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Photographs and
reports of the
60th Diamond
Anniversary Commemorative runs 2007
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MG Car Club of Victoria
3 March 2007
Photos by Robert Ades and
Robin Page |
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MG Car
Club New South Wales - Maitland
13 - 15 April 2007
Report by Lynne Brompton and
Alf Luckman
Photos by Alf Luckman and
Tony Slattery |
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MG Y -TYPE 60th ANNIVERSARY GATHERING - NEW
SOUTH WALES - AUSTRALIA
By
Lynne Brompton and Alf Luckman
The weekend of the 13 – 15th
April saw the coming together of 30 Y-Types in the city of Maitland, 160 km north of Sydney. Cars came from
as far a field as North Queensland and southern
Victoria. The largest contingent of participants came from the districts
generally surrounding Sydney and Brisbane, but the outer areas of southern
Queensland and the western districts of New South Wales were also
represented. It was the largest gathering of Y-Types in Australia – ever!
Well, almost
ever. No one has ever kept an accurate check, but from the collective
memories of a large number of people this claim is probably justified.
Included in this gathering of Y-Types were 13 Y Tourers (and 17 YAs).
For the Tourer, 13 in the one place is most likely a
world record. Even in the
days of original production at Abingdon, that number is unlikely to have
been exceeded. It is understood that the cars were built in batches of 4
to 8, so a group of 13 at the time of production, is unlikely.
The
event was organised by two indefatigable Y- Typers, Steve Brompton of
Sydney and Tony Slattery from Brisbane. These two stalwarts
of the marque are also responsible for most of the record keeping of the
Australian Y Register. How they find time to go to work is something of a
mystery.
The
furthest distance driven was by Terry and Cheryl Ciantar from Mackay in
North Queensland. They estimated that by the time they had
returned home they would have travelled about 5,000 kilometres – or 3,000
miles. That’s dedication!
Generally the cars behaved themselves, other than that of Tom and Flossie
Peitsch from Melbourne whose gearbox disgraced itself when
presented with the challenge of tackling the Bathurst road racing circuit
– albeit at normal road speeds. However, after a few phone calls a spare
box, ready to fit, was produced by Peter Fogarty of Sydney, and after a
delay of only one day, Tom and Flossie were able to get to Maitland on
time.
The
venue for this memorable occasion was the wonderful Monte Pio Function
Centre. This old restored building has had a chequered life ranging from a
church dignitaries’ home, to a school and orphanage. It contains
everything the Y-Type fraternity needed for a wonderful three days.
On
Saturday morning all the participants took part in a Fun Run that explored
the wineries and river flats of the Hunter Valley. As a
lasting record of the event, the cars lined up in a Y formation for some
memorable photographs beside the Hunter River. On Saturday evening we had
a dinner with guest speakers but there was little else by way of
formalities. It was just a good social, and sociable, weekend. People
appreciated the opportunity to discuss and inspect the cars, advice was
shared and a network for finding and exchanging spare parts is being
established.
The DC3 "vehicle" is basically a camper trailer. The owner (Werner Kroll) is an entertainer and travels to various shows using the vehicle
to live in, if necessary. He and his lovely wife live in a nice part of the country about 30 miles to the north west of Brisbane. So you can imagine driving that rig
about 1200 miles, to and from Maitland, was no small feat. He tows his Y on a separate trailer. He normally carries a smaller car so he can get around after parking the DC3. For the Maitland trip he
brought the silver coloured Y, which is his wife's "daily driver". She uses it to travel to and from her work, five days a week. The DC3 is, as you can see a modified aircraft body, fitted to, I
think, a "White" truck chassis with a diesel engine. The whole thing causes havoc on the roads with people wanting to have another/closer look at it.
The event proved very popular and there are already tentative
plans for something similar in 2012, perhaps based in Brisbane. We also
hope to maintain the impetus by organising annual day runs from Sydney,
Brisbane and Melbourne.
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  MG Car Club North West Register
11 - 13 May 2007
Report by Paul Barrow
Photos by Rob Roberson,
Tracey Johnson, Floyd Inman, Paul
Barrow |
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MG Y -TYPE 60th ANNIVERSARY GATHERING -
PACIFIC NORTH
WEST -
USA
By Paul
Barrow
With 8 registrations, the Pacific Northwest gathering
for the 60th Anniversary will probably be the smallest gathering.
But what was lacking in numbers was easily made up for in enthusiasm,
enjoyment and friendship as we came together on Friday night.
Although most of us had never met each other before, the pace of
conversation never slacked throughout the entire weekend and the sound of
laughter was often heard. A truly International weekend was promised
as participants came from two countries, Canada and the US joined up in
Washington State. Unfortunately we had one 'no show', and Tracey
Johnson attended but without her YT which had put a con rod through the
side of the number 4 cylinder two days before as the small end let go of
the piston. Notwithstanding, heads certainly turned as no fewer than
6 Ys, (2 YAs, 2 YTs, and 2 YBs) lined up for the start of driving
activities on the Saturday. It is not everyday that you stop at
lights in the middle of 6 MG Ys!!
Before the run however, all the cars lined up in the
hotel car park for a small 'show and shine' and were joined by 2 Harley
Davidson motor cycles, a Ferrari, a Morgan, a Citroen 2CV, a Morris 1000,
an MGB and a Midget at the Lakeway Inn, Bellingham. A scenic drive
got underway about 10:30 am and the Ys moved out en-masse: quite
what other road users thought, one cannot begin to imagine as they merged
in with the modern traffic. Mark May encountered running problems
and Wayne Musselman's wind shield picked up a 'rock' (stone) and broke.
However we all arrived back at the hotel having had a fun day and having
seen some very beautiful parts of this tremendously beautiful state and
also met some of the great locals who offered unparalleled hospitality.
On Sunday morning fond good byes were said as many new
friends had been made. Attending were, from Utah - Floyd and Kathy
Inman (YB), from Canada - Terry and Linda O'Brien (YT), and from
Washington, Jan and Rob Roberson (YA), Wayne and Cathy Musselman (YT), Tracey
Johnson (YT-less), Mark May (YB) and Paul and Sara Barrow (YA).
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UK -
Spring Run
11 - 13 May 2007
Report by Andrew Adamson
Photos by Francois Collard,
Andrew Adamson, Ted Gardner, Peter Sharp, David Pelham |
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Video Clip #1
 
Duration 2 min 10 Sec |
Video clip #2
Duration 2 min 22 Sec |
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The
MG Car Club 'Y' Register Spring Run -
Sunday
13 May 200 7
Charlecot House
By Andrew Adamson
The Spring Run, organised by
Jerry Birkbeck, is now a firmly established season opener in the MG Y Type
calendar. This year’s run was destined to be a landmark in Y Type history,
marking both the 60th anniversary of the start of Y Type
production and the 10th anniversary of the very first Y Type
Spring Run.
It would have been fantastic to
mark the occasion by the attendance of 60 (or even 50) vehicles, and it
looked as though the warm, sunny weather in the weeks leading up to the
event might just coax some of the lesser spotted Y’s out of hibernation.
Final numbers fell a little short of this however, with 48 cars making it
to the start of the run, including for the first time, no less than 7 YT
variants. Despite narrowly failing to reach the magic 50, I believe the
gathering of 48 Y Types is an all-time UK record and it was nice to see
quite a few cars or drivers attending the run for the first time.
The venue for the start of this
year’s event was Charlecote Park, a grand 16th century country house,
surrounded by an ancient deer park. The property includes gardens laid
out by Capability Brown and came under the management of the National
Trust in 1946, the year before Y Types went into production.
On arrival at Charlecote Park I
was delighted to see the wonderful line-up of immaculately presented
vehicles, already being admired by the first visitors of the day.
I enjoyed spending an hour or so taking pictures, chatting to owners and
rekindling old friendships. Having sold my own YA last summer, I was
delighted to be offered the opportunity to navigate for her new owner,
Peter Sharp. Peter enthusiastically showed me some of the many
improvements he had made in continuing the programme of restoration work
that I and previous owners had embarked on. Seeing
my old Y 6041 again, with her
shiny black paintwork, was like being reacquainted with an old friend. It
was clear that Peter had looked after her very well and it was reassuring
to know that she is in such good hands.
The run itself was largely on a
well thought out series of back roads around glorious Warwickshire
countryside. Even in the rain, we were treated to a seemingly limitless
number of unspoilt vistas and leafy lanes, just the type of route that Y
Types were designed for. Peter had quickly developed the techniques
required for 1950's motoring and I was very impressed by the way he drove
the car exactly as it should be driven. Stopping off for refreshments at
the King’s Head, we admired the steady stream of Y Types trundling past
the window, whilst chatting about old cars in general and Y Types in
particular. Back on the road, we discovered that a certain amount of
water had collected in the sunroof surround and found its way into the car
as we headed off, adding to the drips from the dash board. Driving
through a very deep puddle brought further moisture into the car through
the floorboards, causing Peter's shoes to fill with water! I think it's
what's known in Y Type circles as
"character-building" and Peter suggested that if it got any worse we may
need to start bailing out!
As our trouser legs soaked up
the drips of rainwater, the car soaked up the miles with ease and all too
soon we were arriving back at Charlecote Park. The worsening conditions
had prompted many drivers to head back to Charlecote early instead of
lingering en route. The trophy presentation was duly brought forward and
the awards made as follows:
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Roy Clapham - Best YA
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Alistair Meldrum - Best YT
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Bob Wall - Best YB
Alan Chick - Piston Broke
Alan did not break down
... this time! |
It was disappointing for the event to be marred slightly by less than
ideal conditions, especially after the warmest April since dinosaurs
roamed the earth. And yet, somehow the attendance of so many cars this
year was an encouraging sign of the level of interest there is in these
vehicles and the resourcefulness of all those involved. Everybody seemed
to have their own way of coping with leaky or misty windscreens and
didn't allow the constant rain to dampen their spirits. Thanks and
appreciation are offered to all those involved in making the run such an
enjoyable day, but particularly to Jerry for all the effort he puts into
organising this event.
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South Australia
20 May 2007
Report by
Graham Loader
Photos by Graham Loader |
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The
MG Car Club of South Australia
'Y' Anniversary Run - Sunday
20 May 200 7
By Graham Loader
On 20th May 2007 the Pre War & T Register of the MG Car
Club of South Australia conducted a run to celebrate the Y’s 60th
anniversary. Graham Loader volunteered to organise the event. It was
uncertain on how many could be found as there were only about 3 or 4 that
actively participate in club activities. A check in club records
indicated there were others that may be available. After many telephone
calls and discussions it was surprising to find 16 on the road, in the end
14 were actually able to attend, 9 Saloons and 5 Tourers: those
being Chassis Nos. Y 0899, Y 1090, Y 1099, Y 1201, Y 2493,
Y 2868, YT 3432, YT 3516, YT 3590, YT 3871, Y 4597, Y 4770, YT 5121 and Y
6594. During the week the weather was
threatening with rain forecast on most days, but fortunately come Sunday
morning the clouds started to clear as the cars arrived at the Oaklands
Reserve start south of Adelaide.
Thirteen other MGs supported the event including the
rare K3 race car.
It was delightful to see the shining chrome fronts of
13 Y’s in a line, the 9 Y Saloons, 4 Y Tourers in order of chassis number.
Another Y Tourer joined mid way through the run.
The run traversed over 75km of beautiful hills scenery
to a little Italian restaurant on the eastern side of the Adelaide Hills
in the small town of Kanmantoo. The Osteria Sanso Restaurant is owned and
run by a retired London chef who served many of the 1960s & 1970s film
stars. He retired to this old 1800s hotel, restored it then decided he
still needed to run a restaurant, it has now become very popular, serving
excellent meals.
A part from a few minor navigational problems and
domestics all arrived at the destination on time and parked for display.
The MG display in the car park drew the attention of
passing traffic, with many stopping to admire and take photos, of the Y’s
of course!
During the lunch period MGCC SA President presented a
personalised Y poster (see above) to all Y participants.
Everyone enjoyed the event so much, it was decided that
another run should be held late next year, to celebrate the 60th
anniversary of the Y tourer.
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Western
Australia
24 June 2007
Report and photos by Richard
Prior |
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The start |
Ys ready to
go |
 Rear View |
Another view |
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 We need more
rain |
Churchman's
Brook Reservoir Picnic area |
Ys & Ts |
Y line up |
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60th
Birthday Cake |
60th
Birthday Cake |
Lynette
cutting the cake |
The Mob
partaking of the cake |
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Mike & Ron's
YAs |
Richo and
Mike Y Specials |
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The
MG Car Club of Western Australia
'Y' Anniversary Run - Sunday
24 June 200 7
By Richard Prior
On the 24th June the Y Register of the TC Owners Club in Perth Western
Australia celebrated the Y 60th Birthday with other T Typers from the
club. We were only able to muster 3 YA’s and 2 YT’s but a few members with Y’s
not currently operational also
made the start. The run started from the Swan River Causeway at
the eastern end of the city of Perth and ambled down Albany Highway to Brookton Highway and finally the selected picnic spot at Churchman’s
Brook Reservoir. After a walk to the dam wall the group gathered under a
rotunda to enjoy lunch. After lunch Lynette Burden produced a suitably
decorated delicious fruit cake for us all to enjoy and of course we sang Happy
Birthday and toasted the mighty Y. Young Grandson Justin Prior in his Lightning
McQueen outfit had the privilege of blowing out the
candles.
Our thanks to Ron
Mitchem and Mike and Lynette Burden for organising the event for all of us to
enjoy.
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Anniversary Port
Report and photos by Richard
Prior |
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Port bottling |
Labeling |
Production line |
The Nuthouse |
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Y 60th label |
The produce |
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The
MG Car Club of Western Australia
Anniversary 'Y' Port
By Richard Prior
It has now become an
annual tradition of the MG TC Owners Club to move the fortnightly Thursday
Night meeting to a Saturday evening and venture to Bert & Angie Hayes
property at Grass Valley near Northam 60 miles from Perth Western
Australia. The property is a traditional wheat and sheep farm but the
Hayes also grow Pistachios and have built a huge shed aptly called the
‘The Nuthouse’. The Nuthouse provides a fantastic venue for the weekend
activities and sleeping quarters on the mezzanine level. The weekend
begins with a grass motorkhana in the bottom paddock then late afternoon
we bottle a keg of Port purchased from local Coorinja Winery. Each year
the label is an MG Anniversary and this year we celebrated the Y 60th.
The evening begins with the transferred meeting followed by a sumptuous
feast. The next morning after BBQ breakfast we usually go for a tour of
the countryside and finish at nearby town of York for the annual
celebration of the Motor Car and parade of classic cars to finish a great
weekend.
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Victoria
Australia
17 November 2007
Report and photos by Thomas
Peitsch |
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Y Gathering at
Lancemore Hill Gathering
17 November 2007
by
Thomas Peitsch
This story really
begins several years ago in the Melbourne Town Hall following a meeting of the
Lord Mayor’s Charitable Fund “All Faiths Appeal”. Having discovered that Leigh
Wallace and I shared the joy of MG Y ownership and restoration we began
discussing the various people he knew who also owned Y types … the somewhat
overlooked sports saloon of the MG fraternity. When the Maitland NSW Gathering
for the 60th anniversary of the Y was announced our discussions turned to doing
something similar here in Victoria. After my wife, Flossie, and I made the
event-filled trip to Maitland in our MG Y named ‘Harold’, and experienced the
camaraderie of the National Y Register we came back determined to get together
with other Y owners down here. So after months of planning, the Lancemore Hill
Convention Centre (near Lancefield, north of Melbourne) hosted a gathering for
MG Ys in Victoria on November 17. It is hoped that this will become an annual
event,. 3 YAs and 2 YTs made the journey, along with a TC, and several honorary
Ys (mainly of Japanese manufacture) being driven by people whose real Ys
are in various stages of restoration. We were also greeted by an MGB with his
owner who had heard about the gathering “on the grapevine”.
Participants
started arriving mid-morning on the Saturday to be met with a cuppa and a
display of MG Y books, literature, models and a computer slide show of
photographs from other Y Gatherings and Ys under restoration. From the moment of
arrival until the group broke up on Sunday morning the conversation never
ceased. Stories were exchanged. Restoration information and advice shared, parts
sourced.
After picking up
our basket lunches prepared by the fantastic chef and kitchen staff at Lancemore
Hill we set out under the expert guidance of Y owner John Coburn, a local of the
area, on a run to Hanging Rock for our picnic. Thanks to Russell Brewer &
Petra Thiem for snaffling one of the larger picnic shelters, because when the
rain swept through we were cosy and dry, enjoying excellent food and great
company. We had some official photographs taken there of the six (6) Ys and the
group of 20+ people who made the day. Around mid-afternoon we set out to the
Memorial Cross just near the town of Mt Macedon. Even though some rain blew
through, the conversations continued as we admired the views and enjoyed each
others company. Late in the afternoon we returned to Lancemore Hill via Hesket
and Romsey. A few of us were privileged to witness the gravity defying act of
Mal & Davina Fry’s Y as it appeared to roll uphill on a particular road between
Hanging Rock and Mt Macedon. A truly amazing optical illusion. Even more
amazing when you are sitting in a car as it seems to roll up hill!
The Saturday
evening 3-course banquet was a combination of good food and good company. Matt &
Renee Peitsch, who were participants in the weekend, provided us with several
brackets of songs throughout the evening. Between each course attendees were
invited to tell their story of how they came to be with their Y. John
Jefferies, who came in his TC, even got his chance as we recognized that under
the bodywork the Ys and T-types have much in common.
The first of our
two main presentations was by Leigh Wallace who spoke about his Y restoration,
illustrating his talk with a number of progress photos of the car. It just fell
short of being ready for this gathering, but will certainly be on the road in
2008. The second presentation was by Tony Slattery from Queensland, who heads up
the Australian Y Register. He talked about his involvement with Ys and the
newsletter that he produced back in the 1990s until it got too big a job such
was the demand. He encouraged us to continue growing the Y owners/restorers
network throughout Victoria, Australia and the world. He brought with him the
multi-volumed Y register of Australia so most of us looked up our cars. Some
were able to provide updated information on their Y or provided more information
on other Ys in the register.
On Sunday morning
the conversations continued over the buffet/cooked breakfast. The chief topic
was growing the Y Register here in Victoria and how we can raise the profile of
an underrated MG sports saloon. After breakfast it was departure time and we
were all homeward bound, with some heading directly home while others were going
to cruise the Budfest Wine festival being held on the weekend in the Mt Macedon
area wineries.
All in all, a good
weekend of great people, good location, good food, good conversation and great
cars. Preparations are already underway for 2008 to have three (3) official Y
gatherings in the year culminating in the weekend gathering in November. Watch
for more information as we get our planning done. For those of you who have Ys
in the shed undergoing restoration, keep at it. Let’s get these MG Y 1.25s
out on the road where they belong.
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