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Midget 50
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Midget 50
Dave Walker, our resident global traveller and blogger has passed this tale on to me to kick off this new section of the forum. Read and enjoy...
Rich
UK Kiwis wrote:Production of the MG PB Midget ceased in 1936 making way for the new breed of pushrod MG sport cars and now this car, the MG Midget, is fifty years old. I remember the first example of this delightful little car I set eyes on in the early sixties when one turned up at an MG meeting in New Zealand driven by the son of the NZ importers. So, that means I have been around them for most of their lives, oh dear.
A gathering in Auckland NZ was held in their honour and eighteen turned up on the day but at Upton House Lincolnshire England seven hundred were present! It was cold and wet so a great effort to see so many. Two lorry transporters were also on show with old photos attached to their sides showing D’type Jaguars on the way to Le Mans circa 1960. Upton House deserves a mention here as it has a long history, built of Sandstone in the Hamlet of Upton 1500. The village was cleared to make way for this impressive estate with lovely Cedar trees and extensive gardens. In 1927 Walter Samuel bought it with family money, his father Marcus Samuel founded the Shell Oil company and many references to Shell are to be seen about the house.
Midgets; variety of models abound and most were on show at Upton. I have mentioned my connection to the Austin Midget previously (brother has one) so the camera was busy photographing examples of this rare model. We attended the lecture given by Roy Locock and his ‘Bridget’ the midget. Roy drove this little car 39,000 miles through Europe, Bulgaria, Turkey, India, Pakistan and onto Australia where he circumnavigated the whole way round the continent. Iran was especially interesting for Roy as his number plate started with the letters SPY!…
Whilst on the subject of International travellers it may be of interest to note the latest adventure of English MG members Rob and Lynn Douglas. In 2008 these two drove their old MG TC from Alaska to the bottom of South America. They are well known amongst the NZ MG family and visit nearly every year. Now in company with another couple in a TC from NZ they are at present making their way to South Africa from Yorkshire via Beijing, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Malaysia. You can follow them at www.tcthewanderer.com On arrival in the UK the NZ TC was found to have unknown major engine problems and required a new block and a weeks work at Gammons MG and whilst waiting one of the crew broke her arm and that was before they began the horrendous journey in two very old MG cars.
At MG Midget fifty we ran into Paul and Bronwyn Walbran. I have known them since our children days when Paul extended the rear of his MGB roadster to accommodate their three boys, now the boys are married and take a big part in the Auckland club, one of them being club captain. Paul imports parts for MG’s to NZ and we seem to run into him every year in the UK. These two passionate MG lovers organise the ‘Far North’ rally in New Zealand and this year it is the fortieth anniversary. The week long jaunt leaves Auckland to travel over little used roads along the five hundred mile countryside north of Auckland, hence the Far North. We plan to join them in daughters MGB first week in December and the recently installed overdrive will be put to good use.
The never ending MG story of adventure and loving ownership of these wonderfully entertaining cars carries on and the people met along the way, priceless.
David Walker
Rich
Re: Midget 50
Whoever that is with the brolly in the second photo looks like they're up to no good! did any of the cars go 'missing'
Here's a piccy of my old Midget, I loved it, I had it for over 10 years and did loads of work to it, I just never drove it enough On the up-side I traded it in against my F
Here's a piccy of my old Midget, I loved it, I had it for over 10 years and did loads of work to it, I just never drove it enough On the up-side I traded it in against my F
Nick- Admin/Moderator
Re: Midget 50
We spent some time walking up and down the rows looking for you old car Nick,
pretty sure it wasn't there.
The close up photo of the BRG early car I took for an old NZ mate who had one just like
it in his sports car days.
We had a lot of fun in that car and the one in the photo was a beautifully preserved
example exactly like his.
pretty sure it wasn't there.
The close up photo of the BRG early car I took for an old NZ mate who had one just like
it in his sports car days.
We had a lot of fun in that car and the one in the photo was a beautifully preserved
example exactly like his.
uk kiwis- Registered user
Re: Midget 50
Looking at that pic of the BRG one close up and the 'dodgy character' with the umbrella, I spotted a blue one in the background. I had one like that for a short period, bought when I had just come out of hospital 16 years ago. I couldn't buy an MGF then as it had only just been launched and I didn't have a spare 15K at the time. My ex drove it most of the time as her daily runner. I had a problem driving it as the accelerator and brake pedal were so close together and with my size 11s I found it hard not to operate both at the same time! I had to stick to my MG Montego...
I'll have to see if I can find a pic of it somewhere, but don't hold your breath!
Rich
I'll have to see if I can find a pic of it somewhere, but don't hold your breath!
Rich
Re: Midget 50
That made Carole laugh...........Some useless info:
My daughters MGB has a MG Midget steering wheel fitted, came with the car. She has had the car 26 years now and when she first bought it I put a wanted add in the then AA magazine. I got two replies and we still have not fitted the correct steering wheel as yet. One of them was just around the corner from where we lived. The original MGB steering wheel is absolutely huge and when the cars were young most people put a wood rimmed one on them. Very trendy then just like stripes............ha.
uk kiwis- Registered user
Two MGTC's .
Just a reminder that the two MGTC's I mentioned in the MG MIdget article are well on
their way through Russia and now have entered Mongolia. If you can spare a few
minutes this blog makes facinating reading and is kept right up to date most days.
www.tcthewanderer.com
Well worth a look.
I have just sent them a message and find it hard to comprehend modern communications.
A message to and from Mongolia......phew
uk kiwis- Registered user
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