By Richard L. Knudson. M.G. established its reputation as a world-class sports car manufacturer by winning races and breaking class speed records. In the 1930s Cecil Kimber, the founder of M.G., ran the fledgling motorcar factory in Abingdon. He knew the publicity value of record breaking and supported the building of special record cars. Driven by such notable motorsport names as Captain George Eyston, Major Goldie Gardner, Bobbie Kohlrausch, and Bert Denly, the cars garnered class records at various venues. The cars set records at Pendine Sands, Brooklands, France, and on the super highways of Belgium and Germany. The first book to provide in-depth coverage on these record-breaking cars. Included are International Class Record Summary charts for the EX 120, EX 127, EX 135, EX 179 & EX 181.
When Cecil Kimber began tuning and modifying Morris cars in the early ‘twenties, he little realised that these embryonic M.G. Cars would establish a name which, in the course of time, was to be¬come that of Britain’s best known sports-car. Mike Allison, a keen M.G. Enthu¬siast, very involved in the M.G. Car Club and at one time working at Abingdon, traces the history of M.G. Cars, with the use of around 400 photographs, from the early days of the Bullnose MG, 14/40, 18/80, 18/100, through the triple M cars (Midgets, Magna and Magnette models of the 1930’s), the pre war comfort models VA, SA and WA, and the immortal T series cars. Then he moves onto postwar production of the Y Types, ZA and ZB range, 1100, 1300 and finally the A, B, C model ranges. The achievements in competition do not go unrecorded, with a selection of illustrations showing cars in events, such as the pre war Mile Miglia, and record breaking cars such as EX181. Photographs of all the models and most of the specialist coach¬work show the interesting de¬velopment of a marque that has won the hearts of many a man.