Regency Run 2009
After the excellent turn out for last year’s 25th anniversary this year’s event seemed to be slightly down on entries although the desired magic number of 251 MG entries was exceeded and there were some really excellent cars on the run. Since its inception with Geoff Radford and Dave Diplock the Regency Run organised jointly by the MG Car Club and the MG Owners’ Club has continued to be a very popular outing for all MG owners, with the pre war cars in particular always making a very good showing.
Bill Wallis welcomes the oldest entry on the Run a 1929 MG 14/40 owned by Philip Bayne-Powell
MGA arriving at the finish line
David Miller’s MGB GT London to Sydney Marathon Rally Car
Rob Greives offered a passenger ride in his BGT V8 on the Run as a pledge in a charity auction.
Decent weather made for a most enjoyable day out, although a few entrants encountered heavy traffic congestion problems around the popular local Cowpie Country Show. Planning a Road Run on public roads is always fraught with potential problems, such as unexpected road closures, sudden diversions plus conflicts with other crowd drawing events all of which cannot be anticipated or planned as venues are booked many months beforehand. Owners of the older cars took the opportunity to deviate from the route or extend their lunch break to avoid problems.
Richard Garrard has been taking part in the run in his 1945 MG TC since the days when it started from Battersea Park. Richard’s TC was built in the first week of production in December 1945 and he has owned the car since 1982. The TC had been restored in the 1970s and since he owned the TC Richard has renewed the trim and re-built the gearbox and rear axle together with braking system, the engine has remained untouched apart from converting the head to run on unleaded petrol. Richard has an MGB GT that he’s owned since 1975 and he carries out all the servicing on the TC and BGT himself. He also has an MG ZS 180 that he’s owned since 2001 but that has to go to the garage for its service requirements. Richard gets a mention because going on the Regency Run was part of his 90th birthday celebrations, he drove to the start at Brooklands and then back home with his son navigating. The intrepid team are booked to take part in the Alpine Pass Rally in the BGT. Congratulations Richard.
Richard Garrard and his TC
Keith Bush’s 1936 VA saloon
MGs all along Maderia Drive
Rowan Cole’s 1934 L2 Magna special
Magnette MKIV 1966 Ray and Ros Osborne with John Layhe’s V8 MGB in the background
Malcolm Pavitt’s MGA Coupe on Maderia Drive
Imaginatively Rob Greives offered a passenger ride in his BGT V8 on the Regency Run as a pledge raising funds for charity and he was able to honour the pledge on the Run.
Richard Miller took his rally prepared MGB GT to Brighton, a rather short trip compared to his usual around the world marathon rallies.
MG Car Club President Bill Wallis provided his usual informed and fascinating commentary on all the MGs as they arrived which gave the proceedings a real sense of occasion.