MG launched it’s MG A 1600 in May 1959 which was powered by a 78hp 1558 cc / 95 cui four cylinder engine sufficient for a 98 mph top speed.

From this distance I can’t help but feel that someone at Lancashire Constabulary Headquarters, in Preston, would have had to have had the best interests of road safety at heart, and also a great sense of humour, if he had decided the best way to keep the rule of law on Lancashire’s busy highways and byeways was to procure a fleet of 50 MG A 1600s, split them in to A Section, differentiated with white cars and B Section differentiated with black cars and deployed them on Traffic Patrol’s with only lady police officers at the wheel.

In this day an age such a scheme would surely be met with howls of derision and a fair amount of protest and in fact looking at the photo linked here it would appear that Bonhams were misinformed about the female officers only policy when today’s featured car came up for auction a few years ago.

Chassis #GHN 70453 is one of the cars from the mythical ‘A Section’ that was delivered on the 8th of July 1959 it was restored by Brown & Cook, of Hoddesdon, Herts back to it’s police specification although the public address megaphone regrettably no longer works.

Thanks for joining me on this “A Section Lady Traffic Patrol” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for Mercedes Monday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !