NEW  Toronto Triumph Club members seriously injured in crash
This story is a reminder to all to keep safe this driving season and watch out for "the other guy"! "...A 67-year-old man remains in critical condition after his vintage Triumph was struck by a tractor-trailer..." Details here

Local enthusiast's warehouse burglarized and vandalized
This sad news was brought to our attention by fellow club member Bob Leinen. Lee Jacobsen, a local British car enthusiast, had his Detroit garage/warehouse broken into this past October, and countless rare and precious items were stolen, vandalized or destroyed. The story is heartbreaking, disturbing and tremendously infuriating.  "...Items taken include, 1970 MGB roadster, tartan red, VIN GHN5UA195022G,... radiators and shells from TC, TD, 37MGSA (mint shell not restored), 38MGSA (concours shell), radiators from MGA, TR3-B, 52 JAG all via crowbar and tools, the TF radiator & shell they could not get but destroyed in process.  Spare tire knockoffs were taken from the TC and TD. The most valuable parts were taken from the prewar SAs, all parts restored but in boxes..." 

The full account, with pictures, can be read here.pdf  Of course, if anyone can help in any way, Lee can be reached at the number given near the end of the document.

MG vs Squeegee
"...I just got mauled by some stupid squeegee guy," exclaimed the motorist...He said a panhandler jumped into his vintage MG Midget and attacked him after he asked that the squeegee not be used on the car ..."  Read more here

MG and Austin-Healy Ride Again
"...Great news for lovers of classic sports cars as two iconic brands rise from the ashes...."  Read more here

MGs set to roll out at Longbridge
"... Three new MG TF sports models are expected to drive off the recommissioned production lines at the opening ceremony..." Read more here

The first Chinese-built MGs roll off the production line
"...The cars have not changed much, right down to the Union flag, which is still displayed proudly on their bodywork..." Read more here

According to Nanging, MG now stands for "Modern Gentleman"!
Yes, Cecil Kimber is likely spinning in his grave but Nanging has reportedly redefined the MG initials... " Jan. 11, 2007 ... MG's new Chinese owner has decided to change the meaning of the famous initials to help promote the brand in its new home market...." Read more here

TVR to move production out of Britain
TVR to become the latest ex-pat lbc. " Oct. 19, 2006...Sports car company TVR is to cease production in the UK, with the loss of 250 jobs at its factory in Blackpool..." Read more here 

MG TF to be built in Oklahama
If the plans hold, MG enthusiasts in North America may finally be able to purchase the next generation of MG roadster: the MG-TF coupe...Here are links to some of the news sources

BBC news "...MG Rover's new owner, Nanjing Automobile, has said it plans to build a new assembly plant in Oklahoma..."

Business Week "...In formalizing an announcement the company made earlier Wednesday, Hale told an Oklahoma City news conference that the strength of the MG brand name will help sell the sporty vehicle...'Owners clubs and enthusiasts are all about the brand,' he said. 'They are all about driving an MG.'..."

In praise of old British cars!
March 2006..."If war returns to northern Sri Lanka, garage owner Raja Durai says it might be too much for the new Japanese-built cars he repairs. He'd rather trust veteran British cars half a century old.Morris Minors, Morris Oxfords and Austin Cambridges -- almost rare now in Britain -- still drive past bombed-out buildings and mined lagoons, sharing the roads with white aid agency four-wheel drives and Sri Lankan army patrols..." Read more here.

Changes to Ontario's Drive Clean Program
Ontario residents please note that the recently announced changes do not affect our little British cars, which are considered historic vehicles under the Ontario "Highway Traffic Act", thus exempt from emissions testing. Many thanks to club member and MPP, Bruce Crozier, for providing us with the reassuring details. Here are links to the relevant documents:
Press Release and Backgrounder note "historical" vehicle exemption in section 2
Drive Clean Program main page
Highway Traffic Act and more specifically, the Historic Vehicle definition
 

Speed TV or elsewhere on the tube
... if you know of something coming up, let me know and I'll post it here.
 

MG reborn, remarketed and ready to roll under NAC!
Though we may never see the new MGTF on this side of the pond, it's nonetheless exciting to see the MG marque/brand promoted with such flair. Don't miss the condensed "history " of the MG while exploring the site here

Speed TV's Mike Joy on his MG:
"...It makes me feel like I'm 21 again...."  Read more here

The Giant-Hearted Midget
"...Despite the much-heralded arrival of the MG Six in 1929, the smaller Midget defined what a British sports car should be ..."  Read more here

Memoir of an MG owner in Newsweek Magazine

"April 9, 2007 ...It Was Love at First Shift... I loved this car. Was it because she was a quirky foreigner, or because she was my first? Bucket seats, genuine four-on-the-floor transmission, wooden dash ... she hugged the road like a go-cart..."  Read the entire article here

Ralph Poupard's amazing MG2006 adventure

There were ups and downs - and I'm not referring to the mountain roads... Ralph's lighthearted account of his and Kathi's MG2006 adventure makes for a terrific read and was published in the September/October 2006 issue of NAMGAR's newsletter. The article is made available here .pdf with permission from MGA!, the bimonthly publication of NAMGAR, the North American MGA Register.

Vintage Road & Track
Talk about classic: a series of articles about the MG-TC that appeared in the October 1956 edition of Road & Track.  Many thanks to Bob Leinen for sending me the file and making it available for all to enjoy.  Happy reading, and viewing! Click here .pdf

Article on the WDMGC in MGA!
The September/October 2005 issue of NAMGAR's newsletter features a fantastic article about our club, written by our club president, Ralph Poupard. The article is made available here .pdf with permission from MGA!, the bimonthly publication of NAMGAR, the North American MGA Register.
 

Protuguese Barn Find: Truth or Urban Myth?
I'm sure most of you have seen the widely circulating email story/PowerPoint presentation about a New York couple who purchase retirement property in Portugal for very little money. As the story goes, the original owners were deceased with no heirs and the property was being sold to pay taxes. Included was an immense sealed barn, the contents of which were unknown until the new owners unsealed it. You can just imagine how this unfolds, yes, the barn contained a mother lode: 180 stunning, albeit dusty, vintage cars!  While there is no doubt as to the existence of the barn and the cars, the story surrounding the original collector of the vehicles, the new owners and how they came to acquire the property, has never truly been verified. Here are links to a few web resources dedicated to separating fact from fiction in this story!
Snopes - the myth busting site
Autoblog
Sports Car Market Magazine
The Pictures

MGs on track at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix
Yes, that's right, Raikkonen, Alonso, and other F1 drivers rode on the track in an MG. Don't believe me? Click here and see for yourself.  The link will take you to the first image in the gallery, so be sure to view all the images (just click the "next" button above each image) to see a parade of impeccable chrome bumper MGBs.

MG TD Replicars
"...Following its official introduction into the UK in June, TD Cars will be displaying its TD 2000 roadster at the Classic Motor Show, NEC Birmingham, on 27-29 October, 2006. The MG TD roadster look-alike, hand-built in Malaysia, has a 2.0 litre Toyota twin-cam engine capable of delivering around 130 bhp through a five-speed gearbox. It retails from £23,499 according to specification..." Would you like one?  click here for more info.

MGs in a Wine Blog?
I knew our long convoy of cars was going to turn heads in Essex County during our July 23 Sunday Cruise to the Vineyard, but I wasn't expecting to read about it in someone's wine blog: "...No, I am not an employee of the winery but they had such a nice open house yesterday I have to commend them...The fact that the MG club was there made it special to me. It was like a car show and party rolled into one..."  You can read the rest in the author's July 24 entry of the Essex County Wine Blog

MGA captured on canvas
German artists Stephan and Verena were commissioned to paint a 1959 MGA. Click here to view the painting and to view a record of the work in progress, including photos of the "subject" itself.