Anniversary Issue - North American MGB Register NAMGBR

Transcription

Vol. 20 No. 7
December 2010
Anniversary Issue
January 1991 - December 2010
MGB Driver • Anniversary Issue • December 2010
THE NORTH AMERICAN MGB REGISTER
MGB Driver is the official publication of the North American MGB Register, a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining and expanding interest in Britain’s most popular sports car—the MGB.
The opinions expressed within are those of the individual authors and readers are warned that they attempt any
mechanical or other modifications described herein, entirely at their own risk.
Membership in the North American MGB Register is open to all, with no restrictions.
Ownership of an MG is not a condition of membership. NAMGBR Regional Chapters will be pleased to welcome you to their events. Membership dues are $30 per year.
For membership details or further information write to:
NORTH AMERICAN MGB REGISTER
P.O. Box 55
Whittington, IL 62897-0055
Toll-free hotline: 800-NAMGBR-1 • www.namgbr.org
6 2 6-4 2 7 1
OFFICERS OF THE NAMGBR
CHAIRMAN: Richard Liddick
5237 Glen Arm Road
Glen Arm, MD 21057
(410) 817-6862
[email protected]
VICE-CHAIRMAN:
Kim de Bourbon
PO Box 293
Del. Water Gap, PA 18327
(570) 994-5748
[email protected]
SECRETARY:
Denny Elimon
103 Woodcreek Court
Mahomet, Ill. 61853
(217) 649-6925
(708) 221-6435 - Fax
[email protected]
TREASURER:
Alan Magnuson
7754 South Waco Street
Centennial, CO 80016
(303) 400-8076
[email protected]
COORDINATORS OF THE NAMGBR
EDITOR: MGB Driver
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Robert Rushing
5444 Sutherland Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63109
(314) 614-4671
[email protected]
ADVERTISING
& PRODUCTION
COORDINATOR ART DIRECTOR
Charles E. de Bourbon
PO Box 293
Del. Water Gap, PA 18327
(570) 460-6370
[email protected]
EDITORS EMERITUS:
Ken Smith
Kim Tonry
PUBLICITY
COORDINATOR:
CONVENTION/AGM
COORDINATOR:
TECHNICAL
COORDINATOR: Regalia
Coordinator:
Jeff Taylor
1645 NW 23rd St.
Corvallis, OR 97330-1956
541-753-0777
[email protected]
Tony & Lynne Burgess
318 Hampton Park
Westerville, OH 43081
(614) 899-2394
(614) 899-2493 fax
[email protected]
John H Twist
6490 Fulton Street East
Ada, MI 49503
(616) 682 0800
johntwist
@universitymotorsltd.com
Connie Wyckoff
10975 Aspen Trl.
Zeeland, MI 49464
(616) 748-0580
[email protected]
WEBSITE
COORDINATOR:
Rick Brown
7146 Snowberry Loop
Brooksville, FL 34602
(352) 650-5135
[email protected]
CONCOURS
Coordinator:
Bob Gloyd
19692 East Garden Drive
Centennial, Colorado 80015
Phone - (303) 263-8189
[email protected]
Service
Recommendation
Coordinator:
Bruce Wyckoff
10975 Aspen Trl.
Zeeland, Mi 49464
(616) 748-0580
[email protected]
FOR REGISTRAR INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE PAGE 64.
The North American MGB Register is affiliated to the MG Car Club of England. The MG Car Club was founded in
1930 and is the original, factory supported, and approved organization for all MGs, with the Club Headquarters situated in Abingdon-on-Thames close by the birthplace of all MGs.
The North American MGB Register is a 501C7 “Not-For- Profit Corporation.
MGB Driver Magazine ©2010 All rights reserved. Any part of this publication may be reproduced by members and
member clubs only, with the expressed credit given to “MGB Driver Magazine” —Editor Robert Rushing.
All images in this MGB Driver; ©2010-BGA Studios.com/Charles de Bourbon, unless otherwise noted.
I
The Editor 2005 - Present
can’t believe I’ve been doing this
for five years already! Of course,
I’ve been a lot luckier than Ken
and Kim. The Driver was already well
established by the time I took the
reigns and with the new technology
available, production is much easier.
It also helps that color printing is
cheaper than in the past and that I
have the services of a professional
graphic designer to help me with
each issue – Charles de Bourbon.
I’d like to thank my previous two
editors for all the help that they gave
me with this special issue. Ken and
Chairman’s Chat
Officers, Coordinators, and Registrars of the Register
O
Robert Rushing
Editor
MGB Driver
Kim – you guys are the best!
I hope you enjoy this special
issue and here’s to another twenty
years.
Robert
ne of the strengths of the
North American MGB Register is the fact that we are
a democratically-run organization,
run by volunteers. Elected officer
terms are for two years and there
is a term limit of two terms. The
Coordinators and Registrars are appointed positions that are annually
reviewed, but with no set term limits. Over the years, several coordinator positions were created or ceased
to exist depending on needs of the
organization. All the individuals
Richard
Liddick
Chairman
NAMGBR
you see listed have volunteered their
time and energy to run the Register
– a big thanks to you all!
Richard
• Officers •
On the Covers
Front cover: Plaques from all 20
conventions attended by Roger &
Shirley Goebbert – photo by Kim
Tonry
The Inside Line
Mr. and Mrs. Morrell LaRue and their
National First Place 1969 MGB.
MG Chicagoland Convention, 1991
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Page 32
Page 48
The Founding Meeting
Page 52
NAMGBR at Twenty
Page 58
Birth of Legend
Page 65
20 Years ON
Back cover: The two guys who
started all this madness about a
great sports car and the fun times,
friendships, and great places to
visit.
NAMGBR Convention Through the Years
By Tony & Lynne Burgess – NAMGBR AGM & Convention Chairs
By Kim Tonry & John Twist
By Andrew Roberts, MG Enthusiast Magazine
By David Knowles
Chairman
John Twist (1991-1993)
Rick Ingram (1994-1997)
Robin Weatherall (1998-1999)
Ron Tugwell (2000-2001)
David Deutsch (2002-2005)
Bruce Wyckoff (2006-2009)
Richard Liddick (2010-present)
Vice Chairman
Bruce Wyckoff (1991-1994)
Richard Miller (1995-1996)
Keith Holdsworth (2000)
David Deutsch (2001)
Nick Pappas (2002-2004)
Richard Liddick (2005-2008)
Kim de Bourbon (2009-present)
Secretary
Jerome Rosenberger (1991-1994)
Jai Deagan (1995-1998)
Dee Zimmerman (1999-2005)
Denny Elimon (2009-present)
Treasurer
Rock Yarrington (1991-1995)
Eric Kent (1998-2001)
Jerry Kohlenstein (2002-2003)
Susan Deagan (2004-2006)
Alan Magnuson (2007-present)
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• Coordinators •
Editor, MGB Driver
Ken Smith (1991-1997)
Kim Tonry (1997-2004)
Robert Rushing (2005-present)
Assistant Editor, MGB Driver
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Kim Tonry (1997)
Robert Rushing (2002-2005)
Convention & Annual General Meeting
Jeff Powell (1992-1996)
Jake & Ann Snyder (1997-2001)
Tony & Lynne Burgess (2002-present)
Technical
Bob Mason (1991-2005)
Bob Daniels (1992-2004)
Glen Towery (1992-2004)
Norman Nock (1994-2004)
John Twist (2005-present)
Advertising
Barby Hill-Smith (1992)
Jill Lee-Jones (1993-1994)
Ian Pender (1995-1999)
James Brucato (2000-2003)
Mike Pentecost (2004-2005)
Pete Cosmides (2006)
Charles de Bourbon (2007-present)
Public Relations/Publicity
Ken Smith (1991-1995)
Richard Liddick (1996-2009)
Jeff Taylor (2010-present)
Service Recommendation List
Ken Blahnik (1993)
Steve Brown (1993-1996)
Bruce Wyckoff (2004-present)
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Regalia
Barby Hill-Smith (1991-1992)
Edna Carol (1992-1994)
Pete Cosmides (1995-1997)
Bill Hayes (1998-2000)
Michael Robson (2001-2004)
Elvin Davis (2005-2010)
Connie Wyckoff (2010-present)
Publication & Art Direction
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Charles de Bourbon (2005-present)
Electronic Bulletin Board
Dan Zebarah (1991-1993)
Tom Biehl (1994-1999)
Website
Wayne Kube (2000-2002)
Rick Brown (2003-present)
Concours
Rick Ingram (2000-2005)
Paul Hanley (2006-2008)
Bob Gloyd (2009-present)
Membership
Gene Cooper (1997)
David Deutsch (1998-2001)
Priscilla Blanchard (2002-2003)
Used Parts Exchange
Marty Boysen (1991)
George Sullivan (1992)
• Registrars •
MGB
Caroline Robinson (1991-1993)
John Nyhus (1994-1995)
Orin Harding (1996-1997)
Drew Hastings (1998-2000)
Ken Smith (2001-present)
Midget
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Bruce Wyckoff (1991-1996
Bob & D Zimmerman (1997-2009)
Robert Swetzer (2010-present)
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1967 MGB/GT Special
Gregg Purvis (1991-1998)
1974 1/2 MGB
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Steve Harding (1991-2007)
Ken Smith (2008)
Scott Perry (2009-present)
MGB LE
Judy Estrada (1991-1992)
MG 1100/1300
Thomas Gaylord (1991-2002)
Scott Williams (2003-2007)
Bill Fox (2008-present)
MGB V8
Curt Downing (1991-1993)
Kurt Schley (1994-2000)
Don Rausch (2001)
Dan Masters (2002-2009)
Mike Grieco (2010-present)
Pull Handle
Will Zehring (1996)
Bill Barge (1997-present)
100,000+ Mile
Phillip Morgan (1996-1998)
Jai Deagan (1999-present)
Original Owner
Pete Cosmides (1997-2004)
Bill Hawkins (2005-present)
Hammer & Tongs
Phil Smith (2001-present)
Next Gen
James Woolf (2009-present)
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Vice Chairman’s Report
bought my first MGB 32 years
ago. Doesn’t seem possible that so
much time has gone by, yet there
are so many outstanding memories
connected to the Bs I’ve owned that
the years just can’t be denied.
Interestingly, there are two
distinct chapters to my history with
MGBs. The first 11 years pre-date the
existence of North American MGB
Register, when I drove MGBs just
because they were a fun, affordable
used car that I took a liking to. The
second chapter began after a 10-year
lapse, when the 1966 B I drive today
emerged like Cinderella after a long
Sleeping Beauty restoration.
So, on the occasion of NAMGBR’s 20th anniversary, I thought it
appropriate to reflect back on my
bifurcated history with the car.
My first car was a 1966 roadster with 40,000 miles on it, which
I bought off a Pennsylvania MG
dealer’s lot in 1978. I was just 22
years old, and my boyfriend thought
it would make a nice car for me. I
didn’t have a clue – I don’t think I
even drove it around the block before handing over a check for $695
for that car.
I still remember the thrill of sitting way down low and pulling out
on the road after buying that first
B. (That thrill was short-lived – 15
miles down the road, the car quit.
I had totally ignored the words “AS
IS” on the receipt.)
Another year went by before
that car got back on the road, but by
then I had learned two important
lessons: Don’t keep company with a
guy who tells you what kind of car
to buy but doesn’t know how to buy
it, and do find a mechanic who loves
the car as much as you do.
I have no photos of this first
car. MGBs were still being sold new
at the time, and as much as I enjoyed mine, it was just my car,
Kim de Bourbon
Vice chairman
NAMGBR
and it never occurred to me to take
a picture of it. I drove it every day –
rain, sun, snow, sleet or whatever.
Having a hard top helped.
I drove that ’66 for two years
before missing a turn on a dark and
stormy summer night and running into a farmer’s field. I don’t
remember what the damage was. I
just remember spending the night
sleeping under the tonneau cover
among the cows.
Less than a month later, I
bought 1969 MGB, a very nice car
that I had fixed up and painted. I
drove the heck out of for three years,
until some drunk driver plowed into
it while it was parked, shortening it
by three inches. Still sticking with
MGs, I next picked up a ratty but reliable 1972 B that I intended to drive
only until I could find a solid early
car, which I much preferred.
I ended up driving the ratty ’72
for six years, although I never got
attached to it. I did find a ’66 for
restoration, but before the project
really got going at the shop, I took a
new job out of state … and the restoration project languished. Eventually, after buying a house on top of
a big hill in Connecticut, I sold the
’72 in favor of a more winter-worthy
Subaru, and the restoration of the
’66 became pretty much “out of
sight, out of mind.”
In 1997 – some 14 years after
leaving the ’66 project behind – I got
a job offer back in Pennsylvania,
only an hour from where I used
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Vice Chairman’s Report
to live. Now, with more money coming in from the new job and within
visiting range of the restoration
shop, I got “MGB Fever” again, and
started working with the shop to get
this car on the road.
Finally, on July 21, 2000, I was
back in the driver’s seat of a “brand
new” 1966 MGB, and the second
chapter of my life with MGBs began
when I climbed in behind that oversized “banjo” steering wheel and
took a whiff of that indescribably
distinctive British car smell.
The fun and feel of the car
hadn’t changed. But what had
changed, for me and a lot of you
other long-time MGB owners, was
that in our middle age, the car had
become a treasured classic. While I
still drive the car almost every day
from April to November, it no longer
is “just a car.” It has become something special, a hobby that is fun to
learn about and share with others of
a like mind.
So, soon after getting an MGB
back into my driveway, I discovered
there was a whole world of MG owners. I found a local club, and started
knowing the fun of shows and
rallies. I joined the North American
MGB Register, and soon discovered
that a national event was held each
year. Since 2001, I haven’t missed
one of them.
Travels by caravan to far-flung
NAMGBR shows are among my
most special memories of my life.
I can still call up, in my mind, the
flies that filled our windshields and
grilles in Arkansas on the way back
from MG 2002 in Dallas. And the
outrageous parking lot parties in St.
Louis at MG 2003. And the sweet
thrill of driving cross-country in
the MGB to Olympia, Wash., for MG
2005.
MGB ownership. There’s nothing quite like it.
Happy birthday, North American MGB Register!
Kim
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From the Treasurer
appy 20th Anniversary
NAMGBR! This special edition of the MGB Driver is a
walk down memory lane. Take this
opportunity to reminisce about
an historic meeting in a Michigan
garage where MGB, Midget, and
1100/1300 enthusiasts came together to organize the Register. Enjoy
pictures and stories from NAMGBR’s
past.
The founding of NAMGBR parallels the MG Car Club of England,
which was founded in October
1930. Our hardy group of English
sports car enthusiasts discovered the
joys of top down motoring when
MGs had running boards! NAMGBR
is proud to be affiliated with the MG
Car Club of England as a Register.
With the success of the MG
marque around the world, who
would have thought in the 1960s or
70s that MG production in Abingdon would cease on October 22,
1980. Who would have realized
that North America would not see a
production MG built for our market
since 1980?
Looking back over the past
twenty years of MG activities in
North America, more has changed
than just hairstyles and the lines
on our faces. I think of people who
have been energetic participants in
MG activities, particularly in their
support of NAMGBR. Most importantly, I tip my hat to each NAMGBR
member and your local Club for
your support of our MG hobby.
Through your local support across
the continent, our membership has
grown to over 2000. Enthusiastic
members and Clubs have showcased
all regions of North America for
NAMGBR conventions and regional
meets from the east to the west
coasts and from north to south.
John Twist provided his
leadership as our first Chairman
Alan
Magnuson
Treasurer
NAMGBR
as well as his technical instruction
through articles, calls, emails, and
Rolling Tech Sessions. Yes, he does
occasionally take off his hat.
Thanks to Rick Ingram for
his leadership in NAMGBR and
the North American Council of
MG Registers. Rick and the other
members of the MG Council have
provided communication between
the Registers and reminded us that
we are a family, all related through
our love for MG cars. Tony & Lynne
Burgess have coordinated quality
NAMGBR and MG Council events
that keep us coming back for more.
Jerome Rosenberger has been
a touchstone of support for me
as Treasurer. His participation in
Register leadership roles from the
December 1990 formation meeting
to today, Jerome has provided the
Executive team with the perspective on why and how a decision was
made as well as being the active
curator of the NAMGBR archives.
Ken and Barby Smith traveled
all over North America to British car
events. Ken always had an application at the ready should you express
that you owned an MGB, Midget,
or 1100/1300. He is still registering
MGBs and is always excited to find
interesting tidbits of information to
share with the membership.
Bruce Wyckoff is another
person who has participated since
the founding in a number of ways.
Thanks to him for his B Positive
remarks as Chairman and for
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Treasurer’s Report
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his Service Coordinator leadership
in the preparation of the Mutual Aid
Directories for many years.
Writing, editing, photographs,
and design layout of the MGB Driver
has been the passion of several
folks including Ken Smith and Kim
Tonry. Kudos to Robert Rushing,
MGB Driver Editor, and Charles de
Bourbon, Advertising Coordinator,
for their extraordinary efforts in
this 20th Anniversary Edition MGB
Driver.
You should plan to attend
MG2011 in Reno, Nevada, for a week
of fun and octane related festivities.
This will be our fourth North Ameri-
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can All MG Register convention. For
twenty years, members of NAMGBR
throughout North America have
shared the road with their MG Register friends in the MMM, T, A, and
C Registers. The event is a marvelous
opportunity for MG car enthusiasts
of every register to join together for
a week of unique events as well as
viewing some of the most breathtaking scenery in America.
MG is the Marque of Friendship.
Make new friends, but keep the old.
One is silver and the other’s gold.
Safety Fast!
Alan
The Editor 1997 - 2004
t’s been thirty years since MGs
stopped being imported into
North America. Ten years after
that regrettable day, a group of
dedicated enthusiasts gathered
and founded the North American
MGB Register as an expression of
their devotion to these beloved cars
and those that maintain and enjoy
them. Twenty years later the Register continues to offer solid support
to the community of MG owners.
Whether in the pages of MGB Driver,
on the web, or at a more personal
level, at conventions or the events
of the NAMGBR affiliated chapters,
the Register offers communication
and support. Since our tenth anniversary observances in 2000, the
Register has only grown stronger.
The founders’ belief that
democratic succession would best
serve to continually strengthen
and renew the Register has proven
itself. We have been truly blessed
with a succession of talented and
dedicated individuals who have
Kim Tonry
Editor
MGB Driver
served the Register and the marque
with distinction. I am awed to have
been privileged to work with many
of them. And I am very proud that I
can call so many of them friends.
I first heard of the Register via
the excited proclamations of one
of its founding members. I sent off
that first years dues and that investment has paid me back many times
over. It’s pleasant and rewarding to
look back at where we’ve been and
what the Register has accomplished
in its twenty years. But it’s even
more exciting to look forward to
where we will go. Kim
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Secretary’s Report
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rom a very low-key gathering
in Michigan twenty years ago,
when dedicated MG enthusiasts and owners met to discuss the
formation of a new organization
for MGB enthusiasts, the North
American MGB Register was born.
For twenty years, the organization
has served to link owners, provide a
support organization, and a wealth
of technical advice. Over those years
we have formed an affiliation with
ninety- two local clubs, registered
thousands of MGs, provided a
means for fantastic conventions
and friendly gatherings, and most
importantly provided members a
means to keep the MG alive.
Looking back on our history, it
is important to look at our organization foundation – especially our
“first year” founding members that
got the organization started. We do
this at the risk of missing some very
dedicated members or volunteers
over the years. If you are one of
those missed, please accept our apology. At the start, it was determined
that first year members be assigned
a designation membership number
for record keeping purposes starting with a zero prefix, thus our first
member was 0-101. As you view this
anniversary special edition, many of
the listed members will be featured
or mentioned throughout. Many
have served in various volunteer
and elected positions over the years.
Numerous other volunteers over
the years have also served in both
officer and volunteer positions for
our organization. Their contributions have ensured our success and
growth.
Of the two hundred and thirty-
Denny Elimon
Secretary
NAMGBR
four, zero prefix first year members
we are very pleased to announce
that we still have forty-eight members still active, (we have listed them
in this issue) as of our last check. We
have maintained records on every
member registered from our beginning. Members joining in 2010 now
have a prefix of 20.
While we recognize these first
year founding members, we want
to also thank all our members both
past and present for their continued support. Many of our current
active members have been with us
for years, some starting from year
two all the way to now year twenty –
Thank You!
As a member-run organization,
it is our challenge to continue our
organization for others to enjoy
over the next twenty years. Never
miss an opportunity to introduce
a young man or woman to the fun
and excitement of MG ownership.
Your actions as an owner will ensure
our continued success and keep the
MG name alive!
I hope you enjoy this Twentyyear Anniversary look back at the
North American MGB Register and
meeting out first year members. The
current officers, coordinators, and
registrars wish you a Happy Anniversary.
Denny
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The Editor 1991 - 1997
s I drove away from John
Twist’s shop that bitterly cold
day of the inaugural meeting, as a founding member (#103) of
the North American MGB Register,
I was very conscious of our stated
mission to provide a member-driven
organization with integrity and
open to all. I had also been charged
with producing a brand new magazine for the Register, which would
inform and entertain, and provide
communication between members.
Thus was born the MGB Driver
whose title said exactly what we
were about, “Driving MGBs”! The
format was designed to fit in the
MGB’s glove box and we strived for
something a little different from
other MGB publications available at
the time. I also decided that to avoid
an apparent conflict of interest
with my work situation for a major
supplier, I would adopt, as editor,
take the pseudonym of “Marcham
Rhoade” (which was taken from the
Marcham Road that ran past the MG
Factory in Abingdon!)
The first issue was produced in
January and entailed getting people
on board to lay the magazine out,
one of whom was Robert Goldman,
now Vice President of Moss Motors!
Robert struggled manfully with my
notes and photographs to put them
in some semblance of order, but
eventually we managed to get issues
out on time. We instituted the MGB
Quiz, had lots of technical advice
from our founding chairman John
H. Twist, and printed much history
on the MGB including a series of
period MGB press adverts. We also
serialized “Aspects of Abingdon.”
The Driver was difficult to
produce at times as I was traveling
nationwide on behalf of my employer, and was away from my home
base for six months of the year
– and of course, there were no e-
Ken Smith
Editor
MGB Driver
mails in those days! I think the most
dramatic moment came during the
1994 Northridge earthquake where
the whole of the input for the next
issue was lost!
One major addition to the editorial staff in 1992 was Jill Lee Jones
of Ideal Images who came on board
and knocked my ideas into shape,
but I also received unlimited support from many sources and friends,
both in the US and the UK and I
can’t thank them enough for their
contributions in the early years of
the magazine. I also need to thank
my long-suffering spouse Barby
who put up with my late hours and
computer reclusiveness, throughout
the period of my editorship.
In the fall of 1997 after over 40
issues of the Driver, I handed the
baton off to Kim Tonry and now we
have a much more sophisticated
publication under the helm of Robert Rushing and Chas de Bourbon.
Ken
Ken at the first meeting.
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NAMGBR Inaugural Meeting • December 1990
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Phil Richer, Ron Embling
Kens Smith, John Twist
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CONSTITUTION of
2
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I. NAME:
A. The organization shall be know as The North American MGB Register,
hereafter referred to
as “The Register”.
II. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION:
A. The “MGB Driver” shall be the official publication of The Register.
III. OBJECTIVES:
A. To maintain and expand interest in Britain’s most popular sports car - the
MGB.
B. To provide a social charter for the mutual enjoyment of driving the MGB
by holding local
and national meetings and effecting a social interchange of contact between
members across North America and Overseas.
C. To provide through The Register’s bimonthly publication, the “MGB
Driver”, informative
technical advice, historical and archival information on all aspects of owning the MGB or a derivative. In addition, sub-groups will be established
for the modern MG Midget and the front wheel drive MG’s such as the
1100/1300.
D. To maintain a register of eligible cars indicating history and other relevant
details.
BY-LAWS of
I. ADMINISTRATION:
A. The Club Council.
1. The Council will consist of one delegate from each certified chapter and
delegates at large elected from each region.
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2. The Council shall have the power to:
a. Elect the Executive Committee.
b. Adapt and amend The Register By-Laws.
c. Form guidelines within which the Executive Committee may act.
d. Call Special General Meetings.
e. Remove from office any or all Executive Committee members with a
2/3 majority vote.
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Loyal Members for 20 Years
The following members have been members since “Year Zero”
of the North American MGB Register.
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0-101
0-102
0-103
0-106
0-109
0-110
0-116
0-121
0-126
0-127
0-134
0-136
0-141
0-142
0-143
0-144
0-146
0-150
0-151
0-156
0-158
0-160
0-162
0-165
0-167
0-168
0-176
0-182
0-183
0-184
0-185
0-190
0-192
0-195
0-196
0-198
0-200
0-203
0-204
0-207
0-208
0-212
0-215
0-220
0-223
0-226
0-229
0-234
John Twist Jerome Rosenberger
Ken & Barbara Smith
Jeff & Sharon Powell
Bruce & Connie Wyckoff
Curt & Cathy Downing
Harry Brown
Gene & Becky Cooper
Peter Coy
Keith Holdsworth Rick Ingram
Jai Deagan
Kenneth Mull
Cedric Kam
Jim Morley
Michael & Marilyn Thomason
Gerald & Maryann Berry
Richard Miller
George & Enid Schmitt
Gordy Jack
Frank Krajewski Peter Cosmides Daniel Kangley
Priscilla & Paul Needle
Morell LaRue
Ron & Jerri Jarosz Don Peery
William Sapp
Dave & Rita Houser
Michael Ash
Don Harmer
Reinout Vogt
MJ Marshall
Robert Anson
Thomas Gaylord Larry Daniels
Ernie Lindsay
Lee & Liz Niner Robert Carter
Basil O’Connor Ralph & Anne Vrana
Roger & Shirley Goebbert Bert Blanchard Patricia Chapman & Chuck Gilmer
Martin Schulze
David Tulos
Steve & Debbie Harding
Marla & David Zebarah
Ada, Michigan
Benton, Illinois
Goleta, California
Melrose Park, Illinois
Zeeland, Michigan
Cheshire, Connecticut
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Prior Lake, Minnesota
Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Markham, Ontario
Saint Joseph, Illinois
Eaton Rapids, Michigan
Woodbridge, Connecticut
West Roxbury, Massachusetts
Fairfield, Connecticut
Mobile, Alabama
Templeton, California
Clinton, New Jersey
Elkhart, Indiana
Wheat Ridge, Colorado
West Kingston, Rhode Island
Moorestown, New Jersey
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
West Bloomfield, Michigan
Choctaw, Oklahoma
Lugoff, South Carolina
Edmond, Oklahoma
Gramling, South Carolina
Brooksville, Florida
Eastville, Virginia
Atlanta, Georgia
Prospect Heights, Illinois
Marietta, Georgia
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Atlanta, Georgia
Wheaton, Illinois Mazon, Illinois
Creamery, Pennsylvania
Concord, North Carolina
Sparta, New Jersey
Strongsville, Ohio
Huntley, Illinois
Marietta, Georgia
Gowen, Michigan
Oakland, New Jersey
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Norristown, Pennsylvania
Brownstown Twp, Michigan
31
I
The Founding Meeting
Images by Dennis Trowbridge
first MGB Driver was only 40
t was 1990. The production
pages in February/March 1991,
line at Abingdon had been
but they were pages packed with
shut down for ten years.
MG information and stories and
There had been false starts and
of considerable quality. Foundmight-be’s on the MG producing Editor Marcham Rhoade’s
tion front and the MG name
stated intention was to make the
had reappeared in Europe but
Driver “…above all, a ‘good read’;
had not re-crossed the Atlantic.
something you will want to pick
The most welcomed news on
out first from your mail box after
these shores was the reappearwading through the junk mail
ance two years before of new
and the bills!”
MGB bodyshells made on the
The Driver originally was
original tooling. But there still
inserted into its envelope, adremained a dedicated following
dressed and postage applied by
of MG enthusiasts in Canada
Secretary Jerome Rosenberger at
and the U.S. Just as frustrating
his “Octagon Farm” home. But
as the lack of new MGs coming
as the membership grew, this
in was the lack of responsivewas switched to a mailing house
ness from those running the
in early 1994.
main continent-wide MGB
The first technical column
and Midget organization that
Phil Richer, Ron Embling, Sharon Powell, Dick Knudson, Patrick Amarena (partial), Rock Yarrington, Jeff Powell.
from newly appointed Techniexisted then. No elections had
cal Coordinator Bob Mason
been held and none appeared
The inaugural meeting of the
This state of affairs led to the Ocappeared in Driver issue number 2
to be forthcoming. Calls for improvefledgling organization was held in
tober 22, 1990 (the tenth anniversary
(Chairman John Twist fielded the Tech
ment in the club magazine were simJohn Twist’s famed MG service faciliof Abingdon’s closing) announcement
Topics in Issue 1).
ply rebuffed. Questions as to how the
ties in Grand Rapid’s, Michigan on a
of the intent to form a new continentThe Register embraced innova“club’s” finances were allocated were
cold, dark December 1990 weekend.
wide organization for enthusiasts of
tions right off the bat like getting an
dismissed with a rejoinder that they
MG enthusiasts from across the contithe MGB, Midget and 1100/1300s. An
800 toll-free number and offering
only had to disclose that information
nent and even from Great Britain were
organization that would be run by
event insurance to affiliated Chapters.
to the Internal Revenue Service and
in attendance. The North American
and for its members. That would be
Issue #2 (April/May 1991) of the
they were not interested in revealing
MGB Register emerged from that meet- Driver bore the just-received news
openly and democratically operated
how much of the club’s income might
ing.
with regularly scheduled elections and
that the MG Car Club of England had
be falling into the pockets of the enWithin two months, the voice of
officers who would be accountable to
designated NAMGBR the officially
trenched officers.
the new Register was unveiled. That
the membership.
Ken Smith, John Twist, Jerome Rosenberger (partial)
Becky Cooper, Gene Cooper, Keith Holdsworth
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Jerome Rosenberger, Keith Holdsworth, David Haywood (obscured), Bruce Wyckoff,
Chris Roberts.
accepted MGB register for North
America.
The First Register Regional
Event was hosted by the Emerald
Necklace MG Register in Northern
Ohio, the Spring Warmup May
18-19, 1991. The MG Car Club of
Toronto hosted the first Annual
Convention the following year in
Peterborough, Ontario. Don Hayter,
a former Chief Engineer of the MG
Car Company was the featured
guest and dinner speaker.
One year after the inaugural
meeting, the Register had over 1000
members and 23 affiliated Chapters.
At the 1994 AGM in Atlanta, it was
announced that we now had members in all 50 states.
1992 brought controversy
and concerns over the intentions
of the English MG Car Club when
they opened an office in Texas and
started contacting local clubs
announcing their intent to sign
on members and chapters of their
intended MG Car Club-North
America. The initiative was quickly
withdrawn in the face of vigorous
protests from the existing North
American Registers and local clubs.
The North American MG Council
was formed at MG ‘92 in Peterborough in response to the MGCC-NA
miscue and serves as a forum for
communication and coordination
among the registers.
The first Service Recommendation List and Membership List was
published in the spring of 1993.
This listing of member recommendations of MG service facilities
continent-wide has become one of
the premium benefits of Register
membership. This handy book,
which will fit in the glovebox, offers
peace of mind on long MG treks
with its listings of service facili-
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An overview of the meeting that took place in John Twist’s MG garage, Grand Rapids, MI.
ties and members.
1996 saw the fulfillment of the
dream of a combined all register
meet. In conjunction with the
North American MMM Register,
the New England MGT Register, the
North American MGA Register, the
American MGC Register, over 1200
MGs converged on Indianapolis,
Indiana for the largest MG meet
yet held on this continent. The
highlight of a stellar event was the
incredible sight of over a thousand
Dennis Trowbridge
MGs making a parade lap of the hallowed Indianapolis Motor Speedway
and lining up in the infield. At the
front of the field was a Cavalcade of
MGs featuring nearly every model
variant of MG ever marketed in
North America. And the success of
the event lead to this year’s followup with all the Registers once again
combining their conventions in St.
Paul, Minnesota.
This is only a brief recitation of
the highlights of the Register’s first
Jim Udkler
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Jerome Rosenberger, Keith Holdsworth, David Haywood
ten years. May there be many more.
Some of our Officers and Coordinators from the last ten years were
kind enough to offer the following
memories and observations —
Rick Ingram
Chairman 1993-1997
What events of the past ten
years of NAMGBR history stand
out to me? Missing the planning
meeting in Michigan in 1990 due
to work responsibilities. Making
countless friends (and only handful
of enemies) from around the globe.
Being introduced to Don Hayter in
1992; Ken Costello in 1993; Geoff
Allen in 1994; Lawrie Alexander
in 1995; Anders Clausager in 1996;
Dennis Gage in 1998; and numerous other “MG personalities” over
the years. Losing enthusiasts such
as “Damit Dick” Criswell. Driving
my MG to each annual convention;
the memories of these road trips will
always be with me. Actually being
thanked by a Register member for
driving my MG in the Michigan
Endurance Runs– proving that a
well-maintained MG actually CAN
BE TRUSTED out on the open road.
Talking with Burt Levy. Being ap-
David Moser amd Harry Brown
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proached to run for a Register
office in 1993. Being able to assist
in the planning of Indy ’96. Observing the “pride of ownership” in the
eyes of young MG enthusiasts such
as Candice Cole, James French, and
Jeremy Holdsworth.
Having to look up the meaning
of the word, “spurious”. The support
my family and I have received from
MG enthusiasts across the nation
in times of poor health and natural
catastrophes. The memories of the
good times had at the Annual General Meetings held in Indianapolis,
Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Orleans,
Las Vegas, and Chicago. The good
times and good memories of Register events far outweigh the bad ones
for me. And I know that there will
be many more memories in store for
me, my wife Jean, and our MG(s) as
long as the enthusiasm I’ve grown
accustomed to enjoying with the
members of NAMGBR prospers.
Happy Anniversary, NAMGBR!
Ken Smith
The First Ten Years! It was a dark
and stormy night!—not really—but
I recall that it was bitterly cold and
dark that December day back in
1990 when a group of MGB and
Midget enthusiasts, disillusioned
by an apparent disregard of their
wishes for a democratic MGB association, decided to form a new
organization. The North American
MGB Register. This followed a press
release on October 22nd 1990, ten
years to the day after the MG Factory closed, advising of the impending formation of the Register.
Held in the workshop of founding
Chairman John H Twist’s University
Motors premises, December 1st and
2nd saw the policies laid down and
the constitution set for what proved
to be the fastest growing MGB organization in North America.
Notables among those at-
Ken Smith listening to discussions at hand.
tending were Dick Knudson, Ron
Embling, Phil Richer, David Heywood, Keith Holdsworth, Jerome
Rosenberger, Jai Deagan, Jim Pesta,
Larry Rupp, myself and around
another thirty enthusiasts in all. A
working plan was agreed and founding members left confident that we
were on the verge of something big.
Minimal advertising followed
and enthusiasts disillusioned with
the then, current organization
serving MGB owners took the new
club to their hearts and soon made
it the leading democratic MGB club
in North America. Affiliation to the
MG Car Club and the MG Owners
Club in the UK followed and a tollfree hot line was another first for the
Register, as was insurance coverage for local chapter events. The
number of local chapters quickly
grew until today the Register boasts
no fewer than Our very first Annual
Convention was held in Peterborough, Canada during 1992 and over
the past ten years these happenings
have grown in size, complexity and
popularity. Register officials took a
leading part in staging the giant
MG ‘96 event held at the In-
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Bruce Wyckoff, Martin Boysen, Christopher Roberts: Russ Casolari.
Ken Nelson
dianapolis Speedway and each and
every one of our Conventions has
been staged by local members without reliance on any other parallel
event to carry the show! We are honored to have as Honorary Members
Don Hayter and Geoff Allen, both of
whom were closely associated with
the MG Factory, and Ken Costello,
father of the MGB V8, and regular
contact has been maintained with
the MGCC MGB Register back in
England. However, an abortive and
ill-advised attempt by the MG Car
Club to form a North American arm
of the parent club was strenuously
resisted by the NAMGBR and other
major MG Clubs in the States, and
eventually foundered.
So, twenty years after the last
MG rolled off the Abingdon production lines, we look forward to the
next ten years, financially stable
and with a growing membership of
the greatest bunch of MG enthusiasts in the world!
The MGB Driver Founding Editor Marcham Rhoade published the
very first issue just two months after
the inaugural meeting in Feb/Mar
1991. A sparse 36 pages, glove-box
size, put together under some
43
Jai Deagan
Secretary – 1994-1997
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Jai Deagan 1990
constraints. Would people send in
money for the new organization?
Who would we get to print the magazine? Who would write articles for
the Driver? However, it soon became
apparent that this is what members
wanted and the magazine grew in
strength and size. We evened up
the six issues for the first year by
publishing a unique color edition of
the Driver for Nov/Dec 1991. By Jan/
Feb 1992 we were up to 50 pages and
the magazine boasted a glossy front
and rear cover!
Since then over 60 issues have
been produced and our staff of writers has seen some famous names
pass through the pages of the Driver.
John Sprinzel, Syd Beer, David
Knowles, Don Hayter, Geoff Allen
and others, have, through their
words enhanced the popularity of
the magazine. Our Tech advisors are
without peer and Bob Mason has
set the standard for consistency in
advising members with technical
questions. Of course, we also pay
tribute to our founding Chairman,
John H. Twist for his invaluable
counsel and advice.
December 1 and 2, 1990, 614
Eastern S.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan, 30-40 MG enthusiasts gathered in the shop of John Twist. The
purpose of this meeting was the
formation of a new MG club, the
North American MGB Register. It
was an brisk time (the heat in the
old shop was less than adequate),
it was an tumultuous time (several
clubs, here and abroad were competing), it was an exciting time (many
of us had been charter members of
clubs before, but this was something
bigger).
We seemed to have a common
goal—enjoy the MG. We all seemed
to have a little different idea of how
this was should be done. We were,
and still are, committed to the
idea of preserving the marque and
helping owners to enjoy their MGs. Many things have happened since
that fateful weekend in 1990. New
MGs roll of the assembly line, we
have gained some new friends and
lost some old ones, but most of all,
we have had fun.
Ten years seems like a long time
ago. As I recall, I only had two MGs
then, now I have five. My wife and
I attended our first UML Summer
Party in August of 1986. I think
there were just about 300 cars in
attendance. In 1996 we joined over
1,000 other enthusiasts in Indianapolis to celebrate the marque, the
“marque of friendship.” We have
traveled from coast to coast and
north to south and even made a pilgrimage to Abingdon and the Magic
Midget Pub.
Thank you to John, Ken,
Jerome, Rock and Bruce for your efforts in the early years. We certainly
have enjoyed the first twenty years
and look forward to the next.
45
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47
NAMGBR Conventions
Through the Years
By Tony & Lynne Burgess – NAMGBR AGM and Convention Chairs
MG 1992
MG 1992 – Peterborough, Ontario: Hosted by the MG Car Club of
Toronto. This was first NAMGBR convention. The show included a number of
activities including a pub night, several driving tours, and the car show. One
of the rallies included a “Figure 8” concept where cars set off in two different
directions from the “center of the eight”, then returned to that location, only
to set off later on the other loop in the “8”. One tour took us on a boat cruise
around Peterborough and we visited the Lift Lock, which raises boats on a
water elevator 65’ to the next level of the Trent Waterway – very impressive to
see boats on this elevator.
MG 1993 - St. Louis,
Missouri: Hosted by the
Barbeque time at MG 1993 St. Louis.
MG 1995 - Lake Tahoe,
California: Hosted by the
Sacramento MG Club. This
was our first west coast show.
It was held at the historic CalNeva Hotel on the shores of
Lake Tahoe. It was a beautiful
show with a 100-mile gimmick rally and a visit to the
National Car Museum as just
some of the highlights.
48
MG Club of St. Louis. It
was our second convention, but the first to have
concours voting. There
members from 29 separate
affiliated chapters in attendance. Special guest
was Ken Costello, the
originator of the MGB V8.
MG 1994 – Washington DC:
Hosted by the MG Car Club-Washington DC Centre. Over 400 cars
were in attendance as was special
guest Geoff Allen, who worked at
the MG factory for over 30 years.
Also there was Rouche Bentley of
the MG Owners Club who brought
over his MG RV8. The EPA required special water collection for
the hotel car wash area!
MG 1996 – Indianapolis, Indiana: The First All-Register MG Event.
Activities included tours of the Ropke Military Museum, Conner Prairie
Historical Center, tours of Indianapolis – including dinner at the Zoo, and
of course, a lap on the famous Indianapolis 500 Speedway. About 1,300 MGs
attended this event.
MG 1997 – Buffalo, New York: Hosted by the Buffalo Octagon Association. Some very nice tours around the Buffalo area as well as bus tours to some
historic locations and buildings in downtown Buffalo and to Niagara Falls.
MG 1998 – Hagerstown, Maryland: Hosted by MGs of Baltimore.
Over 300 MGs attended this show with special guest long-time MG Factory
employee Brian Moylan. A popular attraction at this show was the track day
instruction at Summit Point Raceway – including skidpad training and an
autocross!
MG 1999 – Vancouver,
British Columbia: Hosted
by the Canadian Classic
MG Club in Vancouver.
This event was based on the
campus of the University of
British Columbia, a gorgeous
setting overlooking the city
of Vancouver. We stayed in
the campus dorms which
were quite nice and like an
apartment. One of the tours
included a trip to Whistler
Mountain which was breathtaking. The car show site
overlooking the water was
really nice.
MG 2000 – Cleveland, Ohio: Host-
ed by the Emerald Necklace MG Register,
it is NAMGBR’s largest show so far with
about 450 cars. Rallies through the very
scenic Emerald Necklace MetroParks then
down into the industrial flats of Cleveland. The boat trip down the Cuyahoga
River on The Goodtime III saw one of the
deckhands go overboard during docking
process. Since show participants don’t
like long banquets, the awards ceremony
was held in the parking lot after the banquet. Friday night’s rain forced alternate
plans so the Rocker Cover Races were
held the hotel corridor. Saturday’s Car
Show was held in the shaded parking lot
of Burke Lakefront Airport, overlooking
downtown Cleveland, and next door
to the Science Center and the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame which allowed folks
to tour the museums as a break from
kicking tires.
49
MG 2006 – Gatlinburg, Tennessee: This was the third
MG 2001 – St. Paul, Minneso-
All-Register MG event co-hosted by the North American Council
of MG Registers and the East Tennessee MG Drivers Club. The
rolling hills scenery was great and plenty to do for everyone who
attended. The car show was located about 20 miles out of town
since that was only one of a few locations large and flat enough to
hold that many cars. The Rocker Cover races had to finish during
the afternoon’s “spring shower” since there were 45 cars entered.
About 1,100 MGs attended this event.
ta: This was the Second All-Register
MG co-hosted by the North American Council of MG Registers, Minnesota MG Group and the Minnesota
MG-T Club. This Event was held at
the Minnesota State Fairgrounds
which people really loved. The Fairgrounds offered tree lined streets and
small “park-like” areas where folks
could gather. There were a number of
activities at the Fairgrounds as well as
a number of driving tours in the area.
About 850 MGs attended this event.
MG 2007 – Sonoma,
MG 2004 Parsippany, New Jersey
MG 2004 – Parsippany,
MG 2002 Dallas, Texas
New Jersey: Hosted by the MG
Car Club-Central Jersey Centre.
Some very nice historic drives
through Revolutionary America
and a Circle Line boat tour of
Manhattan. A special guest was
Mike Cook, former PR Director
for British Leyland.
Adventures of MG 2007
MG 2002 – Dallas, Texas:
MG 2008 – Valley Forge,
Pennsylvania: Hosted by the Phila-
The Texas MG Register hosted a very
nice event located between Dallas
and Fort Worth with lots to do with
a true “western” theme. Some nice
driving tours around the area as
well as a Texas Ho-down and BBQ.
MG 2003 - St. Louis, Mis-
souri: The second event hosted
by the MG Club of St. Louis.
Some really nice driving tours
as well as events downtown at
“The Arch”. The Club sponsored
a “gastronomic” bus tour around
St. Louis highlighting some of the
unique food and historic spots in
St. Louis. Saturday’s car show was
held in a nice park next to Creve
Coeur Lake.
50
MG 2005 Olympia, Washington
MG 2005 – Olympia,
Washington: Hosted by the
MG Car Club, Northwest Centre.
Another beautiful Northwest
location in Olympia overlooking the State Capitol. The trip
through Mt. St. Helen’s blast
zone was interesting as was the
climb to see Spirit Lake. The Club
also hosted one of the evening
dinners on an Indian Reservation.
delphia MG Club. There was a great
turn out for this show with scenic
drives set up for the surrounding
Amish country west of Philadelphia.
The high point for many was the premiere of the movie Sherman’s Way
by special guest Craig Saavedra, the
director of the film.
MG 2009 – Breckenridge,
Colorado: Hosted by the MG Car
Club-Rocky Mountain Centre. A great
location in the Rockies with spectacular drives through the mountains.
One evening’s dinner was held at an
old gold mine with a tour of the mine
before dinner. There were donkeys
at the mine and they would take the
food of your plate during dinner if
you didn’t pay attention.
California: Hosted by the
MG Owners Club of Northern California. As you might
expect, there were terrific
drives and tours through this
part of the country, north of
San Francisco. The coastal
tour along Highway 1 started
with heavy fog, but ending in
sunshine. The Wine Country
tour took you to many of the
well-known wineries in the
Napa area. The car show was
held right on the grounds of
the hotel and next to the golf
course – a really nice setting.
MG 2010 – Belleville,
Ontario: The second con-
vention hosted by the MG
Car Club of Toronto. There
were beautiful driving tours
around the peninsula which
included wine and beer tours.
There was a welcome BBQ on
the lawn of the hotel and a
pub night following a really
interesting tour of the Royal
Canadian Air Force Museum.
The car show on Saturday was
held on the grounds of the
hotel overlooking the Bay.
51
NAMGBR at Twenty
By Kim Tonry & John Twist
F
all 1990. MG sports cars had
ceased rolling off the production lines of MG’s Abingdon,
England plant ten years before.
The name lived on in Europe on
the sporty versions of a few British
Leyland coupes, but these had not
re-crossed the Atlantic. But there
still remained a dedicated following
of MG enthusiasts in Canada and
the U.S. Just as frustrating as the
lack of new MGs coming in was the
lack of responsiveness from those
running the stagnating continentwide MGB and Midget organization
that existed then.
This state of affairs led to the
October 22, 1990 (the tenth anniversary of Abingdon’s closing)
announcement of the intent to
form a new
continentwide
organization for
52
enthusiasts of the MGB, Midget,
and 1100/1300s. An organization
that would be run by and for its
members; that would be openly
and democratically operated with
regularly scheduled elections and
officers who would be accountable
to the membership.
The inaugural meeting of the
fledgling organization was held
in John Twist’s famed MG service
facilities in Grand Rapids, Michigan,
on a cold, dark December weekend.
MG enthusiasts from across the
continent and even from Great Britain were in attendance. The North
American MGB Register emerged from
that meeting.
I spoke with
John Twist
Gene Cooper, Phil Richer, Ron Embling
and he was kind enough to
offer the following memories and
observations of the twenty years of
the Register.
John Twist: “It was never my
intention to start yet another MG
organization. The American organization of MG owners, factionalized
along model lines, seemed opposite
of the true nature of MG ownership.
The MG Car Club got it right with
their slogan, “MG – The Marque of
Friendship.” The fact that many MG
enthusiasts owned more than one
model and the resounding success
of the many University Motors
Summer Parties at which all MGs
were welcome made me realize that
instead of many independently
operating national MG organizations, there should, instead, be one
large organization with a common
newsletter and one very large annual event. It is an understatement
to state that my vision was not
shared by the leaders of the several
national organizations! To me, the
function of the organizations was to
provide a good program through a
good newsletter, through competent
technical assistance, and through
large and well-run national and
regional meetings.
“All clubs, whether run
by paid staff or by volunteers,
encounter difficulties. Membership
waxes and wanes; good people come
and go; newsletter editors eventually burn out. By the late 1980s, the
original national MGB organization
was at a low point. The leaders of the
organization were not receptive to
suggestions, the magazine was poor
quality, and many of the original
good people, the volunteers, had
drifted away. We held a meeting
with the leadership. Attending were
Gene Cooper, Harry Brown, Peter
Robinson, my late wife, Caroline
Robinson, myself – and perhaps
some others. I did search my notebooks, my “source documents,” for
this information, but my scribblings
are scant. The tone of the meeting
was set at the outset when the leader
of the existing MGB club told us that
they would listen to our complaints
and our suggestions, but that nothing would change. We came away
temporarily dismayed. We wrote the
club, officially, and asked the leaders
to step down so that a more energetic team could take the helm and lift
the organization from its doldrums
and turn it into a large, exciting,
vibrant, and responsible club for
MGB owners. As they legally owned
Christopher Roberts, Barby Smith, Edna Rosenberger
53
John Twist, Dick Knudson, Ron Embling
the club, they were unwilling to give
it up. The die was cast.
“The call went out among the
disaffected MGB owners and club
leaders that we would form a new
club. The site for our meeting was
my own shop, University Motors, in
Grand Rapids. This call raised quite
a stir. Phil Richer, overseas director
of the MG Car Club England made
plans to attend.
“Dick Knudson, chairman of
the New England MG T Register,
along with Ron Embling of Britbooks and MG Magazine, drove
out from Oneonta, New York. Ken
Nelson, representing NAMGAR,
was there. David Haywood, North
American representative of the
MGCC attended from Toronto,
resplendent in MGCC jewelry. Club
leaders from Michigan to Texas were
present. Leading the group were
Ken Smith, Jerome Rosenberger, and
myself. Richer wanted us to align
with the MG Car Club and spoke
of a new umbrella organization
the MGCC had in the works
54
for the USA; Knudson and Embling
were there to advise and to keep us
focused on MGBs; Nelson warned
us away from complexity with the
acronym “KISS” (Keep it Simple,
Stupid!). Rock Yarrington, an MGB
enthusiast from the greater Chicago
area allowed that he was a CPA
engendering his election as the first
treasurer.
“Throughout the weekend, we
wrangled with the national structure, the club membership process,
the newsletter, and the annual
conventions, plus the legal and fiscal responsibilities. Over all of our
discussions, the focus was “How can
we best serve the MGB owner.” The
basis of the structure was democratic. We spent time on defining an
affiliated local club and how they
could vote; we enacted a structure to
give those who were not a member
of a local club the ability to vote; we
spent time with the name and how
we might pronounce the abbreviation; how to assign membership
numbers; the content of the
newsletter; the various coordinators…
“A wonderful set of photos still
exists from that first meeting, shot
by Dennis Trowbridge of the Chicagoland club. Some show the participants in passionate debate; some
show others with their eyes nearly
closed during the more mundane
deliberations.
“In our enthusiasm, we were all
certain the membership would skyrocket to 10,000 and that the original club would fold. The NAMGBR
membership continues to hover in
the range of 2000 and the original
organization continues on.
My attempts to combine
all the clubs under
the mantle of the
MGCC met with
great resistance. Little
attempt has
been made
since I withdrew from
club politics
in the late ‘90s
to bring the
national clubs
any closer
together – the
all register meets
notwithstanding.
“The local clubs,
once separated by models, now nearly all welcome all MG
models if not, in fact, all British.
The massive MG club meets which
at one time drew hundreds upon
hundreds of MGs and thousands of
enthusiasts have been diluted by the
astonishing number of car meets
everywhere. It seems that every
church, every volunteer organization, every school hosts some sort of
car meet now. Gosh, even my barber
hosted a car show!
“I was the chairman for the first
term; Jerome was the first secretary
and then stepped back in again,
several years ago; Ken was
the newsletter editor for years;
Caroline was the registrar (as she
had been for the original MGB club).
Dick Knudson stepped down as
chairman of the New England MG T
Register several years ago. Ron Embling sold both his Britbooks business and MG Magazine. Phil Richer
was a participant in an ill-fated
attempt by the MGCC England to
take over the MG clubs in the USA
by storm (from which came the first
all register meet – MG International
– Indy 96, but that is another story!)
and passed away about 15 years ago
from ALS. Ken Nelson
was just recognized
by NAMGAR for
his unflagging
years of support in their
organization.
Ken Smith
has retired
from Moss
Motors and
continues to
write for the
newsletter.
Dennis Trowbridge passed
away several
years ago. Jerome
continues to work for
Engel Imports/Terry’s
Jaguar from his home in
downstate Illinois. Rock Yarrington
suffers from a debilitating illness.
David Haywood keeps a low MG
profile. Rick Ingram, attending
from the Prairie Octagon Association, became the second chairman
and is now the director of the MG
Council. My dear wife Caroline
died in January; and I continue on,
offering technical assistance for the
MG owners. It is so very pleasing to
know that I, in part, aided in the formation of this very successful MG
organization – the North American
MGB Register.”
55
The “John Thornley
Spirit of MG” Award
T
he John Thornley Spirit of MG Award is NAMGBR’s highest honor. It is
bestowed at the Annual Convention each year to a person(s) embodying
the spirit and enthusiasm that is the hallmark of the MG marque.
The award is named in honor of John Thornley who, in 1930, became
the first Secretary of the MG Car Club, and, having so much enthusiasm for
the marque, became an employee of the MG Car Company at Abingdon in
1931. Over the years, John worked his way up to General Manager (19521969) and always remained a true MG enthusiast. It was under his leadership
that the MG TD, MG TF, MGA, Midget, MGB, etc, came into being.
The award itself is a framed original oil painting by Dennis Wharf featuring the first works MGB/GT – LBL 591E – to compete in an international
event in Sebring, Florida. The painting was a gift from the MG Car Club’s
MGB Register and was presented by John Watson, of Abingdon, England, to
the North American MGB Register at MG 96 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The decision was made to use the painting as an annual traveling award
to be given, on loan, to the current recipient with the understanding that it
is their responsibility to have the print at the next year’s annual convention
to be presented to the next recipient. At that time, a plaque with a reproduction of the painting is given to the previous year’s recipient of this honor to
keep. Each year, the NAMGBR executive board, with the input from coordinators, registrars, and members, chooses the award recipient.
And the winners are…
1996 – Jerome Rosenberger 1997 – Kim Tonry 1998 – Don Bridger
1999 – Tom Boscarino
2000 – Lynne and Tony Burgess
2001 – Wayne Kube
2002 – Leo and Debbie Fortin
2003 – The Looft Family
2004 – Rick Ingram
2005 – Don Perry 2006 – Ken Smith 2007 – Charles & Kim de Bourbon
2008 – John Twist 2009 – Larry and Barb Henle
2010 – Richard and Carol Brown
56
Benton, Illinois
Downers Grove, Illinois
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Asheville, North Carolina
Westerville, Ohio
Plano, Texas
Geely, Ontario Canada
Wilmington, Ohio
St Joseph, Illinois
Edmond, Oklahoma
Goleta, California
Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania
Ada, Michigan
Marshall, Minnesota
Bloomington, Illinois
Nineteen Conventions
and Counting
By Bruce Wyckoff
T
here is only a handful of members who have been to every single
NAMGBR convention, driving their MG from sea to shining sea (well,
sometimes they had to fly, but they’ve still been there). Attending the
annual conventions has been what I considered one of the highlights of the
year since Connie and I began going back in 1992.
At MG 2002, the tenth convention, we started thinking about those
of us who had attended all them to that date. As you can see by the picture,
there were sixteen people with “perfect attendance” at that time.
Larry & Barbara Henle
Roger & Shirley Goebbert
Ken & Barbara Smith
Don & Bobbie Peery
Connie & Bruce Wyckoff
Jai & Sue Deagan
Rick & Jean Ingram
Len & Debi Fortin
In the picture posted in the MGB Driver from September/October 2005 (page 30), the number was down to 11 people
Don Peery
Connie & Bruce Wyckoff
Jai & Sue Deagan
Rick & Jean Ingram
As of MG 2010 in Belleville, we are down to just eight people. You’ll notice that Don Perry has an asterisk. Well, that’s because he and his MG were
just thirty miles from Breckenridge for MG 2009 when he had an emergency
that caused him to be unable to attend at the last minute, but since he was so
close and made such a huge effort to be there, it has been counted by special
decree of the Chairman:
Bruce & Connie Wyckoff
Jai Deagan
Don Peery *
57
Scale models of prototype MGBs-AD023, left and Frua styled MGB, right.
First MGB Prototype - EX214
Birth of a Legend:
Don Hayter’s Story
By Andrew Roberts
MG Enthusiast Magazine
Reprinted from the Sept/Oct 1992
MGB Driver
A
s many of our members know,
Don Hayter, MG’s former
Chief Engineer was our featured keynote speaker at MG 1992
and was our special guest at MG
2006. Here, Don, the North American MGB Register’s first Honorary
Member, talks to Andrew Roberts of
MG Enthusiast Magazine, about the
early days of the MGB.
In 1981, after the Abingdon factory had built its last MGB, British
Leyland’s press advertising for the
Limited Edition model described
it as “the most loved, most famous
sportscar that has ever been built.
This, some 18 years and 512,880
vehicles later than the first MGB,
launched to the public in 1962.
Astonishingly, that an eighteen
year model run should have been
just eight variants, since the MGB
was expected to have been replaced
sometime in 1970. So, for once, the
copywriter’s hyperbole was justified.
58
For any car to have remained in
production for eighteen years and
to be resurrected some eleven years
after its apparent demise, has to he
unique in the motoring world and
it speaks volumes for the ‘rightness’
of the MGB concept, its design and
translation into manufacture, some
three decades ago. The credit for the
MGB has to go to MG’s then Chief
Engineer, Syd Enever whose team
had been augmented by two individuals who were to play fundamental roles in the MGB story. First of
these was the late Roy Brocklehurst,
who had originally joined Abingdon
as a design apprentice in 1947 and
who was ultimately to succeed Syd
as Chief Engineer on his retirement
in 1971.
The other key player in the
evolution of the MGB was of course
Don Hayter who would also become
MG’s Chief Engineer, and the last
one! Joining MG in 1956 under Syd
Enever, he was immediately put to
work on projects for the MGA Twin
Cam as well as the styling of the Le
Mans MGA coupe, for which he undoubtedly drew on his experience
at Aston Martin where he worked
prior to joining MG.
At this point it is well worth
considering the changing face of
MG sportscar production at Abindon. From the 1930’s until the
outbreak of war in 1939, MG production had always been low volume.
It was only with the post-war TC
(10,000) and the TD (30,000) that
relatively high volumes became a
fact of life at Abingdon. The MGA
introduced in 1956 was to expand
the sports car market vastly – as with
over 100,000 cars made, it brought
sports car motoring to a growing
section of the market.
At the same time there was also
volume sports car production from
Triumph, Austin-Healey, Jaguar, and
Sunbeam, and the inevitable result
was that many of the new breed of
sports car drivers, particularly in the
United States, were looking for higher standards and accommodation
than those afforded by traditional
models with their firm ride, detachable side screens, and relatively
cramped and sparse interiors.
It was against this background
that Abingdon was closely examining the alternatives for the MGA
replacement and Don Hayter was
involved with the EX205/1 project
car which, revised under his pencil
became the full size mock up. He
recalls, “The coupe was a bit like a
war horse in full armor, with curves
in all the right places, but still not
quite right.” Preceding this had
been a prototype of a Frua-styled
roadster on an MGA 1500 chassis
but this somewhat striking car met
with little approval and the project
was scrapped.
Both these two potential MGA
replacements had started on the
premise of a separate chassis and
body, but the increasingly high volumes of sports car production made
this a time consuming and costly
process. On the other hand, the idea
of a monocoque production sports
car had the initial disadvantages of
high initial tooling costs, although
the online production economies
would be very great. Both, MG General Manager John Thornley and
Syd Enever, were convinced that if
volumes for the new MG sports car
were to exceed those of the MGA,
separate chassis construction would
be a severe limiting factor, and it was
therefore decided that monocoque
construction would be adopted.
One enormous advantage
was that because of his previous
experience at Pressed Steel where
his career had begun, Don Hayter
was well used to this method of
construction. It was Syd Enever’s
pairing of Roy Brocklehurst on the
chassis design and Don Hayter on
the body side, that was to be so
instrumental in making the new
MG s sports car a success from the
moment it was launched.
In these days of so much computer aided design, when so much of
the preliminary work in the design
sector is speeded up, it is interesting
to discover how quickly the MGB
59
project, which was allocated
the number EX214/1, reached
fruition. In 1959, drawing on the
lines of EX181, MG’s last record
breaker, Don put pen to paper
indicating the likely form of
MG’s new sports car. Unlike
the preceding project this was
always conceived as an open car
and as he recalls it was one of
those projects which seemed right
from the start. “I drew everything
to quarter scale and straight away
passed it to MG’s model maker,
Harry Herring, who produced the
model within six weeks. That was
in the Summer of 1959 and I was
able to design it from the standpoint that it had to be an easy car
to get into production, and here
my experience with Aston Martin
and Pressed Steel was to be very
important. Once the finished
Don Hayter attended MG 2006 in Gatlinburg,
model had been approved at
Tennessee. Here after giving a “tech session”.
Abingdon, John Thonley took it
engine in the hands of unsympato BMC at Longbridge where it was
thetic drivers undoubtedly put paid
immediately passed and allocated
to this idea.
the project number ADO23. Then
Finally there was a proposal
a full size mock up was prepared
for a two liter, in line, four cylinder
and BMC’s top brass approved the
engine, developed from the BMC
project.”
C-Series Six, the body of EX 214 havWhat is clearly astonishing
ing been designed to accommodate
about EX 21411 was that it was
this power unit. It was, however the
‘right’ from the very start. The
further development of the four-cylfirst 1/4 scale model was virtually
inder B-Series unit, this time with a
identical to the prototype and the
capacity of 1798cc that was to power
subsequent production MGBs, quite
the MGB – with the exception of the
unlike many projects where the
V8 and MGC derivatives – throughinitial proposal changes substanout its production life.
tially before it reaches production.
In terms of interior space,
For the MGA replacement there had
the MGB was as different from its
been consideration given to the V4
predecessor as chalk and cheese. In
prototype engine being developed
the MGA the cockpit area could best
by BMC. Prototypes had been-made
be described as ‘intimate’, but in the
with both cast iron and alloy blocks,
‘B’ there was now a definite sense
but the substantial investment
of space. The cockpit length was
required for the development of the
increased from 32 1/2’’ to 49 3/4”,
new power unit were such that it
while the width increased by no less
was abandoned. There was a further
than five and a half inches from 45”
proposal to fit the car with the MGA
to 51 1/2”. Yet such was the packagTwin Cam unit although the reliing achieved by Syd Enever and
ability record of this particular
his team that the result was a
60
Don Hayter sharing his experiences designing the MGA and MGB to a standing room only
crowd at MG 2006 Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
car some three inches shorter than
the MGA!
Much of the early development
work on the prototype centered
around the rear suspension. Don
Hayter recalls, “Syd Enever wanted a
softer suspension than the MGA, so
trailing arm with Panhard rod and
coil spring was the way to go, Roy
Brocklehurst put in many hours of
development on this set-up. Hundreds of miles of road testing were
completed but the testers did not
like the tendency of the car to steer
itself from the back. Put very simply,
the car did not feel as ‘forgiving’ as
the MGA, and this was the death
knell for the IRS system. Interestingly a MGA with an independent
rear end was not proceeded with
either. As far as the front suspension
was concerned, this was virtually
identical with the MGA, which in
turn first saw use in the MG TF.”
So despite the advanced rear
suspension ideas, the MGB was to
retain a cart sprung system like its
MGA predecessor, however Roy
Brocklehurst modified this with
longer spring leaves, and inclined
them to promote slight understeer.
Unfortunately, this meant the
overall length of the MGB had to
be increased by one inch, although
there were to be substantial gains
in production terms. Had the IRS
route been adopted, the spare wheel
would have had to be leaned against
the rear bulkhead with the gas tank
behind. With the greater length
the spare wheel could now lie flat
on the boot floor, while the petrol
tank was to assume its traditional
under-slung position. The second
prototype MGB incorporated these
changes and the 1800cc engine
was fitted, the first prototype was
scrapped but the surviving photographs show just how close it was
to the production version. Interestingly enough, Don recalls there was
none of the press hype and ‘scoops’
regarding the possible introduction
of the new MGB. The prototypes
and the preproduction versions,
which totaled eight, were regularly
driven on the roads around Abingdon and were also tested at the
MlRA track at Nuneaton. “The press
respected our secrecy and embargoes then” said Don, “However just
before the launch a French photographer visited Abingdon complete
with a distractingly attractive girl
assistant, seeking to obtain scoop
pictures of the new MG – that particular ploy did not work either!”
The attention to detail on
the MGB project applied to every
aspect of the car, not just its
61
From the book, “Limited Edition” by Ken Smith
the roadster with the top u p
mechanical specification, and
– the very narrow depth windthe seating design was a case in
screen. “This was dictated by the
point. Jimmy O’Neil was involved
Appendix J Regulations for sportscar
with the seating from the outset,
racing and why it has been referred
and developed the first one piece
to as beetle browed”, Don explains,
cushion mouldings manufactured
“We also carried out a considerable
by Aeropreen Products of High Wyamount of research into the sump
comb in Buckinghamshire. These
baffles in the engine –because of the
were a substantial innovation in
effects of hard
driver and pascornering, parsenger comfort,
ticularly if the
the MGB being
car was being
one of the first
driven in compecars to befitted
tition. It was also
with them. The
always intended
combination of
that, for lightthese and the
ness, the MGB
Pirelli Webbing
should have an
underframe
aluminum bonwas to continue
net, doors, and
throughout
trunk lid, but
the production
ultimately only
life of the car,
the aluminum
and anyone
bonnet saw its
who has driven
way onto the
long distances
production Bs
in an MGB
and then just
will testify to
for a short time.
the soundness
Again, we were
of the combiconcerned about
nation. Don
heavy-handed
Hayter recalls
owners and
that a considermechanics.
able amount of
The early
on-the-road
Sebring
research
MGBs
was carried “. . .the MGB-GT, still regarded
were in
out to defact very
termine the as one of the most classic body
shapes of all time . . .”
standard,
optimum
it was
set up for
onlv later
the seats. As
that the
he points
compeout, “The
tition cars made extensive use of
crush rate of the car seat cushions
alloy panels, which I organized with
is crucial for driver and passenger
Pressed steel.”
comfort, and has to be in phase with
The first MGBs were completed
the car’s suspension.”
in May 1962, the initial 500 desAbingdon always intended that
tined for the vital North American
the new MGB would be capable of
export sportscar market. The
modifications for competition use,
public launch was at the 1962
and this explains one of the most
London Motor Show where it
oft heard complaints regarding
62
Don Hayter, second from the left, “PR” photo for the 500,000 MGB LE
was priced at £834.6.3d inclusive of
purchase tax. So was launched a 110
MPH sports car that was to set new
standards of road holding, performance, comfort, and all round
reliability, which over half a million
first owners would enjoy. However,
Don takes great pains to point out
that the launch of the MGB was only
the start of a continuous development program which ran right
through until the two-liter 0-series,
engine change program was aborted
towards the end of the model’s life.
The MGB GT, still regarded as one of
the most classic body shapes of all
time appeared in 1965, was followed
by the MGC in 1967, and the MGB
GT V8 in 1973.
On the MGB itself, overdrive
was added as an option in 1963,
a five bearing crankshaft engine
substituting the original three bearing crank in 1964, and the Salisbury
rear axle fitted in 1967. Count-
less other changes were made to the
B during its life including the fitting
of black polyurethane bumpers to
comply with U.S. regulations. The
whole question of compliance with
these increasingly stringent requirements prompts Don to recall how
MG and other European manufacturers worked together with the
American authorities on the framing of the regulations. Roy Brocklehurst became an increasingly
regular trans-Atlantic commuter on
behalf of MG at this time!
Perhaps the final word on
the MGB should be Don Hayter’s
comments on Syd Enever. “He was
the best self-taught engineer ever,
and someone who always made
you think. He knew precisely what
he wanted with the MG – getting
the exhaust note right is a classic
example – and the enormous success
and popularity of the MGB is the
best possible tribute to him.”
63
Registrars of the NAMGBR
MGB Limited Edition Registrar
1967 MGB/GT Special Registrar
Ken Smith
Hammer & Tongs Registrar
Midget Registrar
Col. Robert Swetzer
New Generation Registrar
P.O. Box 8645, Goleta, CA 93117
(805) 683-2906 • [email protected]
P.O. Box 1145
Red Rock, AZ 85245
(520) 904-3768
[email protected]
1974½ MGB Registrar
Scott Perry
538 Hooper Ave
Simi Valley, CA 93065
[email protected]
MGB V8 Registrar
Modified Registrar
Mike Grieco
2402 Sylvan Ave.
Wilmington, Delaware, 19805
Phone: 302-998-4514
E-mail: [email protected]
Pull-Handle MGB Registrar
Bill Barge
930 N. 350 E., Angola, IN 46703
(260) 665-6476
[email protected]
MG 1100/1300 Registrar
Bill Fox
998 Northwestern Ave
Fairview Heights, IL 62208
[email protected]
100,000 Mile Registrar
Jai Deagan
11825 Columbia Highway
Eaton Rapids, MI 48827
[email protected]
Original Owner Registrar
Bill Hawkins
64
2301 Kendricks Court
Raleigh, NC 27613
(919) 676-8888
[email protected]
Phil Smith
5 Willow Lane
Farmington, CT 06032
(860) 674 1179
James Woolf
[email protected]
20 Years On . . .
By David Knowles
author MG: The Untold Story and MGB
I
t hardly seems possible that the
spring of 2011 marks twenty years
since the first issue of MGB Driver
landed on my doormat. That two
house moves ago
and just as my
older daughter arrived in the world
(she is now studying at University
– I’ll leave you
to guess which
one – living just
behind the site
of the old Morris
Garages!).
When
I knew that
one of the key
lovers behind
the NAMGBR’s
new glove-box
sized magazine was my
good friend
“Marcham
Rhoade”, I
knew that we
would be in
for a regular
good read.
The man
with a bottomless box of
MG trivia never disappointed with
his fascinating revelations, much of
it culled from obscure sources and
the remainder often gleaned first
hand over a glass of Old Speckled
Hen from an old Abingdonian.
Of course, the passage of time
is like a lens and we can look back
to the MG world of 20 years back in
myopic wonder. 1991 was just eleven years after the death of the old
car factory whose products brought
sports car lovers such joy. In the
two decades before the millennium,
it was still not that uncommon to
see MGBs and Midgets in use as
daily drivers, their pilots often seen
as eccentric bulwarks against the
bland and boring progeny of most
contemporary carmakers.
MG had been absent from
the North
American
market for
a decade by
1991 and if
the marque
had risen
like Lazarus
in some
markets, the
products
bearing the
badge were
little like the
sports cars
that most adherents of the
octagon faith
remembered
with affection. Indeed,
the project
to repackage
Austin sedans
and hatchbacks with MG
badges was just
coming to an
end in that same year.
Two years before, the canny
Japanese carmaker Mazda had
stolen MG’s mojo with the magic
Miata, and all that MG fans in the
New World could dream of were
free-range Heritage bodyshells
and perhaps a magical confluence
between a lotto win and a wellthumbed copy of the Moss Motors
catalogue. The MGB-derived MG
RV8 sports car was still a year away
from launch, and the all-new
65
MGF mid-engined baby Ferrari
three years beyond that, but both
would remain frustratingly irrelevant for the US and Canadian fans
of ‘the sports car that America loved
first’.
Back in 1991, there were some
great classic car magazines and a few
that specialised in MG; publishing
a magazine
then as now,
was a risky
business and
not every
bank manager would
look kindly
upon the oilstained pages
of the wouldbe MG
publisher’s
prospectus.
In ventures
of this kind,
you need a
‘USP’, which
is not a
computer
port with
a lisp but
a ‘Unique
Selling
Point’.
The
MGB Driver
had two:
firstly, the
people
behind
knew their target audience intimately and it was
publishing ‘for the people by the
people’ in a way that President Lincoln might have appreciated, had
he been an MG fan. The second USP
was the distinctive size: about the
same size as an MG driver’s handbook (obviously no coincidence!)
and in those days, rather gloriously
and artistically printed wholly in
black and white (I’m sure the
66
decision was really cost based,
but for me it added a little extra
something!).
The magazine has always
had enough to interest every MG
lover – and it nicely linked owners’
day-to-day experiences, trials and
tribulations with invaluable advice
and fascinating titbits from history.
Contributions from John and
Caroline
Twist and
the aforementioned
“Marcham
Rhoade”
(and his
close confidante Ken
Smith)
were
among the
highlights
for me,
but gems
popped up
all the time,
making the
arrival of
each successive issue an
event to be
savoured.
Despite
the passing
of editorial batons
from one
enthusiast to
another, the
premise and
promises have remained consistent,
and the MGB Driver of today still
fulfils a vital role in our regular MG
reading fix. Will there ever be a new
MG sports car as loved as the MGB?
Who knows – but at least we can
continue to enjoy the ones we’ve
got and the camaraderie of our fellow enthusiasts – and keep reading
about them in the MGB Driver.
Happy Birthday!
MGB Production Statistics
By Caroline Robinson, University Motors
67
Address Service Requested
PRST STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PADUCAH, KY
PERMIT #154
NORTH AMERICAN MGB REGISTER
P.O. BOX 55
Whittington, IL 62897-0055
Above, William Morris, owner of MG.
Below, Cecil Kimber created MG Brand.
The early factory where the inspiration
and the passion for MG was born.

Anniversary Issue - North American MGB Register NAMGBR

Transcription

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