UK and beyond, as well as the places in our hearts, is the cause of celebration. 

DO NOT TOUCH. Drive!

As with most attractions, the cars on display aren't for prodding or poking. But a unique – and brilliant – feature of GBCJ, is Drive Dad’s Car. Want to know what it felt like to drive your Dad’s Capri, or a Morris Minor Convertible? What about Mum's MG Midget, or your uncle's TR7, or even a Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, or a Jaguar XJS? Well, now you can! From just £49, Drive Dad’s Car lets you drive a car from three collections; Classic, Premium, and Luxury, with over 30 models to choose from. Each car has a digital camera onboard, and you’ll be accompanied by an instructor – plus you get free entry to the GBCJ Experience. You can even buy 'bundles' that let you drive a selection of cars across categories.

The pandemic isn't over yet, but safety is paramount at the GBCJ, so you can still visit and enjoy the experience while staying safe (get all the details here). We can’t wait to make a visit ourselves, but in the meantime, book your Drive Dad's Car, and let us know what you think.

GBCJ has only been open for a short time, and we know it's already proving highly popular; we think this is one to watch, and we cannot wait to make a trip in person. We wish Richard and his team great success with the Experience, and we will, of course, be supporting Richard and the GBCJ as it cements its own place in British automotive history: in fact, you’ll very soon be able to choose from a great selection of Veloce books in the GBCJ shop, so you can drive the cars, then read all about their history and importance in British and world motoring.

The GBCJ is a fantastic idea, and we will be supporting Richard and all his team however we can. Even more books covering even more models and marques are planned, so don't be surprised to see them in the GBCJ shop – if you're planning a visit to this great attraction, you can pickup a great book while you're there!

The Great British Cars … of the Velocisti

Unsurprisingly, all this talk of great British cars has created a little reminiscing among the Velocisti, and you'll be even less surprised to hear that British cars feature prominently in our motoring histories. So how does the Velocisti's British Car Journeys stack-up? Let's hear from a few of them … I'll go first:

Kevin Atkins

My Dad didn't drive, so Mum's the word when it comes to my introduction to British cars and motoring. My mother's first car was pre-me (a 1963 Vauxhall Victor saloon with bench seats – still her favourite car). The first car on my radar, was Mum's Mk 1 Ford Cortina, in classic Lagoon and white livery, and with those wonderful 'Ban the Bomb' taillights, that for a '70s kid, were straight out of a science fiction comic. 

A fine example of a Mk1 Cortina, sci-fi taillights shown inset.

Technically, my own motoring adventures began with a 500cc Weslake speedway bike, which was a bit of a handful for an 11 year old,. My road and driving career began proper with a pale brown Morris Marina, purchased from my then-girlfriend's brother for a few hundred quid, and complete with a sports steering wheel. I drove it just twice, and there was a decade gap before my next car; an MG Metro, which was given to me by my then boss; a great little go-kart of a car, albeit with a tendency to occasionally lose its suspension on one side … but I can at least add an MG to my list of owned cars *ahem*.

Jude Brooks, Publisher

"I was gonna say that our first family car was a pale blue Ford Pop, and here’s a pic of us about to set off on our happy hols – only this obviously isn’t a pale blue Ford Pop: it's an Austin Somerset. 

Jude and family, posing with the pale blue Austin Somerset.

"It was this car that overturned when someone hit us – we had to crawl out of the windows! My own first car was a Hillman Imp – dark green – which overheated on a drive from Portsmouth to Yeovil, and my dad had to tow me from Salisbury."

Rod Grainger, Publisher

"My first British car (following several German BMW 3-wheeler Isettas) was a powder blue/rust brown 1959 Ford 100E which I welded back together using steel cut from a scrapped car’s roof! I then resprayed the car in two-tone royal blue and white.

 

Rod's 100E. 

"Performance from the tired 1172cc side-valve engine was pretty poor, but the car’s party-piece was a vacuum-driven wiper system: meaning the harder the engine was working the slower the wipers moved, almost stopping on steep hills!"

Matt Bassett 

"A Rover P6 3500. The spare tyre mounted on the boot when luggage space was needed. I remember a couple of holidays getting the train via Motorail, from Brokenhurst to Inverness, then driving around Sutherland and the Eastern Highlands, where the country roads weren’t so much tarmaced, but consisted of two strips of fur from from the many, many crushed rabbits. 

Rover P6 3500, ram skeleton NOT included.

"The car struggled with the gradients, so frequent stops because of overheating were needed. The highlight for the seven or eight year old me, was finding a ram’s skeleton that had been picked clean by ants, but I wasn’t allowed to keep the skull."

Emma Shanes

"The first car I bought was a Ford KA. I have a Vauxhall Adam now; I wanted a newer car, as my go-to mechanics (my Dad and my brother) would often be away racing (Editor: Emma's brother is motorcycle racer James Shane, #ShamelessNameDrop) and wouldn’t always be around should I have a problem. Plus it looked nice and I wanted cruise control after a long journey home one night, where I had to pull over because my ankle and foot were hurting. 

Ford KA – that's 'Kaa' not 'Kay-Ay', BTW.

"Before the Adam, I was insured to drive a one-mirrored, 4 speed 1989 Nissan Micra (called Poppy), so to be honest, all I wanted for my first car was a blue car that had 2 mirrors, a rev-counter (I was shocking at hill starts), and a CD player. I wasn’t fussy or anything!"  

Kevin Quinn

"My Dad never actually owned a car, but occasionally (very occasionally) he would borrow his brother’s. The first car I ever remember being in was my uncle’s Austin A35 (a tiny, cream-coloured thing). 

An Austin A35 – not-so-happy motoring memories.

"My overriding memory is being squeezed into the back seat next to my cousin, with my Dad and uncle in the front, windows steamed up, and feeling dreadfully car sick the whole journey, as it lurched, rattled and struggled to even move. Hated having to go anywhere in that thing."

Becky Martin

"My first car was a lovely yellow Vauxhall Viva with brown vinyl seats. I seem to remember lots of jokes about the ‘Yellow Peril.’ I bought it very cheaply from a friend of my uncle, while I was learning to drive, and although it wasn’t the prettiest of cars, it helped me get some experience and pass my test.

A Vauxhall Viva – not the 'Yellow Peril' Becky remembers, but close.
Photo credit: SG2012, CC BY 2.0.

"It didn’t last long though – it broke down in the middle of nowhere late one night, and I had to hitch a ride to a phone box to call out someone to rescue me (pre-mobile phone days!)."

Becky's current daily driver … usually.

It seems Becky may have form in this respect; she currently enjoys driving an MGB GT … which has just broken down with a fuel pump issue. Perhaps a copy of Your expert guide to MGB & MGB GT problems and how to fix them will help?

A different kind of family album

Whilst all of us here have strong memories of our childhood car experiences, finding photos of the actual cars our families owned is tricky. Fortunately, we have a 'family album' of a different kind, in the shape of our current and back-catalogue, so we took photos from some of our British marque books.

The perfect books for British car nerds.

The colours and trim may vary a bit, but these are essentially the cars we recognise from our own personal great British car journeys. With books like our A Pictorial History series, or The Cars of the BMC (coming soon) to name just a few, finding the model was surprisingly easy …

… although …

Whilst our catalogue covers dozens of marques and hundreds of models, it still has a few gaps that we'd love to fill. One such gap is Vauxhall, another great British marque. If you have next-level knowledge of Vauxhall cars, or know someone who does, and think you can author a book on the subject – whether it's a buyer's guide, a marque history, or something else entirely – get in touch to discuss. Email us at [email protected] and tell us your idea; we'll take a look, and you could see your book in print with Veloce!

Abingdon's Finest

MG has always played a prominent role in British social history, and its cars have always been enthusiastically praised. A home-grown concept, MG became internationally successful, largely due to the uniqueness of the factory; a family unit that supported innovation, race craft, had a talented design team, and provided opportunities for it's employees. The success of the factory propelled the small market town of Abingdon, in Oxfordshire, onto the global map, and made MG into an international brand that has survived almost a century of change. 

We have a number of books on MG at Abingdon, such as MG's Abingdon Factory and Don Hayter's MGB Story, but the real stand out has to be our newest book MG, Made in Abingdon. An active volunteer of Abingdon County Hall Museum, author Bob Frampton has collected the memories of many of the men and women who worked at Abingdon, to provide an intimate and unique account of what it was like to work in MG's Abingdon factory. 

 This book is proving to be a popular buy, and with reviews like these, its easy to see why!

"This is social history at its best,  [it's] as much about skilled trades, shop floor romances and lower-league football as making cars." – Classic Cars

"We are used to reading about the big names in MG's history, but this book gives voice to some thousands who worked in the Abingdon factory, helping to create the cars we love ... it opens a window on aspects of MG life that rarely get an airing in public." – MG Enthusiast

It's Bob recognition that the most important aspect of MG's success was its team – tea-boys and girls, the shop floor workers, the engineers and racers, the apprentices and management – that makes this book such an interesting read. Factory life is often overlooked and unremarked on, but the story of MG's factory is an important reflection of the British motor industry from the perspective of the shop floor work force.

From memories of the production line, to recollections of racing incidents, the previously untold story of MG from the men and women who worked in the Abingdon factory is revealed for the first time. Yes, it's certainly a nostalgic look at an historic marque, but more than that, it's an historically important record of a unique period in social history.

Image credit British Motor Heritage Museum

From the 14th of April until the 24th of June, Abingdon County Hall Museum will house a new exhibition entitled "Automotive Design: Innovations at MG Abingdon". Using recent donations from MGB lead designer Don Hayter, the museum will celebrate the importance and practice of good design in automotive production, and how MG made innovative steps forward in this industry.

This weekend sees the exhibition opening, and to market he occasion, Abingdon County Hall Museum will be hosting a book signing event with Bob Frampton this Sunday (April 15th)! For more information, you can contact the museum directly.

So, if you are local to Abingdon, or are an MG enthusiast, make sure you check out the Automotive Design exhibition, and don't forget to get your copy of MG, Made in Abingdon from our website!  

Buried Automotive Treasure!

How about this for a whole different kind of buried treasure? Whilst excavating a site on Salisbury Plain, archaeologist discovered the chassis of an MG J2 car!

Photo curtesy of Wessex Archaeology

As part of the on-going development for the Army Basing Programme, WYG Environmental Planning came across this classic MG whilst surveying the Larkhill site in Wiltshire.

The MG J2 is an extremely rare car, as only 2,083 were ever produced. The two-seater J2 was the most common choice in the J-line. Back in 1932 when the car was first rolled out, it had a top speed of 65 mph, and would have cost you £199; that's almost £10,000 in today's money!

It is believed that this particular car would have been used up until the early 1960s, when it is possible that it was dismantled for repair by a local solider, only to be seemingly abandoned. The discovery also shows another side to life in the barracks, away from the soldiers' military duties.

As this is such a rare car, there isn't much published material available, but we already have a number of great books on the other MG models of the era. Check out MG's Abingdon Factory or our Essential Buyer's Guide on the MG TD, TF & TF1500 to learn more about these great cars.

Who knows, maybe we could publish a book on the rare MG J-series in the future... Perhaps you have an idea for such a book? If so, drop us a line on [email protected].

Never say never...

MG CELEBRATES ITS 90TH ANNIVERSARY AT BEAULIEU

Britain’s favourite classic sports car name reaches its 90th anniversary this year and to celebrate the occasion MG will be the featured marque at Simply Classics & Sports Car being held at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, on Sunday 24 August.

MGs of all ages will be on show from early VAs and TAs to the ever popular MGB and Midget as well as modern classics such as the MGF and MG TF plus the current MG3 and MG6 models, with displays from regional MG clubs and individual owners plus trade stands.

During the afternoon there will be a parade of selected notable MGs and a poll to find visitors’ favourite MG – the winner will receive a special Beaulieu Trophy.

Advance booking for the event guarantees MG clubs their own dedicated area with space for cars and a gazebo or event shelter, while individual MG owners can reserve their place in the special MG Paddock. Gates open from 9.30am on the day.

Entry for MGs and their owners, which can be paid in advance or on the day, is £10 per adult, £5 child – which is less than half the normal admission price.

In addition to Simply Classics & Sports Car, entry also gives access to the National Motor Museum, World of Top Gear, displaying vehicles used in the popular BBC television show, On Screen Cars with vehicles from TV and film, 13th century Beaulieu Abbey and Palace House and its gardens.

Source: Beaulieu

Available from Veloce!
Don Hayter’s MGB Story

The story of MG Design & Development department, by MG’s Chief Engineer, Don Hayter, this book covers models and prototypes from 1956 to the close of the factory in 1980. Featuring behind the scenes anecdotes and personal accounts MG in its heyday. More info.

MUST HAVE MGs AT RACE RETRO SALE

1954 MG TF

1964 MGB Roadster
Classic and race MGs spanning five decades will go under the hammer at the Silverstone Auctions hosted Race Retro & Classic Car Sale.

The must-attend auction for any serious MG enthusiast or collector takes place at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire on 23rd February as part of the Race Retro weekend. As well as the collection of MGs, the sale will also have other road models, race and rally cars, as well as a wide variety of automobilia.

Nick Whale, managing director, Silverstone Auctions, said: “There are few marques that can match MG for pure driving pleasure, complimented with style and collectable appeal. It’s no wonder that they provoke such fierce loyalty.”

The oldest of the MG’s on offer, estimated at £22,000 to £26,000, is a beautifully restored 1954 MG TF. As well as its eye-pleasing appearance, complete with light Burgundy paintwork and cream interior, is a very recently rebuilt engine.

Just slightly younger is a 1957 MG A 1500, estimated at between £20,000 to £25,000. Offered in the best colour combination of Old English White with red leather interior, it boasts many of its original features and has an extensive history file.

From 1959 is a stunning MG A Twin Cam Roadster, estimated at between £30,000 to £35,000, that has recently benefited from a full ground up restoration.

The swinging sixties is represented by a 1964 MG B Roadster and a 1969 MGC GT, estimated at between £12,000 to £15,000 and £8,000 to £12,000, respectively.

Presented in excellent condition, the Roadster is an early pull-handle example and comes complete with a large history file with bills and receipts for various works carried out.

Meanwhile, a 1969 MGC GT is just one of only 335 ever made for the UK market. It has been garage stored for its entire life and also has a large history file containing various original documents.

Those looking for their first affordable classic might be tempted by a 1975 MG Midget, estimated at between £3,000 to £5,000. A completely original car with low mileage makes this model very rare but within reach of most budgets.

Last but by no means least, is a 1998 MGF Cup Car, estimated at between £7,500 to £9,000. It is ideal for a club racer, a racing-driver tutor or simply as en economical track-day weapon!

For more information about any of these MGs, or for any of the other models being offered at the Race Retro & Classic Car Sale, visit www.silverstoneauctions.com.

Stop! Don’t buy a classic MG without buying a Veloce Essential Buyer's Guide first!

MG TD, TF & TF1500 – The Essential Buyer’s Guide
By Barrie Jones

Having this book in your pocket is just like having a real marque expert by your side. Benefit from the author’s years of MG TD & TD ownership, learn how to spot a bad car quickly and how to assess a promising one like a professional. Get the right car at the right price!

More info.







MG MGB & MGB GT – The Essential Buyer's Guide
By Roger Williams

A small investment in this book could save you a fortune ... With the aid of this book's step-by-step expert guidance, you'll discover all you need to know about the car you want to buy. Unique point system will help you to place the cars value in relation to condition. This is an important investment - don't buy a car without this book's help.

More info.

DON HAYTER'S MGB STORY BOOK REVIEWS

"worth every penny" - MGB Driver Dec 2012

"lot's of info here" - Auto Express Jan 2013

Click here for more info about the book!

INTERNATIONAL MG CELEBRATIONS COME TO SANDOWN PARK THIS AUTUMN

The International MG Show and Spares Day is launching a second event for fans of the British sports car manufacturer. The autumn event will take place on Sunday 7th October at Sandown Park Racecourse, Surrey. Whether you’re the driver of an early two-seater model or a fan or the later sporting saloon, everyone is welcome so come along and enjoy a fantastic day out.

The International Autumn MG Show and Spares Day features displays from many of the UK’s most dedicated motoring clubs showcasing many rare and stunning examples of MG models through the ages from the Midlands-based manufacture.

MG related clubs are being offered free space to showcase the best and most unusual vehicles from their club, whether they are in pristine condition or restoration projects that are underway. Each vehicle owner putting their car on display will get two passes into the event. This not only brings stunning vehicles into the event but also gives the club the chance to attract new members.

If your pride and joy isn’t quite up to show condition and you’re project is in the restoration stage then why not pay a visit to the ever-popular autojumble. Whether your looking for a replacement body shell, interior components or mechanical widgets the autojumble covers a broad range parts and accessories to complete your project.

If you’ve always wanted an MG but not found ‘the one’ then take a look at the area dedicated to cars for sale. See the car in the flesh with owners available to ask those intimate questions.

The International Autumn MG Show and Spares Day is open from 10am until 5pm. Tickets are available to purchase in advance at £8* (*£1 transaction fee) and £12 on the gate. Under 16’s free when accompanied by an adult. Advance ticket holders will also benefit from ‘Early Bird Access’ from 9.00am, allowing you to beat the queues and bag an early bargain!

Source: www.mg-show.co.uk