Tag Archives: BMC

Palmers Parts Bin – Wolseley 4/44

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After designing the MG Y Type the 1939 – 1945 hostilities saw Gerald Palmer engaged in war work that included designing medical equipment for the front line the development of a two stroke motor and the production of de Havilland Tiger Moth flying training aircraft.

Wolseley 4/44, Bristol Classic Car Show, Shepton Mallet,

After the war Palmer was employed by Jowett to design what became the Jowett Javelin and in 1949 Palmer rejoined the Nuffield Organisation to design the Wolseley 4/44, MG ZA, the replacement for the MG Y type, and the Riley Pathfinder all three of which shared unique combinations of parts from the Nuffield Organisations parts bins.

Wolseley 4/44, Bristol Classic Car Show, Shepton Mallet,

Of the three new models launched in 1953, now under the merged with Austin British Motor Corporation (BMC) banner the Wolseley 4/44 was the least powerful being fitted with a detuned 46 hp single carburettor 4 cylinder XPAG motor first seen seen on the MG TB Type Midget dating back to 1939 and on the TC, TD, and least powerful of the TF models.

Wolseley 4/44, Bristol Classic Car Show, Shepton Mallet,

Fitted with modern rack and pinion steering, snuggle friendly 4 speed column change gearboxes the up market pretensions of the car were reaffirmed by leather seats and walnut veneer trim.

Wolseley 4/44, Bristol Classic Car Show, Shepton Mallet,

With the absence of a motorway network the 4/44’s top speed of 73 mph was matched by a rest to 60 mph time of 29.9 seconds which might be described as adequate.

Wolseley 4/44, Bristol Classic Car Show, Shepton Mallet,

Note that indicators were by door post mounted semaphore with only left hand drive models having indicators built into the rear light clusters.

29,845 Wolseley 4/44’s were built between 1953 and 1956 when the model was replaced by the similar 15/50.

Thanks for joining me on this “Palmers Parts Bin” edition of “Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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More Power Bigger Drums – Morris Oxford II

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For 1948 Alex Issigonis designed the Morris Oxford to compliment the smaller Morris Minor is the Morris model mix, the Oxford MO boasted a 40.5 hp 4 cylinder side valve motor inherited from the prewar Morris 10 which it replaced, unitary body construction, torsion bar front suspension and hydraulically activated 8 inch drum brakes with which to bring the 72 mph vehicle to rest.

Morris Oxford II, Cotswold Classic Car Club, Frogsmill, Andoversford

In 1952 Morris merged with it’s great rival Austin with William Morris, now Lord Nuffield, becoming the British Motor Corporation’s first Chairman, thanks to the merger Morris was able to ditch it’s antiquated motors for those from the Austin range.

Morris Oxford II, Cotswold Classic Car Club, Frogsmill, Andoversford

As a consequence the Morris Oxford II first seen in 1954 was powered by a 50 hp Austin designed 4 cylinder over head valve B series motor which increased the top speed to 74 mph better acceleration and better fuel consumption 28 mpg up from 26 mpg of the Oxford MO.

Morris Oxford II, Cotswold Classic Car Club, Frogsmill, Andoversford

The column shift 1955 Oxford II, seen here earlier this year as the Cotswold Classic Car Club Meeting held at Frogsmill Andoversford, was equipped with 9 inch hydraulic brakes to cope with the increase in performance and came with a heater as standard.

Morris Oxford II, Cotswold Classic Car Club, Frogsmill, Andoversford

The Oxford II was available in 4 door saloon / sedan or 2 door Traveller Estate / Station wagon variants, the former of which would live on as the Hindustan Landmaster built under licence until 1958 in India.

Morris Oxford II, Cotswold Classic Car Club, Frogsmill, Andoversford

From 1954 87,342 Oxford II’s were built at plants in the UK and Australia until 1956 when the model was replaced by the Morris Oxford III.

Thanks for joining me on this “More Power Bigger Brakes” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Pillow Talk – MG TF 1500

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Billed as a “sexcapade” about “what goes on when the lights go out” the 1959 film Pillow Talk stared Rock Hudson and Doris Day.

MG TF 1500, Goodwood Revival

The plot centres on the romance between neighbours Brad Allen played by Rock and career girl Jan Marrow played by Doris who share an old school telephone line, a concept probably long since phased out. At the beginning of the film the son of a client of Jan’s offers her a lift home in his MG TF 1500, fitted with optional wire wheels. On the way home the couple stop for a drink and the client’s son gets too drunk to drive when in steps Brad.

MG TF 1500, Goodwood Revival

Apparently watching big Rock Hudson climbing in and out of the little MG is worth the price of admission alone, the car does not feature in the trailer but you can get the gist of the film on this link.

MG TF 1500, Goodwood Revival

The MG TF was launched in 1953 as a stop gap between the square rigger T series, which traced it’s ancestry back to the 1936 MG TA, and the MG A. The management of the British Motor Corporation, BMC, did not want the MG-A to be launched at the same time as the Austin Healey 100.

MG TF 1500, Goodwood Revival

The TF 1500 was first seen in 1954 with a 63 hp motor up from the 57hp on the original TF. 3,400 MG TF 1500’s were built before production switched to the MG A in 1955.

Thanks for joining me on this “Pillow Talk” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Giving Up Is Hard To Do – Cross Trophy

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Last Wednesday, after a break of some 20 years, I became a car owner again. Thanks to my folks purchasing a new Golf TSI, I found myself taking on their 12 year old Golf Estate.

Volkswagen Golf, Bristol Classic Car Show

My first adventure in it was on Saturday to the Bristol Classic Car Show at Shepton Mallet, see above, and on Sunday I drove my new pride and joy to Duncan’s farm just outside Bristol in Dundry and attempted to retain the Cross Trophy which I won at last years Bristol Pegasus Motor Club‘s production car trial meeting.

Cross Trophy, Dundry

Arriving promptly at mid day the first problem, thanks to the wettest drought on record, was to get all the competitors on to that part of the field where the competition was scheduled to take place. Pete, one of the marshals, thoughtfully brought his Land Rover with him so that Andy, in the Citroen Saxo above and I could, with the aid of a tow, at least make it to the start line of the first test.

Volkswagen Beetle, Cross Trophy

My next problem was to find a passenger, fortunately Zoë from the Bristol Motor Club, who had come along to help with the marshaling and watch her 15 year old daughter Clare make her production car trial debut with her father Mark in the 1967 Beetle above, kindly volunteered to forgo standing in the rain and agreed to be my passenger.

Marlin, Cross Trophy

After a short drivers briefing with event organiser Mal we dispersed to the four competitive sections of the event. Laura my passenger last year is seen above in her Dad’s Marlin Roadster.

Suzuki X-90, Cross Trophy

Alan who has recovered from inverting his Parsons on the recent Exeter Trial was sharing his newly acquired Suzuki X-90 named ‘Barbie’ with Pat who is seen at the wheel above with Pete observing on the first section.

Citroen AX, Cross Trophy

Winner of the National Class B event was Chris in his Citroen AX seen here trying to clear the second section which like all the sections got progressively more difficult through the afternoon as the rain came and went and then came back again.

Volkswagen Golf, Cross Trophy

Despite competing in the lower Clubsport event Paul in the Golf II above just managed to pip National Class B winner Chris to win the overall event. I managed to come 3rd in class the front wheel drive Clubsport class and 7th overall in the Clubsport event and 12th overall in the two combined events.

Volkswagen Golf, Cross Trophy

Afterwards I was joined at the nearest garage by Chris who had driven his Nissan Micra 145 miles from Gravesend for a long engagement with the steam cleaner.

My thanks to Mal, Pete and everyone involved in the organisation and marshaling of this veritable mud bath of an event, to Tim for the results, and Zoë my passenger who did her bit to dispel the myth that the Bristol Motor Club is ‘the enemy’ of the Bristol Pegasus Motor Club.

Giving up the Cross Trophy at the end of the year will be hard to do even though Paul took a well deserved victory, I look forward to attempting to win it back again next year !

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Giving Up Is Hard To Do’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Almost Always True – MG MGA 1600

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The story of the MGA sarts with an MG TD special chassis #EX172 registration UMG400 which despite it’s works experimental chassis number was built for privateer George Philips to race at Le Mans in 1951, the car featured a low slung body desgined by Syd Evener, the body was so low that a special wide chassis had to be built to accommodate the driver between the chassis rails rather than above them as had been the case with all of the MG T series cars.

MG MGA, Silverstone

#EX172 was a public relations success, though it only lasted three hours of the 24 hour race for which it was designed. Due to the rationalisation going on in the British Motor Corporation, a conglomerate which MG became a part of in 1952, MGA production was stalled for two years while resources were put into launching the Austin Healey 100/4.

MG MGA, Silverstone

The MGA finally came to market in 1955 fitted with a 58 hp motor, in 1958 a 108 hp twin cam version became available which had to be detuned to 100hp after problems manifested themselves with the high compression motor.

MG MGA, Silverstone

The 1600 MGA was launched in 1959 with a 78 hp version of the BMC ‘B’ motor, disc brakes on the front. One of these £940 models was tested with a rest to 60 mph time of 13.3 seconds, top speed of 96 mph and 29.7 mpg (imperial).

MG MGA, Silverstone

This 1960 model is one of 31,501 manufactured between 1959 and 1960. Elvis Presley fans may recognise this car as similar to the one used in the film Blue Hawaii in which he sings the Weisman and Wise number ‘Almost Always True‘.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Almost Always True’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again, tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Federal Spec – MG Midget 1500

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Today’s blog is a little thank you to peteran51 whom I know as Piet who a couple of weeks posted a link to one of his favourite cars the #238 Frank Hernandez Austin Streamliner on the Spridget Register website www.spridgets.net in Germany.

The British Motor Corporation MG Midget started out life as a badge engineered Austin Healey Sprite MK II in 1961 reviving the successful Midget name which MG had used in the 1930’s.

By 1972 the Midget had completely replaced the Sprite in the now British Leyland Motor Corporation model line.

This 1979 version is powered by a 1493cc / 91 CUI motor taken from the Triumph Spitfire with a modified 4 speed all synchromesh gearbox from the Morris Marina.

Production ceased on 7th December 1979 making this particular vehicle registered in 1979/80 in Reading one of the last of the 73,899 Midget 1500’s that had been produced since 1974.

Midgets today are still raced regularly with dedicated Midget series in the UK which has been running since 1977. Parts are still available thanks to British Motor Heritage which owns original press tools sufficient to supply complete Midget body shells.

My thanks again to Piet for the heads up, I hope you have enjoyed today’s US Federal bumper spec edition of Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres and that you will join me again tomorrow for something that I will photograph at a Piston Heads Sunday Service later this morning. Don’t forget to come back now !

PS It’s sad to report that Psycho on Tyres contributor Ed Arnaudin, who took all of the late 50’s sports car photographs it has been my humble privilege to share this past couple of months is not very well, I hope you will join me wishing him a full and speedy recovery.

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