An exceptional MG collection

Colin Withers is a well-known MG fanatic and has been involved with MGs since the mid 1970s. His first experience came with his purchase of a A-H Sprite MKIII (aka MG Midget MkII) in 1975 during his student days. This car provided great fun, but unfortunately came face to face with a drunken London bus driver in 1977, fortunately not driving his bus, but a Vauxhall Victor. Colin then transformed this car into an Arkley SS and sold it to a friend in 1980. He then purchased a very rusty 1971 BGT, but as Heritage shells were not yet available then a full restoration was neither going to be easy or economic, so Colin did the next best thing and used it to build an NG TA. In 1983 his MG collecting really took off when he won a competition in Classic and Sports Car for which the prize was a 1951 MG TD and a brand new MG Maestro complete with talking digital dash.

In 1985 the Maestro was sold after 2 years of sterling service not experiencing any of the reported problems with hot starting (Weber carbs and 1600 R series engine). It was replaced with a company VW Golf GTi and a 1960 MGA Twin Cam Coupé. From then on as Colin progressed in his banking career he was able to add further MGs to the garage on regular basis, eventually to arrive at a total of 12 by 2008.

Unfortunately, Colin’s plans to retire at 50 and spend quality time in the garage with all the MGs were derailed by the credit crisis, so a few more years of banking are now the priority to finish paying school fees, mortgages etc. Hence the MGs are spending too much time under their dust sheets and not out on the road. With some sadness, Colin has now decided to offer some of his collection to potential owners who will have more time to enjoy them. He has already sold four (Twin Cam Coupé, Metro Turbo, TF and ZT 260) and is now offering the following five;

1) MG NB Magnette – This vehicle was built in Abingdon in July and August 1935 and first registered on 02-10-35 (chassis # NA820). It was collected from Abingdon in person by the first owner, as indicated by the Abingdon registration plate, JB 7522. This number is interesting because it fits into the sequence of 3 ‘Cream Cracker’ PBs which have the registrations JB 7521, 7524 and 7525. The colours of Black over Red with tan interior would have been individually specified by the first owner. It has a standard six cylinder 1271cc engine with 4 speed box. 

MG NB

1935 MG NB Magnette

It is also a rare 4-seater with less than 40 still in existence. Not much is known about its ownership through the years except that it was at some time (probably in the 1970s) owned by Tim Jackson-Stops of Jackson-Stops estate agent fame. Tim actually refers to this car in an article he penned in the September 2009 edition the The Automobile. It was fully restored in the mid 1980s and was put up for sale through an agent in the Midlands in 1999. One interested party at that time was Nick Mason of Pink Floyd fame who wanted to use the chassis as a basis for a racing K type special.

Fortunately his advances were resisted. Colin purchased the car in February 2000 and it has only covered very limited mileage since. It’s longest run was the Regency Run in 1994. Unfortunately it suffered a small, but destructive, engine fire in June 2009 which resulted in further restoration. In fact this turned out to be somewhat of a blessing as it revealed non-original parts used in the previous restoration which have now been replaced with the correct period components. The vehicle is presented in pristine condition and comes complete with MoT and Road tax. £50,000.

2) MGB GT V8 – This vehicle was purchased in October 1974 by Bill Donaldson from his local MG dealership in Barnsley having first been registered on 10-04-74 (chassis # 1316). It was in the rare colour of Mirage Grey of which only six examples of the GT V8 were produced. The interior was black. 

MGB GT V8 concours winner

Bill ran this car as his daily transport for approximately 10 years before embarking on a full restoration. However, Bill was bitten by the concours bug which was prevalent at the time through the B&H national championship, later to be succeeded as the Autoglym concours. Hence the restoration was a “work of art” with great attention to detail and originality. Bill embarked on the concours circuit in the early 1990s picking up several regional titles and even runner-up in one of the Autoglym National finals. After several years of hard labour and pain, Bill realised that his blunt and honest Yorkshire demeanour wasn’t making him the judges’ favourite and he decided to “hang up” his polishing kit. Eventually Bill decided to enjoy his retirement from the pits and buy an MG TF for touring, hence his beloved GT V8 and also his RV8 were put up for sale via the MGOC.

BGT V8 engine bay

Colin acquired the GT V8 in May 2002, but he has hardly used the car since, partly because the occasional summer evening run in the countryside always resulted in a minimum of three hours clean-up afterwards. Removing flies from the radiator and grill with cotton wool buds is very time consuming. The vehicle comes in top condition and with a little detailing could easily be returned to concours competition. Comes complete with MoT. £15,000.

3) MGB Roadster – This Vermilion red car was built in 12/79 (chassis # GVVDJ2AG507042) for the US market (hence LHD), and exported to Texas in 1980. It sat in a Dealers showroom in Dallas unsold for 10 years. It was re-imported into UK in 1990 by Marksdanes motors in Somerset with only 350 miles on the clock.

1979 USA specification LHD MGB

American specification MGB dash

Colin bought the car in January 1991 when he had relocated within his firm to the Frankfurt office. However, the US spec single carb engine with 62 bhp, aligned with a 4-speed box, was not going to provide much performance on the German autobahns. Hence it was totally uprated with the following specification; a 1995cc Oselli fast road spec engine with lightened fly-wheel and balanced crank, twin-choke 45 DCOE Webers, 4-speed box (BL silver seal) with overdrive, uprated and lowered suspension with stiffer (+30%) dampers and springs (front springs rating of 500lbs), thicker (7/8″) anti-roll bars, polyurethane bushes, aluminium ‘Minilite’ wheels, front sports spoiler, EBC brake discs and pads, leather interior etc, etc. When completed it was tuned at Oselli in Oxford and produced 128 bhp at the fly-wheel on their rolling-road. It has since covered 29,000 miles mainly German and French motorways and is perfect for European touring. Complete with MoT. EUR10,000.

4) MG TD – This car was built in 11/51 (chassis # TD12463) and exported new to New Zealand where it was first registered in January 1952. It was then used regularly by several owners until the mid 1970s by which time it was beginning to show its age.

1952 MG TD originally exported new to New Zealand

It was then subjected to a full nut and bolt restoration by renowned MG restorer, Rod Brayshaw, in Palmerston North New Zealand. It was restored in its original MG Red colour with maroon interior and beige hood and tonneau. It was bought by an ex-pat employee of British Steel who re-imported the car into the UK in 1981, and it was then acquired by Naylor Brothers in Shipley, Yorkshire. In 1983 it was offered, along with a brand new MG Maestro, as a prize in Classic and Sports Car magazine. After many hours of research in bookshops and motor museums (no internet in those days) Colin was fortunate enough to be the only person to answer all 100 questions correctly, and collected his prize MGs from Matthew Carter (magazine editor) at the BL Heritage museum in Brentford in August 1983. The TD has been driven only on sunny days since and kept in top condition with only a few visits to the garage for a new water pump, reconditioned carbs and recently to be converted to silicon brake fluid. Complete with MoT and Road tax. £18,000.

MG TD immaculate interior

MG TD prize in Classic and Sports Car competition

5) MG RV8 – This car was one of the earlier RV8s produced, and was registered on 08- 04-94 (chassis # 395). It is a UK spec car with the earlier LT77S gearbox which is oft maligned but has proved to be totally reliable. It was finished in iconic Metallic BRG with the standard stone interior. It was first owned by a Director of the MG Rover dealer, Seward, in Bournemouth, and sat in their show-room for the first three years of its life. It was then bought by a garden designer in the New Forest, and Colin became its third owner in April 2005. It remains in top class condition having only covered 22,000 miles. It comes complete with original tool roll, tonneau covers (half and full), and handbook etc. Complete with MoT and Road tax. £15,000.

MG RV8

RV8 features full leather trim