MG Car Club of South Australia
SOME SPECIAL MGs From.. Steve Spong
uring our recent trip to the UK we
D came across the following interesting MGs. Beaulieu Motor Museum
The Beaulieu Motor Museum was exhibiting the cars from " Top Gear " and included the MGF Stretched Limo that Richard Hammond drove through London ferrying celebrities.
A full size replica of the rocket used to launch the Reliant was on display, and it is huge! Also displayed were many of their cars and boat conversions, all very ingenious, but all very tatty and no observance of any OH & S considerations. But great to see.
Sandringham
The Royal country retreat of Sandringham in Norfolk, along with an impressive house, stables and gardens contains a rather extensive car museum. Not only does it include royal Rollers but also several other cars owned by members of the Royal Family.
There is a very nice 1961 Alvis TD21 Drop Head Coupe( Special) built for The Duke of Edinburgh, and of course Prince Charles ' 1968 MGCGT. This car, originally registered as SGY776F, was fully restored by students engaged on the Manchester College of Arts and Technology ' s " Vehicle Restoration Programme ".
There are also several child cars. One of particular note is the " James Bond Aston Martin ". This DB5( Roadster) which was built by the factory for Prince Andrew. It is powered by 2 x12 volt batteries and is capable of 10mph( 16kph). The car includes revolving number plates, a retractable bullet proof shield, concealed
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water cannons plus a smoke discharger, and a two way radio to name but a few toys.
Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre
At the old RAF East Kirby aerodrome; this is a fascinating museum which details some very personal, tragic and even some amusing stories from the Second World War. Along with the aircraft and memorabilia they had an MGTA Special.
This car is known as the " Cochrane Special " and was built by a Mr. W. D. Cochrane an engineer with the De Havilland Aircraft Company. Taking an MGTA engine he designed and built the chassis from Duraluminium, utilising some 2000 rivets, and built an ash frame for the body which was clad in aluminium by Mr. Ken Davies.
Mr. Cochrane registered the car in 1954 and he used it extensively during the 50s, including for hill climbs.
Lakeland Motor Museum
The Lakeland Motor Museum contains a very wide range of cars, motor bikes and automotive memorabilia. There is also an excellent wing dedicated to Donald Campbell and his land and water speed record attempts, including the vehicles themselves( or full size replicas where the original no longer exists).
Amongst the general vehicles on display was a 1960 MGA Twin Cam Police Special, with modified electrics to accommodate the additional police equipment, which also included a public megaphone.
MG Parking Only!