The Editor

Welcome to Issue 43, August 2017!

“Volvo calls time on combustion engine with pledge to electrify all cars by 2019.” was the headline in a recent Financial Times (Business section) issue. Coming as it does on the back of the editorial in the June TTT 2, it’s all getting a bit scary. There seems to be a headlong rush to switch (sorry, couldn’t think of another word!) to electric vehicles and none of the manufacturers appear to want to be left behind.

Volvo is owned by Geely, the Chinese carmaker, so it is not hard to see where the impetus is coming from as China is already the world leader in pure-electric vehicles with a reported 265,000 sold in its home market last year. It has been suggested that the Volvo agenda may put pressure on Tesla, the US electric start-up, whose market capitalisation has soared recently.

Predictably, there’s always a whiff of sensationalism about newspaper headlines, for when you read the above article, it states that after 2019 there will still be Volvo cars made with a small petrol engine …… with a large battery. But change is definitely coming with Jaguar saying that its all-electric five-seater sports car, the I-Pace, is to go on sale next year and Audi and Mercedes-Benz vowing to begin selling electrics from 2019.

Is it too much to hope that the price of petrol will plummet as the world will be awash with the stuff? I hardly think so!

The arrangements for the 5th Totally T-Type 2 Tour (Tour of West Sussex and East Hampshire) which is being held from the 18th to 20th August are bang on schedule with the rally plates now prepared, courtesy of the combined efforts of Peter Cole in his ‘Bognor Regis design studio’ and Brian Rainbow in his ‘Harbury workshop’.

It looks as though we are going to have a record entry of around 50 cars with guests from Australia and France joining us.

The copy for the road books is shortly being sent to Hagerty International Classic Car Insurance and I must thank this company and NTG Motor Services, who have sponsored the road books and the rally plates for this tour and for the last four. We really do value their support.

Looking ahead to 2018, the MG Octagon Car Club ‘Founders Weekend’ is being held over the weekend of the 11th to 13th May in the Peak District of Derbyshire. Full details are given in the July Bulletin.

The sixth Totally T-Type 2 Tour is being held over the weekend of the 17th to 19th August in the Cotswolds. Full details will be given in the editorial of the next issue. Additionally, for those attending this year’s tour, I have obtained 50 copies of the hotel brochure which I will distribute, along with an aide-memoire detailing the booking arrangements.

In the ‘Suck, Squeeze, Bang and Blow’ article, published in the last issue, the term “Micro Pinking” was incorrectly attributed to John Saunders. It should have been attributed to Chris Morgans. Apologies are due to John.

Back in May I met up with Steve Poteet from South Carolina and his son, James. Through the good offices of Pete Neal, the MGCC Archivist, we spent the best part of a day in Abingdon, including lunch at the Boundary House.

Steve’s 1953 TD (TD27602) is on the front cover and he also sent me this picture.

Steve purchased the car from Ed Seagrave in 2000. Steve was working with Ed on a complete restoration of the TD and one day he asked what Ed’s plans were for the finished car. Ed said that he would probably sell it, so Steve bought it. Unfortunately, a year after Steve and Ed had completed the car Ed passed away. So, the car is very important to Steve.

He also has a TC under restoration.

JOHN JAMES

DISCLAIMER BY THE EDITOR

Totally T-Type 2

is produced totally on a voluntary basis and is available on the website www.ttypes.org on a totally FREE basis. Its primary purpose is to help T-Type owners through articles of a technical nature and point them in the direction of recommended service and spares suppliers. Articles are published in good faith but I cannot accept responsibility or legal liability and in respect of contents, liability is expressly disclaimed.