MG Car Club of South Australia
THOSE KIWIS SURE FLY!
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By.. David McNabb
ew Zealand’s trend to punch
above its weight (witness the
kiwi domination in our Oz Su-
percars Series) continued early March
when the 22nd biennial Pre 56 MG Rally
(they began in 1977!) was successfully
staged in Cromwell, near Queenstown.
Overseas entrants came from UK, USA,
France, and a select few from Australia
including Canberra’s Malcolm Robert-
son, Melbourne’s Graeme Jackson, Don
Phillips (NSW) plus Marta and Phil Red-
head (NSW) and some stray bloke (TD
McNabb) representing Adelaide.
These Rallies cater for all MGs up to
and including MGA, and initially this re-
port’s author was scheduled to travel
from a homebase of Christchurch to
Cromwell as passenger in a TF1500.
However a late business-class upgrade
saw McNabb being offered autonomous
use of a 1957 MGA – similar model to
the A that David owned in the mid 70s
(thanks Bruce Airns!).
As with Aussie MG events, half the fun’s
the convoy run to the host town – in this
case, a six hour drive from Christchurch.
That patriarch of Pre-war, Gary Wall,
again had 10 early MG saloons entered
and such generosity in loaning his rare
stable to visiting drivers continues to
amaze.
Kiwi motorists remain stoic despite pain-
ful petrol prices of over $2.50-plus a litre
for 98 octane.
2019 Cromwell Rally began on Sunday
evening with the usual Welcome / Nog-
gin Natter, a great chance to catch up
with long lost disciples of the ‘gon
(octagon). Monday dawned fine for the
concours, where the entries included 16
MGA, 2 YA, 11 TC, 7 TD, 13 TF, several
TA, 8 SVW and 6 Prewar Sports, mak-
ing a grand display of around 65 MGs.
People’s Choice was a superb black
MGPA from the North Island, while other
cars of higher interest included J2, K, L,
N, TB Tickford and a well-campaigned M
type belonging to a gent who has
enough parts to start building an ex-
tremely rare M Sportsman Coupe.
The rest of the Rally included those
regulation events such as socialising,
Trial (amazing scenery in South Island’s
high country), social dinners, gymkhana
(where even four PreWars took part),
more socialising, plus a highlight being
track time on the unique Highlands Park
circuit.
That complex is part of Tony Quinn’s
empire – Mr Quinn is a Scots-born Aus-
sie-raised “kiwi” motorsport mogul who
owns Highlands in the South Island and
Hampton Downs racetrack in the North
Island, among many other car race as-
sets. Highlands is comparable to The
Bend in SA, but further developed, being
more than seven years “down the track”.
Highlands Motor Museum is breathtak-
ing, where the toys displayed include a
$4.2 million Aston Martin Vulcan, which
usurps the Bugatti Veyron at Birdwood
Mill (just saying) . . .
The cost of hiring these tracks however
is spiralling beyond reach of our humble
NZ MG cousins and future Rallies may
need to revisit the need for speed at
such a dedicated venue. The absorbing
trackside tussles between a TC special,
blown TF, twincam MGA and 1930s K
Type were well worth watching.
The morning after Thursday’s Farewell
Trophy Dinner saw the traditional Fare-
well Breakfast with fond “au revoirs”, and
all congregationalists vowing “to see you
in two years time” – the next Rally in
2021 set down for somewhere near
Hamilton.
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