A Continental Adventure in an MG 18/80

In the June 2000 issue of Enjoying MG, readers were introduced to our 1929 MG 18/80 and our experiences when vintage motoring. Since then another 2,000 miles have been added to the odometer during a tour through France, Belgium and Holland. The trip was hugely enjoyable, with just enough mechanical problems to add a whiff of adventure.

The idea of taking the 18/80 to the continent started with plans to take part in the 45th Anniversary of the MG Car Club of Holland. The rally sounded great fun so in January this year we booked a place on the ferry from Harwich to the Hook of Holland using the excellent MGOC Travel Club. A couple of months later we decided we would like to visit the Loire region of France too, a great favourite of ours, and booked a cottage twenty miles south of Saumur. Would it be possible to combine the two trips using the 18/80 as our transport? Of course it would, so back to Andrew at the Travel Club. Within half an hour it was all arranged, out from Portsmouth to Le Havre and back via The Hook of Holland to Harwich. I cannot speak highly enough of the terrific service provided by Andrew at the Travel Club.

As the holiday drew nearer, it suddenly occurred to me that there would be a lot of driving. To get from home to the Western Loire where we were going for the first ten days would be 400 miles and to Arnhem in Holland for the rally another 750 miles! We also anticipated touring in France, Belgium and Holland and then of course the journey home. In a modern car 2,000 miles driving in two weeks is nothing, but the 18/80 is 71 years old. Pessimistic doubts now began to bother me. Was it sensible to undertake such a journey? I began to assemble a mountain of spares but luckily common sense prevailed. Yes I needed to take the usual ignition spares, fuel pump and tools but would I really consider fitting a new crown wheel and pinion or half shaft or a rebuild of the engine. No, of course not, if the worst happened the good old RAC were there to pick up the pieces.

The day of departure soon approached and we were excited at the prospect of setting off on holiday in our old MG. The weather on the 22nd June was vile with torrential downpours every half-hour or so en route to Portsmouth. The hood was definitely up for the day. We arrived in good time for our 10.15pm departure on The Pride of Le Havre, along with a number of other vintage cars being trailered to Paris for another old car meeting. Leaving port at night is always a thrill for me, far more romantic than air travel. We had booked a cabin and enjoyed an excellent night’s rest prior to embarking on our continental adventure.

Le Havre was soon left behind as we crossed the Seine over the huge Pont de Normandie. The structure is in two separate spans with the second one reaching an impressive height above the estuary. The MG looked and felt very exposed as we crossed the highest point. Our route was planned using D roads as much as possible and we had plenty of time to stop and explore anywhere we thought looked interesting or different. This is the way to see France, off the beaten track in a vintage car. Wherever we stopped the car was the centre of interest and we met some delightful people who would probably not have spoken to us if we had been in a modern vehicle. The weather was improving rapidly and now the hood came down and was not needed for the next 16 days.

This stage of our journey included a pre-booked overnight stop for Bed and Breakfast. We had chosen the location near Mayenne from Alastair Sawday’s excellent book, ‘French Bed and Breakfast. ‘Our hosts were Monsieur and Madam Legras-Wood, retired foreign correspondents who had lived and worked in Russia and America. Mr Legras-Wood had interviewed Ronald Reagan on one occasion in The White House. Their home was an old presbytery complete with ancient barn and they insisted the MG was garaged there overnight. We all agreed that the house and car complimented each other and many photographs were taken. As the house was alone on the outskirts of a village we enjoyed a night’s sleep in the quietest surroundings we have ever experienced.

Next day we were sent on our way after a huge breakfast and continued to head south. The nearer we got to the Loire region the warmer it became. There is an imaginary line across France which passes through Le Mans and Paris. North of this line experiences British weather and south of the line, Mediterranean conditions. We have noted the difference every time we have been to the Loire and it was even more obvious in an open car. By the time we reached our friend’s cottage it was 35C and very sunny. The house is let to guests during the summer but it is also a home and is beautifully furnished and comfortable. Thick walls ensure the inside remains cool and there is even an old flower decorated barn to keep the car in the shade!

The Loire region of France has many subtle attractions that you need to experience many times before you fully appreciate the charm of the place. We have been taking holidays in the area for over ten years and never tire of the relaxed atmosphere in the small towns, excellent food and wine and above all the friendly people. They really like to see old cars being used and everywhere we stopped the 18/80 caused great interest. I should have prepared a page of answers in French to the ten most asked questions but then we would not have spoken with so many charming people.

On one occasion we had been to see a troglodyte dwelling. It was a very hot day and this visit to the cool cave dwelling made a welcome break from the hot sun overhead as we travelled in the open car. When we returned to the car parked under a large tree, it was surrounded by elderly French gentlemen. They were having a heated discussion about cars. It transpired that one of the group had owned several Austin and Morris cars before the war and he was saying that this British MG had been made to last like his Austins and Morrises. His friends would have none of this and insisted that Peugeot and Renault had also made good cars.

“Where are they now?” said the enthusiast, “In the scrap-yard.” He asked me to lift the bonnet and start the engine and there was much Gallic shrugging and gesturing as the 18/80 ticked over at 300RPM without a sound. The group applauded. A great moment of ‘entente cordiale’.

All too soon our enjoyment of the local attractions and evenings with friends drew to a close. It was time for the long trek to Holland. Our plan was to take three days to cover the journey, 250 miles each day. The first stop was another Bed and Breakfast at Gisor, north of Paris and the second was with a good MG friend and his wife in Leveun, Belgium. On the day we left it was very hot early on, so we departed as soon as the car was packed and headed for the A11 autoroute. The 18/80 is fitted with a hand throttle on the steering wheel which proved invaluable on two counts when using these roads. Firstly it rested my right leg for a while and more importantly it allowed me to pull my legs away from the very hot air collecting in the area of the bulkhead. So successful was the hand throttle, I found that I could set the lever next to the ‘o’ of the word throttle marked on the steering wheel centre and this was equivalent to 55mph on the flat.

The gradients along the autoroute required a slight adjustment to the ‘r’ of throttle going up and ‘t’ going down. Given the virtually empty roads in France, it was possible to travel long distances in ‘cruise control’ mode. Although the car will happily cruise at 65mph I chose the lower speed in view of the high temperature. We had no trouble with overheating but it seemed prudent to cosset the ‘old lady’ a little. It was at this time, as we joined the autoroute, that the first problem occurred. The car suddenly lost power and started missing. At the next Aire de Repose I removed an inline fuel filter and we had no further problems that day.

The Bed and Breakfast at Gisor, chosen from the same book, was another success and we had a marvellous evening in typical French style eating ‘en famille.’ Sunday was the day of the European Cup Final and huge numbers of French cars were on the road heading in the same direction as us. There was a lot of good humoured tooting and waving and at a petrol station we were asked who we thought would win. “Why France of course,” said my wife, “2-1.” I bet that Frenchman was impressed later that night.

As we neared Leuven I made a call to my friend Stefaan to warn him that we were about an hour away. “Say two hours,” he chuckled, “you have an old car.” An hour later his prophetic insight became a reality. Two miles from his house the car cut out at traffic lights. This time it took me 45 minutes to discover that we had lost the earth in the condenser. While I was working on the car by the side of the road, a Belgian stopped to see if we required help. As we talked it transpired that he had an MG himself and he recognised WL 7196 from my earlier article. The MG world is a small one! Stefaan encouraged us to have a rest day in Belgium and I took advantage of his excellent workshop facilities to thoroughly check the car which had now done about 1500 miles since we left home. 

With the car fettled and its occupants refreshed, we set off on the last leg of our journey to Holland. We arrived at the rally site without further incident but by now the weather had taken a turn for the worst. It became colder and windier but as yet no rain. Our third problem started on one of the rally days when the dynamo stopped charging. This is not serious on the 18/80 because it usually means the brushes in the dynamo need reseating. The charging system employs a crude form of voltage regulation, using a third brush. Previously I have restored Dynamo output within a few minutes by fiddling with the brushes. Two out of three are accessible with the dynamo in the car, the third requires the dynamo to be removed. The rally mechanic offered to take the car to his workshop 30 miles away so that I could work in comfort. When we arrived there, yes you can already guess, the dynamo was now charging. So back I drove in time to join my wife for dinner with friends who thought I was gone until breakfast. 

The rally was a great success, the 18/80 even won a third prize in the concours, but now it was time to return to the ferry at the Hook of Holland. We arrived in the UK to find the weather much as when we left strong winds and heavy rain. We reflected on our experiences during the trip and both of us agreed what a faithful old friend the 18/80 had been. She had probably enjoyed it as much as her pilot and navigator. As we drove the car into the garage the milometer showed over 2,000 miles. Quite an achievement for a 71 year old lady.