Tag Archives: Museum

Still Friendly Still Great Value – Atwell Wilson Motor Museum

In 2011 I visited the Atwell Wilson Museum in Calne and found it to be friendly and great value a couple of weeks ago I took the opportunity to visit again and unsurprisingly found Wiltshire’s only Motor Museum to be just as friendly and still great value.

MG Midget, Atwell Wilson Motor Museum, Calne

Every year the friends of the Museum raffle a classic car, this year your one pound ticket could win you the immaculate 1976 MG Midget 1500 with federal spec bumpers above.

Ford Consul, Atwell Wilson Motor Museum, Calne

In the days before photocopying and scanning an army of tracers was employed by engineering firms to trace the technical drawings required for just about anything that was made to pattern, Trevlynn “Trev” Hildred joined her father at the Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft works in Coventry at 16 and rose to become Head Tracer at the company in 1960 and remained in the post until technology made here redundant in 1969, above is her 1954 Ford Consul “Connie”.

Austin Mini 5cwt Van, Atwell Wilson Motor Museum, Calne

In 1997 the Gaydon Motor Museum built this replica of of one of John Coopers Austin Mini 5 cwt Vans for the Frankfurt Motor Show restoring a 1962 van for the purpose with John Coopers full approval and cooperation, the 70th anniversary of Cooper Cars this year will be celebrated at Prescott on July 30th.

Mercury Monarch Ghia, Atwell Wilson Motor Museum, Calne

Ford introduced the Mercury Monarch in 1975 as an upmarket version of it’s (US) Granda both models being aimed at the downsizing US market in the wake of the early ’70’s oil crises which pushed the price of oil to new high’s, this Ghia version was the top of the range 1978 Monarch though only powered by a mid sized 250 cui 4.1 litre straight six.

Datsun Fairlady 1500, Atwell Wilson Motor Museum, Calne

The roadster above is believed to be the first Datsun to have ever been imported into the UK, this 1964 85 hp twin carburettor Fairlady 1500 was purchased by Standard Triumph for evaluation purposes and registered by them on the 2nd of April 1965.

Clyno Royale, Atwell Wilson Motor Museum, Calne

Finally in the space of 9 years Clyno became the third biggest manufacturer of motor cars between 1920 and 1929 when creditors called time on the company, the 1928 Clyno Royale above is powered by a 20hp Coventry Climax engine which powered the ash and fabric body up to speeds of 55 mph.

Further details about the Atwell Wilson Museum can be found on this link.

Thanks for joining me on this “Still Friendly Still Great Value” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Targa top Camaro. Don’t forget to come back now !

Michelotti Mini – MG ADO70

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After rejecting the ADO34 and ADO35 projects to put the MG name on a Mini based vehicle in 1966 the conglomerate known as British Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd since 1968 re visited the idea of building a Mini based MG in 1970.

BMC ADO70, Gaydon Motor Museum

Project code ADO70 also known as the Michelotti Mini seen here is based on a 1275GT chassis and running gear a model which had been introduced in 1969.

BMC ADO70, Gaydon Motor Museum

The only mechanical modification to the car was the fitting of twin exhaust tail pipes.

BMC ADO70, Gaydon Motor Museum

Paul Hughes at the BLMC Longbridge works was responsible for the split Targa top styling and when the drawings were complete another member of the design team Robin Owen drove the new Mini 1275GT with it’s twin tailpipe modification over to Studio Tecnico Carrozzeria G. Michelotti in Turin, Italy

BMC ADO70, Gaydon Motor Museum

For two months Robin oversaw the removal of the original bodywork and it’s replacement with the new design at Michelotti.

BMC ADO70, Gaydon Motor Museum

On returning the Michelotti Mini to the UK it was immediately apparent that the new body was too heavy and that the twin tailpipe modification was insufficient to make for the lost performance, or to warrant putting the car in production with an MG badge.

New safety and emissions legislation in the USA were also responsible for halting any further development of the ADO70.

Thanks for joining me on this “Michelotti Mini” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for Mercedes Monday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now.

The Gearless Green Car – Mini 9X ADO20

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Today’s featured British Leyland Motor Corporation Mini 9X test car was built to trial the replacement overhead cam engine intended to replace the BMC ‘A’ series push rod that had been introduced in 1951 along with the Austin A30, and a new gearless transmission.

The single overhead cam eight valve four cylinder engine has a capacity of 1500 cc / 91.5 cui with a rubber belt driving the cam, when tested it produced 50hp at 4000 rpm.

BLMC Mini 9X ADO20, Atwell Wilson Motor Museum

Despite achieving only 20 hours running time over 4 and half weeks on a test bed in 1975 due to leaks and other faults this car was regularly driven up until 1987 with only a cam belt failure on the M5 in 1982 during high speed testing.

The transmission consists of a torque converter and a mechanical final drive sourced from an Austin Allegro, the only gear options being forwards or reverse.

BLMC Mini 9X ADO20, Atwell Wilson Motor Museum

Other novel features on the 9X test cars were a redesigned nose, vertical strut suspension, this car was also fitted with competition aluminium doors, with sliding windows and original ADO15 type exterior hinges and boot lid, the unique bonnet and wings were also in weight saving aluminium, the original doors and boot lid corroded and have been replaced by steel items.

Four ADO20 Minis were converted to house the 9X transmission three of which also had the 9X single overhead cam engine also fitted, today’s example seen at the Atwell Wilson Motor Museum, Calne, was the second to be converted and the first to be fitted with the 9X engine, known at the factory as The Green Car, originally painted Connaught Green, resprayed in 1985 to the current Tundra Green, it was purchased in 1975 by the father of the Mini Sir Alec Issigonis who used it as his preferred transport for many years until he sold it back to Austin Rover as BLMC had become.

One prototype to an all new 9X design featuring the overhead cam engine, gearless transmission, front strut suspension and hatchback tailgate was built before the project was cancelled leaving the Mini in production until 2000 having out lived it’s eventual successor the Austin miniMetro that was in production from 1980 to 1997.

Thanks for joining me on this “The Gearless Green Car” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Mercedes Monday, don’t forget to come back now !

Mini Midget – MG ADO34

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With the runaway sales success of the front wheel drive Morris Mini Minor / Austin Mini it is not surprising to learn that the British Motor Corporation (BMC) looked at building roadster sports versions of the Mini to be marketed under BMC’s sporty brands MG and Austin Healey.