Abingdon Rough Riders

A Touring Society devoted to MG TC and earlier MG roadsters

Whilst in e-mail correspondence with Allan Chalmers, Secretary / Treasurer / Newsletter Editor / Membership Chairperson of the ARRs, I took the opportunity to ask him if I could do a feature on the Abingdon Rough Riders. Allan readily agreed and sent me a copy of the logo.

I’ve been a bit lazy and simply ‘lifted’ the following from the “About Us” section of the ARR’s website abingdonroughriders.org

“The Abingdon Rough Riders was informally organized in 1956 in the San Francisco Bay Area when several MGTC owners decided to create a club dedicated to the MGTC 1945 – 1949. In August of 1957 the club was incorporated in the State of California as The Abingdon Roughriders Touring Society. Founding members were Lucien Remy, Bob Winkelmann and Jack Vandermale.

Through the years the club has changed the membership requirement to owners of pre-1949 MG roadsters, , as well as changing other aspects of the club, but the main reason for the association has been enjoyment of the cars and the people who find them very special and that continues.

Current membership is around 100, with some members owning more than one MG. Most members are within driving distance of the Bay Area but we currently have members in twelve other states and have had members in other countries. The club is loosely organized, with one annual meeting in January and a driving event each month, ending the year with a holiday party. We meet with the TC Motoring Guild of Southern California for a weekend each year early in October, somewhere halfway between the Bay Area and Los Angeles. We have been doing this every year since 1957.

The Club has a badge – represented on the home page – and a monthly newsletter – also on the web site.

This year the Abingdon Rough Riders and the TC Motoring Guild of Southern California held their annual conclave on 23rd September at the Madonna Inn on California’s central coast. This was the 55th consecutive meeting between the two sister clubs – the Rough Riders being based in Northern California and the Motoring Guild in Southern California.

Most of the cars behaved themselves and were trouble free but the TC owned by the Glass’s had petrol spewing from the carbs, which couldn’t be fixed so had to hitch a lift on a flatbed. Allan Chalmers’ TC developed a misfire, which was easily fixed with the help of several “advisers” (see pic below). The group photo of the cars which participated in the conclave can be found on the inside back cover.

‘A spot of bother’

This young man, proudly displaying his ARR badged shirt is Cruz, grandson of members Brian and Jane Sonner. That’s his grandpa’s TC and his grandma’s MGB in the background. Hopefully to become a future Rough Rider!

Kimber Festive Call for Papers

Dick Knudson has asked me to include the following notice and as a member of the NEMGTR, I’m pleased to oblige.

The New England MG T Register is seeking proposals for papers to be presented at its Kimber Festival to be held in Norwich, New York, from April 20 through 22, 2012. The host site for the event is the elegant Northeast Classic Car Museum that has 150 magnificent classic cars on display.

The Kimber Festival is being revived after being off the calendar for several years. This meeting brings together enthusiasts who are keenly interested in M.G. history. Organized as an academic conference, the program consists of presentations about all M.G.s with topics that range from design and production to competitors and competitions. Papers about the last MGB will be as welcome as one about the first M.G., Old Number One.

Proposals for papers on subjects related to the old car hobby will also be welcomed. A few years ago, for instance, we had a presentation about flower arranging using M.G. parts. Following the Festival, a certain number of the papers will be selected for publication in The Sacred Octagon, the Register’s magazine.

Proposals should include the title of the submission, names and affiliations of presenters, together with addresses, phone numbers, email addresses of contact personnel, proposed format (paper, panel, workshop, etc.) and a one-page abstract describing the content of the presentation. A computer projector will be available. Proposals must be received by December 31, 2011; notification of acceptance is anticipated by January 31. Proposals should be submitted to: Richard L. Knudson, 9 St. James’ Place #207, Oneonta, New York 13820 USA, email preferred to FC7900 ‘at’ gmail.com.

Presenters pay all of their own expenses as there is no budget for honorariums. The registration fee will be $50.00 each and that includes a two day pass to the museum, a wine and cheese opening reception on Friday, and the Saturday evening closing dinner. The Friday evening wine and cheese will also feature a literature swap meet for books, sales literature, and photographs. The host motel room rate will be $65.00. Full details will be available on the Register’s web site: www.nemgtr.org