MG Car Club of South Australia
MG ... FACT and FICTION
By..Bob Schapel
I
don’t have time to do much reading.
However, there are two MG books
which I would recommend to other en-
thusiasts. I originally read them about
fifty years ago and have read them again
recently. One is a factual recount by
John Thornley, titled “Maintaining the
Breed”. The other is a novel by Don
Stanford, titled “The Red Car”. Both
books are in our MGCC of SA library.
Perhaps the details I give below might
whet the appetite of other members.
“Maintaining the Breed” is a must read
for MG enthusiasts. It was first pub-
lished in 1950. The book outlines the
MG Factory’s racing and record-
breaking efforts, spanning the time from
the first MG to the beginnings of the
MGA. It mentions the ideas behind the
naming of models, and gives details
about the input of Cecil Kimber, the engi-
neers and the drivers who contributed to
32
the MG
Factory
competi-
tion
ef-
fort.
It
describes
the
in-
triguing
m ethods
used by
the engi-
n e e r s
during
develop-
ment of
the MG
competi-
tion cars from the 1930s to the 1950s.
Lots of interesting stories and facts
emerge throughout the book. It ex-
plains what Dr Porsche learnt from an
MG mechanic. It says how the MG driv-
ers and mechanics colluded to switch
the meanings of “slower” and “OK” on
the pit boards. It reveals why the driver
(George Eyston) was missing when his
team found an abandoned, burning MG
(EX120) on the other side of Montlhery
circuit.
It lists horsepower outputs
achieved, including 213 bhp from a
1250cc T-Type engine. It names the
single modification which took a Y-Type
to 104 mph. It details the successes
and failures of TC and TD specials at
Le Mans. This is the book which tells
the story of how an 1100cc MG, EX135,
set records at over 200 mph and how
the engineers then removed con-rods
and pistons to break smaller capacity
records (such as 350cc) with the same
car. The book is full of this type of stuff.
Syd Enever, who later engineered the
MGA and MGB, worked in the experi-
mental department from 1927 and had