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 !