SPRING 2012 motoringclassics.co.uk bmh-ltd.com THE MGBAND TRIUMPH SPITFIRE AT • Classic Motorsport 2012 • Important New Products From BMH50 CONTENTS For all the latest news, offers and great tips… WELCOME 3 The Spitfire: A Leyland Triumph 4 Who Put The B In Britain? 6 New Products From BMH 8 Missing Moniker The MGB line at Abingdon, 9 Classic Character 1963 (BMIHT) 10 Classic Motorsport 2012 1962 – it was the year of the Beatles its pretty, special-bodied Austin first single, ‘Love Me Do’, and the Healey Sprites in 1965, but sprang 12 Fresh Facts inaugural Bond film, Dr No. It was back to life in 2009. From The Federation also a vintage year for UK car launches, British Motor Heritage’s MD, and among the many now coveted John Yea, talks us through the coming 14 Braking News classics that broke cover during those season’s Motoring Classics-sponsored hectic 12 months were the AC Cobra, Thoroughbred Sportscar racing series, Motoring Classics© reproduction Lotus Elan, Ford Cortina, BMC 1100, and outlines the many exciting in whole or any part of any text, Jensen CV8, MGB and Triumph motorsport events planned for racing photograph or illustration without Spitfire. We’d love to have paid MGBs during 2012. He also details written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. The publisher tribute to them all, but sadly we how classic braking systems can be PRICE) makes every effort to ensure the only had space to celebrate two on suitably updated for modern motoring. magazine’s contents are correct but this occasion – the ubiquitous MGB Last but not least, we bring you (BILL can accept no responsibility for any and the Triumph Spitfire. details of some new British Motor 1965 effects from errors or omissions. This issue’s Classic Character was Heritage products and review the © neither a designer nor industry mogul, fascinating findings of the FBHVC’s MANS, NB Motoring Classics is the printed but a much adored eccentric who latest survey on the UK’s £4.3 billion LE and online publication of British Motor Heritage and its retail trading arm. brought motorsport to life for historic vehicle movement. Enjoy! thousands of fans via his monthly race Publisher reports and assisted Sir Stirling Moss British Motor Heritage Limited, Range Road, Cotswold Business Park, Witney to arguably his greatest victory. 0X29 0YB, United Kingdom We are, of course, talking about the HOPKIRK/HEDGES, Tel: +44 (0)1993 707200 one and only Denis Jenkinson. The Gordon Bruce OF Email: [email protected] Missing Moniker is WSM – the tiny Editor MGB company that ceased manufacture of Editorial Gordon Bruce Associates WORKS Email: [email protected] Subscribe for your free magazine Web: gordonbruce.com THE Visit motoringclassics.co.uk and click on Design and production the Magazine page to sign up for your free PHOTO: Bespoken copy of Motoring Classics, which will then Web: bespokenmedia.com be emailed directly to you every quarter. COVER XXXXXXXXXXXXXX CREDITS: 2 MOTORING CLASSICS | SPRING 2012 motoringclassics.co.uk TRIUMPH SPITFIRESLUG Like the MGB, the Spitfire is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year (BMIHT) THE SPITFIRE A LEYLAND TRIUMPH here have been many four- from the merger with Leyland steering featured an amazing turning wheeled casualties of Britain’s brought the green light. The Spitfire circle, matched only by that of a Tup-and-down motor industry, was finally launched at the London London taxi! In comparison with and the Triumph Spitfire very nearly Motorshow, 50 years ago this year. the diminutive Sprite, the Spitfire swelled the list. A new sports car had The chassis ended up stiffer and offered more interior space and been mooted by the company for a 8.5in shorter than the Herald’s. luggage accommodation, a larger while, but finally began taking shape Power came from the four-cylinder fuel tank and the convenience of in 1960 in response to the success of OHV Herald 1200 (1,147cc) unit wind-up windows. BMC’s Frogeyed Sprite. Spurning equipped with a higher lift camshaft, Spridget fans may blanch at the the industry’s move to monocoque 9.0:1 compression ratio and a pair of thought, but figures suggest the construction, Triumph saw advantages 1.25in SU carburetters. Peak output Spitfire outsold its BMC competitors in basing its new model on modified was 63bhp at 5,750rpm – sufficient for for almost two decades. By the time versions of the Herald’s backbone a top speed of 92mph and a time of production ceased with the 1500 chassis and running gear. As with 15.5 seconds for the 0-60mph dash. model in August 1980, 309,640 had the Herald, the body was penned by The engine was mated to the Herald’s been built, more than 77 per cent of Italian stylist Giovanni Michelotti. four-speed manual gearbox and the which were exported. The model also However, by the time the promising- fully independent suspension was enjoyed a successful competition looking prototype (code-named from the same source – there was a career, being raced in such major Bomb!) arrived from Turin in October tendency for the rear wheels to tuck events as Le Mans and Sebring and 1960, Standard-Triumph was in severe under during hard cornering, but this campaigned in the Alpine, Monte financial trouble and the car ended up problem was finally eradicated with Carlo and RAC rallies, among others. sitting under a dust sheet for months, the MK IV version. Braking was by Not a bad record for a model that until funds and enthusiasm resulting discs/drums and the rack and pinion was so nearly stillborn. motoringclassics.co.uk SPRING 2012 | MOTORING CLASSICS 3 A Roadster at rest, 1965 (BMIHT) WHO PUT THE B IN B RITAIN ? Well MG of course, and the 50th birthday of this immensely popular sports car is now being celebrated the world over – not least in North America, to where around 80% of the production was exported. Though technically unremarkable, the B was good enough at everything to win the hearts of all manner of motorists and etch its name into a veritable library of record books he long-awaited replacement beautifully proportioned Pininfarina- welcome in any company, while for the body-on-chassis penned GT was equally lauded when sufficiently sporting for modified TMGA, the B was MG’s first it appeared three years later. The versions to finish 11th overall at Le monocoque sports car, the design many fans of the model could now Mans, achieve class victory in the of which was evolved within MG, choose between the wind-in-the- Monte Carlo Rally and win outright complete with more than a hint of hair motoring of the open car and the 84-hour-long 1966 Marathon the company’s record-breaker EX 181. the practicality of the 2+2 Coupe, de la Route at the Nürburgring. The Roadster broke cover first and with its Aston Martinesque opening During its 18-year reign, was a major success of the 1962 tailgate and fold-down rear seat. the B spawned a number of London Motor Show, while the The car was smart enough to be memorable derivatives. XXXXXXXXXXXXXX CREDITS: 4 MOTORING CLASSICS | SPRING 2012 motoringclassics.co.uk MGB Rover’s ubiquitous V8 engine the (now British Leyland) hierarchy, provided extra oomph for numerous the MGB continued into 1980, cars over the years and, 40lb lighter by which time a staggering than the B’s standard four-cylinder 514,834 examples had left the 1,798cc unit, it was the obvious famous Abingdon production solution to endowing the model with line – making it not only the more performance. Although BMC best-selling MG of all time, but opted for less output (137bhp) than comfortably the biggest volume Ken Costello had for his aftermarket sports car of its generation. Despite V8 conversion (150bhp), the MGB such phenomenal success on both V8 was a fine touring car – good sides of the Atlantic, Leyland not examples of which are suitably sought only axed the B from its portfolio, after today. They are also hard to find, but the MG brand as well, making Don’t miss the MGB50 as the variant was only manufactured October 23, 1980 the end of celebration book in Coupe form, of which a mere 2,591 a truly memorable era. were produced. Twelve years later, the company British Motor Heritage can supply The MGC was evolved as a potential created the handbuilt RV8 in an everything from a boot lid hinge to a replacement for the Healey 3000. As attempt to simultaneously reverse the complete new shell, produced on the both V4 and V6 engines had been brand’s fortunes prior to the launch original tooling – 2,477 of the latter considered for the B at birth, there of the MGF and commemorate the have been made so far. had always been plenty of room in the MGB’s 30th anniversary. It was based engine bay for bigger powerplants, and on the British Motor Heritage MGB The Book of the B an updated version of the six-cylinder shell, powered by a 187bhp 3.9-litre As part of the celebrations, the C-Series unit was eventually chosen version of the Rover V8 and featured MGB50 Committee (comprising for the C. Unlike the Rover one, this a thoroughly reworked interior. 2,009 representatives of the MG Car Club was an overly heavy engine and, along examples were produced. and MG Owners’ Club) is producing with the move to torsion bar front Happily, a very high percentage of its own collectors’ book on everybody’s suspension, created a car of very all variants of the MGB remain in favourite sports car.