Vintage Newsletter

NEWSLETTER WELCOME TO THE VINTAGE NEWSLETTER

With my dear chum Peter Jones somewhat preoccupied ‘with the builders in’, this particular Vintage ‘six-monthly’ comes from far-flung Cornwall; written, if I might say, with the wind and rain lashing at the window. I thought this was meant to be early spring! Perhaps, by the time you get to read this, it will seem like winter is behind us and the worry of salt on the road all gone. I do hope so. After events of the last year, getting out and about again in interesting cars has never seemed so appealing.

For the first ever occasion the VR committee recently ‘met’ by way of an online platform, ‘hot on the heels’ soon coming the first ever online VR AGM… Such 21st Century landmarks for the Car Club’s first ever Register. My word. We are indeed breaking new ground!

Also, by the time you read this, our stalwart Chair, Peter Mace, will have stood down. I wanted to take the opportunity to publicly thank Peter on behalf of us all for his steady stewardship and enthusiastic, affable approach. You are a gentleman, Peter. We are all very fond of you and grateful for the work you’ve undertaken for the Register over the years, first, as VR Secretary, and then Chairman through your various 18/80 ownerships. Now enjoying a lovely Morris Isis tourer, Peter retains a passion for Vintage MGs and for the Register he has contributed to for so long. It is ‘typically Peter’ that, without hesitation, he agreed to stand again for a general post on the VR committee, in order to assist in the next chapter of the Register, ensure continuity, and give assistance to those in-coming to new roles. Sincere thanks again, Peter!

Rather appropriately, Peter recently spotted this month’s first photo in ‘Morris Monthly’ – The Morris Register Club magazine – and sought permission for us to use it. How delightful! Anyone for a picnic? It is of course a Morris Garages ‘Bullnose’ 14/28 Four Seat Tourer that sits quietly in the background. Ideal for two couples’ motoring – the charming lady in the foreground gone all bashful at, presumably, having her photo taken or some cheeky witticism her date had just made. Looking at the car, rather than the fashions or refreshments (tea, milk, beer – they seem well kitted out) – I particularly like the luggage strapped to the rear of the car – (perhaps they were touring?) and wonder what eventually happened to SF 3774. Grateful thanks to one Ian Letham of Berwickshire who provided the pic to the Morris Register and, in turn, to Rob Symonds of the MR for his kind permission to reprint the photo here.

It would also be remiss of me not to also offer particular thanks to John

A purposeful ‘Kethro era’ GU 8413 – sporting cycle wings, Brooklands screens and tri-headlight arrangement

Cooper for his long and much appreciated contribution as VR Treasurer. John’s entertaining AGM reports and illustrative pie charts are stuff of legend! Thank you also John for agreeing to stay on the committee in a general role, like Peter. You and your beautifully developing M type restoration are incredibly welcome; always. It is a nice facet of our group that owners, ex-owners, friends, relatives and admirers/ supporters of the cars are all equally treated in the VR. As with so many parts of the Club, it is the cars that initially bring us together, but it really is the people who make us stay…

Hopefully, the ‘other’ photos in this newsletter will provide a rather nice surprise for one of our overseas members! In late 2019, after meeting John at the Goodwood Revival, Norman Herr of Texas offered to buy John Venables’ 1929 18/80 Mk. I Speedmodel – GU 8413 – aka ‘Black Beauty’. (Copies will be sent via email, Norman!)

These pics originate from the Laurence Kethro era of GU 8413, who was custodian of the car during the fifties, having purchased it from Reubens Welch as a bodyless chassis in 1955. Kethro was a great friend of Morgan Marshall and, referring to Jonesy (plus dipping back into the Register archive) the body shown in the photos was made by none other than Julie Kethro, Laurence’s daughter. Through acquiring welding experience, she formed the body from a tubular-steel-skeleton over which was mounted a metal skin. Julie was, to Jonesy’s mind, probably the closest Morgan ever had to a daughter and he encouraged her car efforts – being very proud of her body making abilities! Kethro himself was, like Morgan, an active member of the Bristol Motorcycle and Light Car Club. Those who remember Morgan and, of course the well-used era of ‘KX’, will remember that rather battered old club badge affixed to the angle-iron badge bar / headlight-steady of said motorcar.

Kethro also once owned GG 554 – the Mk II 18/80 four-door Saloon which passed between Morgan and himself before ‘sticking with’ Morgan, prior to Phil Green inheriting the car in, I think 1987 or 1988, along with many of Morgan’s extensive fleet. This car is also now beautifully restored by Fred Body and resides in the hands of Chas Howe in Dorset (who, we should note, we are much relieved to hear finally ‘saw off’ Covid last year, despite complications). Your ongoing future good health, Chas.

After Kethro, GU passed through a number of hands in and around Bristol before settling in 1965 with the late Geoff Tozer whom we knew well from his

Side-on, the rather Spartan-looking Julie Kethro ‘sports’ body with strapped-on bonnet side removed for inspection

Again side-on, GU 8414 alongside the outline of GG 554’s Saloon body. Originally GU was supplied by MG as a Saloon to someone who Geoff Tozer always maintained had by reputation been quite a racy lady! If only these old cars could talk, there would be some stories to tell, I’m sure.

Rear view of GU with spare wheel unceremoniously thrown in the back and rear ‘bumper’ or ‘luggage facility’ off which the number plate dangles Goring-on-Thames days. Although Morgan approved of the Kethro body, Geoff was rather less convinced and decided to do away with the home-made Sports body. To fill the void, Geoff purchased ALB 3 in 1967, an18/80 Mk II Speedmodel as an engine-less car for the princely sum of £100. It is from this chain of events that GU exists, unusually, as a very early car with a very late 18/80 body. Happily, through Jim Bowman’s intervention, although then sans engine and body, ALB 3 also survives to this day with a reproduction single-door Sports Mk III body.

Fast forward to the late eighties/early nineties and Geoff Tozer was incredibly helpful to Constant senior and I (in teenage mode!) in providing ready-access to ALB 3’s stripped Speedmodel bodyframe for careful photographing, measuring and the taking of ‘rubbings’ on rolled out wallpaper!

These learnings have been invaluable in understanding the construction of the Speedmodel bodies, and provided crosslearnings/reference points in terms of the Tigress, which would later show itself in physical form by way of the reproduction Tigress body Dad built for WL 6135, the Mk II Prototype, Geoff Radford ‘brought forward’ towards Mk III spec.

One of Dad and my favourite memories of studying the slides of the bare bodyframe projected on to our old dining room wall, was when the penny eventually dropped that on Dad’s full-scale Speedmodel body drawings we had faithfully reproduced the ‘rear end sag’ that had over the years taken place due to the body being stored off the car! Normally supported obviously by the chassis, the weight at the rearmost part of the body had created the temporarily mind-baffling phenomenon of Dad having diligently drawn up the fruits of our investigations from an original Mk II Speedmodel body, only to find that it could not ever sit on an original Mk II chassis!!

As an aside, Geoff Tozer was an interesting character, having been a setdirector in the film industry, including the epic ‘Where Eagles Dare’, starring of course Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. He confessed that however many times he watched the film, even though he helped make it, he could never quite be sure whether Burton’s character had really come clean on which side he was really working for!

Sadly, not long after finishing GU Geoff Tozer died, and his car was purchased from the estate in 2002 by Jonathan Tilley, who we will remember as also having once owned Jerry Salaman’s car ALW 522, the 18/80 Mk II four-seat Tourer. By 2005, GU had moved on once more to our dear friend John Venables, who thoroughly enjoyed the car until reducing mobility led to his sale. Christened ‘Black Beauty’ during John’s ownership, his enthusiasm for GU was, I must say, infectious.

I must confess, however, that my fondest memory of John’s time with the car actually comes from a hotel foyer, rather than his exploits behind the wheel. After one Vintage Register AGM, at the Shillingford Bridge Hotel, Wallingford, both John and I were a little startled by the staggeringly beautiful Polish (I think) hotel receptionist. Fortunately for me, however, John was ahead of me in the queue paying for lunch. This both shielded my similarly affected demeanour, and provided me with one of those wonderful ‘naturally occurring moments’ of life’s humour, as I witnessed John attempting to pay our gorgeous host with his bus pass!!! (Sorry John! But that anecdote is simply too good to keep under wraps.)

I trust these light-hearted notes on the Kethro/Tozer/Venables era of GU 8413 have been entertaining to not only its new custodian across the pond, but also the Vintage readership at large. I shall close with a wee taster of another very well-known car which has latterly found an enthusiastic new home. As I write this, with a deposit paid, MG 1124 the ex-Phil Jennings (and subsequently Peter Mace) Mk I 18/80 Fabric Saloon is heading for pastures new, but more on that exciting development another day… In closing, stay safe everyone, keep in touch and keep looking forward.

MG 1124 during Phil Jennings’ long custodianship of the car at ‘Cwmfrain’ during one of the great Jennings ‘Welsh Weekends’; sat alongside is ALB 3. The happiest of days

Present era GU again driver’s side on, showing what a ‘conventional’ Speedmodel side profile looks like. Compared with the picture on the previous page, note how the tax disc has changed sides.