Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars
If you are as passionate about cars as we are here at Bridge Classic Cars, you’ll know yourself that it is always wonderful to hear the stories and the history behind these amazing classics we get to see everyday.
Just like their owners, all cars have a history. The new ones may just be starting their journey but one day, we hope they too have the stories just like the old ones do.
We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of one of our latest classics to join the Bridge family, a 1951 MG TD MkII. We found her over in Canada and instantly fell in love with her.
Lucky for us, our good friend Bud lives over in Canada and agreed to collect her on our behalf which just left us to arrange the necessary paperwork to have her brought back to the UK. The great news is; she is now on her way and you’ll soon be able to see her here in sunny Suffolk.
Here’s Bud on collection day…
But that’s not all, as I said above we love a little story, and it’s even better if it’s a story that is completely unexpected!
So who in Britain doesn’t love a Royal story? Exactly, we all do, we’re British.
And how many of us can boast that we’ve had Royalty sitting in our car? Here’s Prince Andrew having a go in our 1951 MG TD. At the rear of the car is his body guard and at the side if Frank Francis, manager of The Craven M Car Collection.
But AGAIN, that’s not all…as you may have noticed from the title of this post we have uncovered even more hidden gems.
“The early MG’s were built as a very basic automobile to be driven and maintained by their owners. Many of these owners entered their cars into rallies, hill climbs and races. Soon after the first TD’s were built, enthusiasts complained that they were not competitive with other cars in it’s class. The cry for more power promoted Abington to produce the Mark II. Although the appearance remained the same, the engine compression ratio was raised to 8 to 1, all ports and combination chambers were polished with larger inlet and exhaust valves fitted along with heavier valve springs and an upgraded camshaft. Higher capacity Lucas ignition equipment, an extra fuel pump and added shock absorbers were standard on the Mark II models. All of this, increased the weight to 2015 pounds and the horsepower to 60 at 5000 rpm with a maximum speed of about 85mph.
In 1951 there were only eleven Right Hand Drive Mark II’s built and all exported. I am one of these eleven. I was shipped to the South of Ireland where I was sold and a few years later brought back to England and was purchased in 1957 by Tony Bamford who took me to his home in Buckinghamshire. Mr Bamford renewed my chrome and had me painted in 1973 then sold me to Rothmans International, who brought me to Canada and displayed me in their Craven Foundation Car Collection. A year later I was bought by Roy Newton and put into storage until my present owner, George Merson rescued me and took me to his home on the shores of Georgian Bay where I get to travel the beautiful countryside and feel the wind on my fenders. I am the only 1951 MarkII Right Hand Drive in North America and possibly the only one left out of the original eleven in the world. So please be nice to me and touch me softly.”
Thanks
“Finnigan”
What an amazing story…
To see our previous posts on our 1951 MGTD click here
