MG Car Club of South Australia
MGC NEWS
MGC conversations with Richard Mixture, September 2018
MG T-Types not MGCs
H ello, it’ s Richard here again. One of the things that I find interesting is that some MGC owners also own a T- Type and many others have owned one in the past. I noticed that that young fella from across the pond as the Brits say, John Nikas, has written a book titled‘ The MG T-Series, The Sports Cars the World Loved First’. I asked Mrs Mixture to ask the local librarian if they had a copy but they did not, then that young wiper-snapper over the fence said he’ ll have a look on the net and fish one out of the pond or something like that. Then he asked me for $ 38.26. I think he said he ordered it from Brazil and fished it out of a river of stuff. It’ s a bit beyond me. What happened to letters and catalogues?
Well this little 95 pager was delivered in the post about eight weeks later. It was a pre-order I was told so it took a while. US author, John Nikas, appears to be a thorough Octagonapile with his knowledge of MGs. And, interestingly, this book is a perspective from a land that received exported MGs rather than one from mother England; it’ s seen through, not rose coloured, but stars and stripe coloured glasses.
The book’ s seven chapters make wonderful reading starting with“ The Foundation of the Sacred Octagon” describing a young Oxfordian, Bill Morris, who started his“ apprenticeship at a local bicycle shop as a fifteen year old in 1893 for the meagre wage of 5 shillings a week. An incredibly driven individual despite his youth, he went into business for himself not long afterward, performing repair and service work from a small
8 garden shed behind the family home in Cowley,”
“ As motorcycles gained in popularity... he began to provide them with support and service, eventually fabricating his own powered cycle in 1901.”
Of course his attention became focused on a“ new and exciting form of transportation”, the automobile.“ With financial assistance from the Earl of Macclesfield, Morris completed his first automobile using components sourced from third parties in 1912.” Development of the Morris Oxford and Morris Cowley throughout the 1920s is explained, leading to the support from his young Morris Garages sales manager, Cecil Kimber( you know who he is don’ t you?).
The early photographs in this chapter were provided from that well known US, MG aficionado Richard Knudson, and include one of the Morris Motor Cycle Garage and another of the Oxford Garage with a row of automobiles out front.
Chapter 2 discusses“ The Triple M Era” with some wonderful photos from David Knowles and Graham Robson. 24 pages are illustrated with colour photos of M-Types, L-Types, J-Types, P-Types and N-Types. The last sub-section headed“ Change in the Wind” describes the sale of MG to Morris Motors which“ fell under the supervision of the irascible Leonard Lord”. By this stage we are almost half way through the book!
The next chapter portrays the book’ s title“ Birth of the T-Series” and explains the successes all the way to the end of the book. The size and shape of the TA