TA1991 (CTE 506) – Sometimes it takes a few years to find a ‘LOST’ but it is pleasing to be able to report that the present owner of this car has recently been in touch with Jonny Leitner. Jonny’s request for information on the car once owned by his dad was included in Issue 51 (December 2018).
TA2668 (DRK 889) – Michael Hennessy, who used to own this car in the 1970s, contacted me because he noticed that it was not shown in the list of TAs published in Issue 70 (February 2021), but shows up from a DVLA search as taxed until August 2022. The car was shown in T Register records as being in the US (hence it was not picked up as a UK car) but obviously was ‘repatriated’, possibly in 2013 (the last V5C date) and is now painted maroon. Just goes to show how difficult it is to keep track of owners.
If the present owner reads this, I’d be grateful if s/he will contact me at jj(at)ttypes.org [Please substitute @ for (at)].
TA???? (FK 8127)
David Britton has been in touch to say that he owned FK 8127 from about 1966 to 1976. It was his regular use vehicle. He confesses that his renovation/maintenance work was probably not up to standard in those days, due partly to lack of funds and partly to the difficulty of getting parts in the ‘60s.
He added that before he bought the car it had been fitted with a special oil coil, twin 1.5 inch SUs and a low ratio crown wheel and pinion and that it could reach 100mph without difficulty!
Any information please to the Editor at above jj address.
A Tale of ‘Little John’
Having been born almost within sight of Nottingham Castle, and brought up on a rural property some fourteen miles to the north, it is no wonder that my family was under the spell of Robin Hood.
And so it came to pass that my father, Bill Shipside, an MG dealer himself, purchased a new MG TD regd. MTO 68 in 1950 for my brother Ken to rally and race. I was a mere seven-year-old, about to be dispatched to that ‘great institution’ – an English boarding school! So, I was not a witness to much of what follows.
Dad was in charge of the preparation, tuning and lightening of this car, but was foiled by too low an axle ratio. It was soon realised that the only way to purchase a higher ratio differential was to buy the latest TD. MTO 68 was put back to standard with a new engine [the crankshaft and bearings had been damaged], and was replaced by LVO 2. This new TD was stripped of its body and wings. enabling Dad to build a lightweight racing body with cycle guards. Sadly, I was away at school as this was happening, but the outcome was that success came their way in club racing at various tracks including one I did attend at Silverstone. As a winner LVO 2 was always referred to as ‘Little John’.
LVO 2 (“Little John”) in racing trim’.
When the excitement and fun of racing waned, Dad had another idea……to keep the chassis and running gear and build a closed aluminium body on it. A coachbuilding firm at Loughborough was responsible for this work, Dad and my sister having done the original design. I remember that he thoroughly enjoyed the result, proudly showing it to all and sundry. The following photo shows it outside the factory at Cowley in May 1955. It was ahead of its time and could be described as a forerunner of the MGB ‘GT’. Dad enjoyed it for the next ten years or so.
Two views of the rebuilt LVO 2. The first shows it outside the factory at Cowley in 1955.
After his death in 1967 I was asked if I wanted the car, an offer I turned down as I had already taken ownership of the family car, a Tickford bodied MG WA. I then found a buyer for ‘Little John’, who lived in the Sheffield area. I have long since forgotten his name.
I would love to know if this car still exists. It is my hope that someone knows of it and can put me in touch with the owner.
[Please note that ‘Little John’ is mentioned in Anders Clausager’s book, “Factory Original MG T-Series” in the chapter headed “Specials”].
Peter Shipside of Goolwa, South Australia
Email pshipside(at)gmail.com Please substitute @ for (at)]
Editor’s Note: It’s interesting to relate how Peter came to contact me with the story of LVO 2. As readers will know, I have been advertising my remaining copies of Anders Clausager’s book, Factory Original MG T-Series. I sent one of the last few copies toTF1500 owner, Don Walker in South Australia. Having perused the book, Don read about LVO 2 and the reference to T. W. (Bill) Shipside and told me that Peter, son of Bill, also a TF1500 owner, lives a few streets away in Goolwa Beach. He said that Peter, who had often mentioned the Morris business in Nottingham formerly owned by TW and the TD Special (LVO 2) might be persuaded to write an article.
Thank you, Don and Peter!
TF5873 (NWX 184)
As a further example of the gap between a car appearing in either ‘Lost and Found’ or ‘Bits and Pieces’ and a follow up query, Miss Sarah Bell recently saw from a trawl through the website, a reference to NWX 184. A picture of the car (different to the one shown above) had appeared in Issue 55 (August 2019). The car belonged to her father and she was keen to hear of its whereabouts.
I was able to put her in touch with Mike Webb, who confirmed that he purchased the car as a dismantled project from a dealer in Leeds some 3 years ago. The car was sold to the dealer by Sarah’s sister following their father’s death.
I was pleased to be able to re-unite Sarah with the car in its restored condition and I thank Mike for taking the time to contact Sarah and for sending her the above photo.
TA1643 (CTC 681)
One-time owner of this car, Rick Buckley has lost track of it and would like to know where it is.
rick.buckley(at)btopenworld.com [please substitute @ for (at)].
Rick discovered it in a lock-up garage in 2003.
TA1643 in bits, about to be transported from the lock-up garage.
TA1643 is an ex-Lancashire Police car and Rick has followed its progress since he sold it to a fellow-enthusiast in 2014.
TA1643 in loosely assembled state after having been removed from the lock-up.
The next picture was taken in 2015 by Rick’s fellow-enthusiast when the car was nearly complete and fitted with an XPAG engine.
Since then, the car was featured with numerous photos in a 7-page article written by Malcolm Green in Enjoying MG September 2017
It next appeared in the Safety Fast classifieds in January 2020 and at some point, more recently, it was sold by Robin Lawton the classic car dealer. It was spotted by Rick’s son, displayed on Robin’s website in the ‘Cars Sold’ section.
Hopefully, the person who purchased CTC 681 might see this and will get in touch with Rick.
TA1697 (YSU 797)
Colin Jones is seeking information on the current whereabouts and ownership of this TA which he sold back in 1997.
The car shows up from a DVLA search as ‘Untaxed Tax due 1 July 2001’ and the date of the last V5C is given as 3 February 1997, which looks like the date Colin sold the car.
His contact details are cjjp76(at)gmail.com [Please substitute @ for (at)]
1947 MG TC Registration Number LPE 647
Ian MacKay is enquiring on behalf of a friend, who owned this car in the ‘60s. It doesn’t show up on DVLA. Any leads to the editor, please.
1947 MG TC Registration Number DRV 61
Oliver Richardson is seeking information about this car. It is shown on DVLA as ‘Not taxed for on road use’. Any leads to the editor, please.
PA0630 (AWU 235)
It is unusual to include a Triple-M car in ‘Lost and Found’, but a request recently appeared on the website from Sophie Wedd. Sophie is trying to trace the PA once owned by her mother. She doesn’t have a photo, but has sent the bill of sale. The good news is that the car probably exists as it comes up from a DVLA search as ‘Untaxed Tax due 1 April 2007. Date of last V5C is 22 March 2005. The Triple-M Register knows of the car, but doesn’t have current ownership details.
The bill of sale dates from 1954 and the vendor was Hallens Motor Engineers in Cambridge.
Any leads to the editor, please.