Tag Archives: Show

5900 Miles To Fame And Fortune – Chevrolet Master 85 Coupé

Silver Plated Steering Wheel Boss – MG 18/80 Mk II Prototype

In 1928 MG moved away from it’s original remit of giving Morris Bullnose products wider appeal which culminated in the MG 14/40 and started to manufacture it’s own chassis and engine blocks.

The new 18/80 model featured both a unique MG chassis and engine block both of which had been developed from lessons learned from a Morris Light Six Saloon that never went into production. The new distinctive radiator design would be maintained all the way through to the T Series.

The 18/80 also featured unique to MG front and rear axles with Rudge Whitworth centre lock wheels an either tourer or saloon body styles.

The twin carburetor six cylinder motor featured a four bearing crankshaft with a Duplex chain, see behind the radiator on the right, which drives the camshaft, distributor, water pump, oil pump and dynamo. The MG 80 hp rated six gave the 18/80 enough power to reach 100 mph. The motor seen here has been upgraded with a MK III cylinder head and ignition and drives through a Rover SD1 clutch in place of the original cork in oil unit.

The 1929 chassis of the vehicle featured today was originally built as a prototype for the MK II saloon in 1929 however by the early 80’s the body was in such a poor state that it was replaced with a Mk III 18/100 ‘Tigress’ style body. Note the unique silver plated steering wheel boss from the original Mk II Prototype has been retained, but the dash and instrumentation are from a Mk III Tigress.

As a result of underwhelming track performance, only five ready to race Mk III ‘Tigress’ vehicles, styled after the contemporary Bentley competion models, were built in period.

Thanks for joining me on this “Silver Plated Steering Wheel Boss” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be featuring a Techno DAF. Don’t forget to come back now !

Buried And Covered In Concrete – MG 14/40 MK IV Sports

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Towards 1927 production of MG’s moved to a new factory in Edmund Road, Oxford and production of the MG 14/40 MK IV commenced, with MG Car Company becoming a legal entity in 1928.

14/40’s were built around bare Morris Oxford chassis, unlike earlier MG’s that were built from completed frames that were striped and rebuilt to MG specifications, as the MG 14/28 had been but were now given MG chassis numbers, MG badges and motors, optimistically, estimated to produce 40hp.

MG publicity at the 1928, London, Motor Show mentions Land Speed Record Breaker Malcolm Campbell as an owner of a 14/40, a model which was struggling to sell at the time in part due to the age of the Oxford chassis and side valve motor underpinning the car.

MG founder Cecil Kimber went to great lengths to differentiate his cars from their Morris inheritance before fitting MG bodies, his alleged obsession with octagons is said to have been frequently overdone.

This Mk IV Sports is one of 135 such vehicles built in 1928 and the only survivor in the UK of a total of just four that are known to exist.

The winner of Best Vintage Car award at the Bristol Classic Car Show, where it is seen in these photo’s, has no history prior to 1999 when it was found beneath a ripped up concrete base of a shed in Gloucestershire.

The disassembled car was found carefully preserved beneath a further layer of gravel complete with it’s guarantee plate and original number plates apparently ready for it’s ground up restoration.

Thanks for joining me in this ‘Buried And Covered In Concrete’ edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be going Dutch with a Daf. Don’t forget to come back now !

Imshi Chassis – MG 14/28

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The history of the foundation of MG cars as a manufacturer is closely linked to the development of a vehicle, by Cecil Kimber of Morris dealer Morris Garages in 1923, based on a 14/28 Morris Oxford chassis purchased directly from the Morris Factory. In 1927 Morris Garages started registering their cars for the road with the local council as MG’s advertising one such car as being based on the ‘Imshi chassis’. Imshi, Arabic for ‘get a move on’, refers to a news paper journalists six month expedition through Europe and North Africa in a 14/28 Morris Oxford.

MG badges did not appear on the cars with MG bodies and modifications to Morris chassis and motors until 1928 and the blue radiator badge on the 1927 14/28 seen here bears the ‘Morris Oxford’ name. The car, seen here at the Bristol Classic Car Show, belonging to an Early MG Society member, is one of just 10 of the later 290 flat radiator 14/28’s built, the original 14/28 maintained the bull nose radiator from the original 14/28 Morris Oxford chassis.

This car was found in 1989 and the current owner acquired it in 1996 and since proceeded with a restoration to bring the 65 mph car, which cost £350 new, to it’s current condition.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Imshi Chassis’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be featuring a Panhard. Don’t forget to come back now !

Easy Handler – Ford Gran Torino

A New Peak – Ford Cortina Mk III

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Barry Gill talking in a Ford promotional video claimed Ford had brought motoring to a new peak when they launched the Cortina MK III in 1970 and sales would prove that the claim was not without substance in the minds of the paying public.

The new car with late 60’s wide hip US Ford Torino influenced styling was several inches wider and lower than the million plus selling Ford Cortina Mk II.

As with the Cortina Mk II there was a plethora of different models L and XL models featured a pair of head lights while the GT, GXL variations featured twined pairs of headlights and Rostyle wheels as seen in the photo below. The XL model in the top photo appears to have a set of out of period RS wheels.

The Peak Performer came in 2 door, 4 door and 5 door estate versions while specialists like Crayford would be more than turn a Saloon / Sedan into a convertible. In South Africa a pickup ‘P100’ variation of the Mk III Cortina was also built.

In late 1973 the Cortina recieved a mild face lift known as the TD, the Cortina (TD) 1300 above seen in Malta is almost indistinguishable from the XL at the top of the post the GT and 2000E which replaced the GXL featured square headlights in place of the twined pairs of head lights of the original Mk III.

In the UK 4 cylinder overhead valve Kent and single overhead cam Pinto engines from 1.3 litre / 79 cui to 2 litres / 122 cui were available dependent on the different trim specifications.

Despite the Peak Performance tag Mk III Cortina’s were never intended for competition although Radio Presenter Noel Edmonds gained a fair amount of publicity for driving one in production saloon car races and Ford did organise a celebrity series called the BAE Trident trophy when the Mk III was launched with participants including Formula One champions Graham Hill and John Surtees along with British Rally ace Roger Clark. Those in the UK wanting larger motors had to turn to Jeff Uren who fitted Essex 144 hp 3 litre V6 motors which could be specified with Westlake cylinder heads giving 190 hp or additionally with Tecalemit fuel injection under an impressively ventilated bonnet / hood to give 218 hp and a zero to 60 mph time of 7 road burning seconds.

Those living in Australia could order their Cortina’s with a factory fitted straight six Ford (Australian) Falcon 4.1 litre / 250 cui motor while in South Africa a Essex V6 versions of the Mk III Cortina were built with the top of the range 3 litre / 183 cui carrying a Perana badge. Like the Mk II Cortina sales of the Mk III Cortina reached well over a million by the time production ceased in 1976.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘A New Peak’ edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I shall be looking at Ford Torino a US contemporary of the Mk III Cortina. Don’t forget to come back now !

09 05 12 PS I did not know it at the time of the original post but a Ford Cortina features in a car chase in the 2011 Robert De Niro action movie ‘Killer Elite‘.

Terry’s Jam Jar – Ford Capri II 2.0S

Gettin' A Li'l Psycho On Tyres

Art Tidesco blogs on all things motoring