MGA-Register - Recordbraking at Bonneville, EX179 -

RECORD BREAKING 50 YEARS AGO

This month we celebrate the achievements of the MG EX179 breaking 16 “Class F” records at Bonneville in August 1956. The following extracts and pictures are from a contemporary report written for the American magazine “Sports Cars Illustrated” and published in January 1957. Permission has been sought from the publishers Ziff-Davies.

“Wendover’s air conditioned café is the chief gathering place for off-salt hours. Here, in only a few hours, you become aware of the tremendous amount of automotive know-how available to BMC-Captain George Eyston, who has devoted his life to record breaking; Alex Houndslow, with more than thirty years in the MG racing and experimental department, Johnny Lockett, world-famous motorcycle rider who has driven Austin Healeys and MG’s so impressively at Le Mans and some of the finest of America’s driving talent in the persons of Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby.

On Sunday, August 12, the 1500cc MG made its first attempt for the 12 hour Class F record with a target speed of something over 140 mph. Concern has been expressed over the condition of the salt which was never too stable at best. On this morning, Ken Miles took the opening session of three hours beginning at six a.m. Not yet too light at this hour, the only thing that seemed real was the sharp crackle of the exhaust as Miles moved off.

At a few moments after nine o’clock Johnny Lockett took over and not even the most tense or critical ear could pick up a sour note that would give warning that this engine wouldn’t run forever. As noon approached and Miles prepared to relieve Lockett, the unforeseen happened. A rear wheel bearing let go, allowing the axle to drift out of the housing. Lockett reported that he had just caught the first hint of burning rubber when the revs mounted due to the spline of the axle leaving the differential carrier. Six hard earned hours of record speed were wasted and the engine that a few minutes before had only a little over six hours to run now had an additional twelve.

Wednesday saw the 1500cc Class F MG back on the salt for an early start. This time nothing untoward happened and all Class F records up to 12 hours were taken at impressive speed, with improvements over Sunday’s record. Four days later this car, with the sprint engine, established a new ten mile flying start record of 170.15 mph under the piloting of Johnny Lockett. This year MG earned everything they got and a lot of credit should go to Houndslow and his crew for the preparation and to the two drivers, Miles and Lockett, who apparently never made a mistake and were so proud of the car that you’d think that they had built it. Incidentally, this engine received no more than a tappet check between the end of its six hour run and the beginning of the second run of 12 hours.”

Some of the pictures are from the MGA Register archive: