In Search of the Elusive MG
MGs in Europe – Our first two rallies of 2004
Well the winter was over spring was in the air. Forget the sound of the Cuckoo, the sights of lambs gambolling, the scent of flowers. Now we have a different array to tickle our eager senses. The splutter of engines, the sweet smell of leather and polish, not to mention the odour of rubber and petrol. Like the rest of Europe, this heralds the start of the classic car ‘season’ in Eastern Europe.
Alan and Wanda driving in the parade through the centre of Zakoplane
Smart yellow BGT
In May 2004 Poland fresh into the EU officially was anxious to celebrate, and what better way than to enjoy the classic car scene? Naturally as the proud owners of one of the very few MGB Roadsters in the country, we too wanted to join in with the celebration party and a nice way to kick-start the season was with the Labowa-Zakopane run in the glorious South. Amid the rutted roads, lurks truly magnificent mountain scenery, crowned by majestic snow capped peaks, hardly bettered by the posh pistes of Austria and Switzerland. The lofty Tatra mountains loomed. But first we had to get to the little town of Labowa, and that meant a longish journey of some 300 kilometres from Warsaw via Kracow. It was never going to be easy as the Polish drivers fought for pole position (pun unintended). They too were heading south for the long weekend, pausing only to allow the occupants to admire the shiny MGB beside them and to sometimes wave, before pushing on fast with not a minute to spare.
We made it in the end, and I was pleased to note on arrival that we were not alone. There were three MGs: our Roadster, another 73 Roadster and a nice yellow MGB GT. We assembled first at the local school at Labowa, and were soon surrounded by excited kids. Once we had checked in, we drove in convoy to a delightful Agro tourist complex made up of three very large houses. Somehow they managed to cram us all in. After we parked up and went to look around the assembled cars and motorbikes, it was time for some entertainment and fraternising!
We were in mountain country. The Poles just love the singing style and the jokey men all dressed in traditional clothes, laughing loudly as they moved amongst us, choosing a person, and then singing a verse about him or her. It was a late night and for some who had already covered many kilometres from within Poland and Slovakia to the south, quite tiring. The drivers and navigators had brought a very wide selection of classic cars and motorbikes. Each a credit to the owner, they ranged in age from 1912 to mid seventies. Some had ventured from Slovakia in the south to attend the rally, which also included some very well kept motorbikes as well. One pair of Slovakian border cops in real life, turned up with a 1939 BMW 750 motorbike and sidecar, camouflaged and decked out in old German military fashion. Amazingly the unit also sported a machine gun, grenades and many other such items. No doubt they could only manage to get into Poland through their very good relations with the local border police. I doubt if any other country would want to take the risk, considering all the weaponry.
The drive to Zakopane from Labowa was to take in (for some of us proper rally driving) mountain roads badly in need of repair. It was a super scenic drive however and about twenty vehicles took the trip. Arriving in Zakopane, which is a very nice town nestling at the base of the Tatra Mountain range, there was still plenty of snow on the peaks, and also folks out there skiing the slopes as we enjoyed intermittent sunshine below. Zakopane itself was full of tourists, all had come to enjoy the long weekend, the May 1st and EU celebrations, a super jazz festival and of course to see our fine classic cars. We had a total of three nights in the town and during this period, we had a number of parades to deal with. This as well as a church blessing for the cars, and a truly unbelievable drive through the centre of Zakopane, on what is essentially a pedestrians only route. The local mayor knows how to do things, and as we drove very slowly the crowds got thicker, until I would guess that the route was now lined with thousands of people, all clicking away with their digital cameras and phones. The atmosphere was one to be remembered.
Polish 1973 MGB on the Zakopane rally
Our MGB Roadster drew a lot of attention not only for its general condition, but we still sported the USA number plate ‘68 MGB’ from Nebraska. Approximately seventy old timers took part. There was a ‘peoples’ choice’, and there was of course the rally organiser’s choice of best car. The people chose a truly magnificent red, 1937 Polski Fiat racing car. The proud owners dressed in white boiler suits and leather helmets also looked the part.
Their prize is a cover photo for Playboy magazine. The rally choice was a superb old London taxi that had puffed its way from Slovakia. Of course the social aspects were incredibly good, as one would expect from Polish folk. So we wined and dined took in the fine scenery and eventually said our farewells to our friends. A broken oil pipe to the gauge caused me some problems, like a new carpet etc, but thankfully the 1120 kilometers round trip went very well otherwise.
Still lots to do however, as we were booked for yet another rally the next weekend. This was a rally aimed at Jaguar owners, but we were invited as our car was deemed to be of the right pedigree. It turned out, that there were two MGs, ours and a very fine MGA Roadster. What a rally and what a super day we spent. We started off at the King’s palace in Warsaw old town and then in the company of magnificent E types, XKs, a Bentley, Mercs etc (there was a total of about 40 cars). A police escort led the cavalcade through the heart of the city, with no hold ups for lights or intersections. How proud we were. No longer mere mortals. Our parade of excellence purred to our next destination, another lovely King’s palace at Wilanow the other side of Warsaw. TV cameras abounded as the great and the good were interviewed.
As the rally organiser was the owner of the MGA, it was he that got the lion’s share, his wife was the driver for the day. We then drove in rally style to another landmark, the historic castle at Pultusk where we had to do some cone driving exercises watched by curious townsfolk, who had come mainly to do their weekend shopping at the local market. My wife Wanda, who was the driver for the day, missed a cone and picked up her penalties. Onward to a stadium about fifty kilometres away, where many people were spending the day as part of the ongoing Poland EU celebrations. There, the track was muddy, which did not enhance the shiny bodywork of the cars as each raced for two laps to see who would get the best time. Yet another parade and then it was time for a good traditional Polish lunch before heading once more onto the open road. By now I was well into the rally map, and we eventually arrived at the next destination, after driving for a hundred and fifty kilometres through magnificent forests. This time in the wonderful Mazury area of North West Poland, a land of a thousand lakes, all interconnected.
No time to admire the view, we had yet another racing task to do around a strangely triangular track. We finally arriving at our destination the very nice Letni Ogrod hotel, which stands beside a huge lake. The marina was full of yachts, the weather now was quite chilly and it was raining hard. We got ready for the evening ahead, this included a super meal, and then the prize giving. Lots of cups were handed out, and I am pleased to say that my wife Wanda got a cup for second prize for her driving efforts. Not bad considering it was her first time at the wheel of our Black Beauty. The evening was capped with a sing-song and even more good food and wine.
By the time we got back home in Warsaw on the Sunday afternoon we had added a further 800 kms to that of the previous rally so the car was getting in some good runs.
It was difficult not to contrast the two rallies, one I felt was for the promotion of the drivers the other more directed at the cars. Perhaps the Jaguars, however beautifully turned out, never gave the impression that the owners actually got underneath. But because we appear to have a kind of neutral aspect, in that, although we already know many folk here in this classic car sport, we recognise that, for us at least, it’s better not to drop names and just enjoy whoever we are with. Perhaps that is why we are getting so many different invites to shows and rallies throughout Poland. It is also good for me too as I am trying to get a handle on just how many MGs there are in this region.
So my quest to find all those elusive MGs is taking shape. I now know of more MGs in Poland. It’s important as eventually I would like to form an MG club here and for that you need some population. What I can say though is that the classic car scene in Poland is vibrant, knowledgeable and is looking confidently to the future. This means that hopefully more MGs will arrive and take their place in this important aspect of Polish life. As time goes on I expect to look at other countries in our area, to build a picture of what is going on MG style. We are booked for more rallies as the season progresses and perhaps I will find more taking part. There are many hundreds of car clubs in Poland and we could be out the whole summer if we wished. Fun runs, overnights at Agro tourist houses and even schools. Judging by the excellent clothes the participants wear, in keeping with their well kept vehicles, there is plenty of interest.
Of course there is much competition too, and for instance the number plate to have is that issued and approved by the Institute. Expensive and very time consuming to obtain, it gives your car that certain prestige. Needless to say we have just got ours and have reluctantly swapped our ‘68 MGB’ for ‘WY01Y’ plate which together carries the classic car logo. Our MGB Roadster is now a “Polish national treasure”. One of the benefits is that there is but one MOT style test on application, and thereafter no more. The insurance (Third Party) is very cheap by UK standards (ten pounds for a month) and you even get the chance to park up in the motor museum during those cold winter months! No road tax of course. However, should you wish to take the car out of the country you do need to get permission. And… if you wish to sell it, it can only be sold in Poland! A small price to pay for exclusivity eh! And in any case, for us, selling is not an option.
Alan Chambers