KMG 568 (TA3145)
This is Martyn Lister’s TA, rebuilt by Martyn over a 10-year period from 1988 to 1998. Daniel, Martyn’s son, is trying to trace the history of the car prior to 1986. Contact him at daniel.lister86(at)gmail.com [Please substitute @ for (at)].
Unknown TC
I have Cathelijne Spoelstra of The MG Workshop in The Netherlands https://www.mgworkshop.nl/en to thank for this wonderful period photograph.
Cat sent me the link to the photograph and I followed this up with Leeds City Council. The copyright is owned by Brian McGrath (that’s Brian in the centre of the photo) and I have since had the pleasure of speaking to him. The TC (chassis number and registration number unknown) was owned by Mr Duckworth, the woodwork teacher at Burmantoft’s boys’ school. He also owned the Wolseley 15/50 parked behind the TC.
Brian told me that the Woodwork Centre was housed in an annex to Burmantoft’s girls’ school and the boys had to walk 200 yards from their school to attend woodwork lessons. This mixing of the sexes was frowned on by Duckworth inasmuch as if one of the boys was spied watching the girls playing netball, a suitably sized off-cut of 2” x 2” timber would be launched at the miscreant. Another penalty for misbehaviour was to wash one of Duckworth’s cars.
PTD 634 (TD26502)
Chris Wing is enquiring about the TD he used to race. When Chris bought this ex-Lancashire Constabulary Police Car in 1967 it came with some racing history, but he wanted to make the car more competitive. The TD’s brakes and suspension were improved and the engine rebuilt to Stage 2 with larger SUs and a Derrington 4 branch manifold. The work was carried out by Alex, a Polish employee of Archway Engineering in Manchester.
Chris recalls burning out the clutch during a race meeting at Brands Hatch and driving home (to the Peak District of Derbyshire – at least 200 miles) without a clutch! A new clutch was subsequently fitted by Alex, who came to Chris’ house to do the job.
By 1970, with another family addition on the way, Chris needed to get his priorities in order, so the car was sold. It was purchased by Archway Engineering, who, of course, knew the car.
All the time I was typing this, I kept thinking that there was something familiar about the chassis number. It then dawned on me that it must have been something to do with my DVLA work for the MG Octagon Car Club (I do so many registrations that I can’t exactly recall each one to memory). I looked up my database and hey presto I found that I applied to reclaim registration number PTD 634 on behalf of Jim and Sheila Paterson in August 2020.
Jim and Sheila have owned the car since 1971, but it was taken off the road in November 1974 and has been ‘sleeping’ in the garage until last year when Jim decided to get the TD restored on his retirement. It has been at the premises of Yorkshire Restorations in Shipley, North Yorkshire (formerly Naylor Bros) for some months waiting for Jim to go and give it ‘sign off’, but unable to do so because of Covid 19 restrictions.
A restored TD26502 at the premises of Yorkshire Restorations in Shipley.
So, there you have it – a ‘Lost’ and an immediately ‘Found’ item! Chris has been in touch with Sheila and Jim.
KLM 237 (TA????)
Mike Dalby of the Triple-M Register has been in touch on behalf of a chap, whose father owned a 12/12 M-type and then a TA. His name was Cyril Stanley West and he bought it new when he was in the RAF. It would be a great shame if such a fine-looking car has not survived, but it doesn’t come up on the DVLA search facility. Mike can be contacted at mikedatum(at)sky.com [please substitute @ for (at)].
TC10189 (formerly NPH 750)
As we learnt in the previous issue with KKD 600 (TC9581), it sometimes takes a few years for a ‘Found’ reply to catch up with a ‘Lost’ enquiry.
This has been the case with TCI0189 about which the late Simon Parker was asking in Issue 37 (August 2016). Simon was trying to find information about his late uncle’s car, which has trials history from competing in Cornwall, and also race and rally history, including participating in the 1951 RAC Rally.
We said at the time that the car was no longer traceable through the DVLA and now we know why. In March, just after the April TTT 2 was published, I received an email from Steve Tofield from across ‘the pond’ with the following message:
I am happy to report a found TC! I was assiduously pursuing my study of all things TC last night and read in Issue 37 of August 2016 that Simon Parker in the UK was trying to find information about his late uncle’s car, TC 10189. The car, reg # NPH 750 was no longer traceable through the DVLA.
I bought the car a few weeks ago in Maine and until now knew nothing of its history other than build date. I am beginning a frame off restoration of the car and am very happy to be able to participate in its resurfacing! I have emailed Simon at the email address provided in Issue 37 but have since heard that he died last October. Would be very happy to receive (and give) any info regarding history of TC 10189.
TC2259 (XSU 390)
Colin (Tweed) Harris is trying to trace the whereabouts of TC2259, his first TC. The last Tweed saw of it was at Brown & Gammons, where it was traded in for TC0632. Colin has a fair bit of history which the present owner might be interested in.
TC2259 was reimported from California in the late 1960s. It had a few non-standard features, such as Morris Minor rack & pinion steering and a Volvo 144 gearbox. Colin can be contacted at lizandtweed(at)yahoo.co.uk [Please substitute @ for (at)].
TC0632 belonged to the late John Huddleston. It was nicknamed ‘Mickey Mouse’ by John and had been in the same family since 1962. It sold for £24,000 at British Car Auctions (BCA) Bridgwater (Somerset) Auctions some years ago; it attracted a great deal of interest and the successful bidder was a dealer.
I knew TC0632, since John and his brother-in-law, Jack Emdall from Canada, came to see me with the car – from memory they called to collect some kingpins. John lived at Portishead, west of Bristol, so he would have had a 15 mile drive to my house, which is east of Bristol.
John’s wife Karen, pre-deceased him (they were on holiday at the time) and John subsequently died suddenly. He died intestate, which meant that the value of all his possessions went to the British Government.
TC1353 (was KNE 764)
Oliver Richardson has contacted me to say that he has a handful of photos from when TC1353 was being rebuilt in late 70s/80s. If the owner is known he is happy to pass them on.
The car is thought to be in the US; if the owner cares to contact me, I will arrange with Oliver to get the photos to him or her. Please contact me at: jj(at)ttypes.org [Please substitute @ for (at)].
DKT 634 (TA????)
This car was featured in the April issue on behalf of the former owner, Kevin Morrison. Kevin was surprised to read that I’d moved him from Cyprus to Malta. I now have to write out 100 times “Kevin Morrison lives in Cyprus”.
Kevin, who definitely lives in Cyprus, has recently sent me a pic of his TC, ‘Matilda’, following a 2-year restoration.
The pic shows Kevin returning from an MOT. Clearly delighted, Kevin sent me the following:
“My MG TC, ‘Matilda’, passed her MOT with flying colours today, even though the MOT man was totally confused how things worked on the car. So, I had to show him! ….. and it was so enjoyable to drive a real car for a change.
The MOT only costs €35 for 2 years, and we get 60% discount on Road Tax (will cost about €70 a year) if the car is registered with FIVA.
And that’s for everyday use. Or I can have the option of only paying €25 a year just for weekend use only”.
JK 9843
Chris Blood posted this pic on the Triple-M forum. The chassis number is unknown and it doesn’t show up from the DVLA search facility. This TC was registered to Caffyns (Eastbourne) Ltd on 18/9/47.