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CHRIS TWIGGER

Chris Twigger was a devoted and passionate man, not only in business but equally with his loving family and numerous friends.

Chris was always drawn to his boyhood dreams of being involved in motorsport and he was approached due to his knowledge of Saab to be part of Erik Carlson’s Saab rally car team and in this endeavour Chris met and pitted beside one of his heroes, the late Colin McRae, as well as countless other rally icons.

As Chris successfully built up Redhill Garage over 40+ years he suffered a heart attack, which put his racing ambitions on hold, but one of Chris’s two daughters, Kayleigh, showed an interest in motorsport. Like any loving father would do, Chris encouraged Kayleigh! She went into his original ex-Dunlop Rover Tomcat and was soon lining up on the grid with the MG Cup.

Chris being Chris couldn’t just watch, he wanted to be out there racing against/with his daughter!

So, he purchased another Tomcat so he could be “out there”. Chris successfully competed in four MG Cup races before unfortunately falling ill to motor neurone disease.

Chris was always a friendly, helpful man in the MG Cup pit area. He would help anyone and everyone and made many friends!

Unfortunately Chris lost his short battle with the disease. Despite his valiant and brave efforts he sadly passed at home on March 10 2021 surrounded by his loving family.

Chris leaves behind his amazing wife Gale, two equally amazing daughters Lisa and Kayleigh, his best friend and grandson Oby, a loving family and countless friends.

RIP Christopher Twigger 13/01/59 - 10/03/21

Guy and Bob having fun in the MG K3

GUY MAATHUIS 1970-2021

Whenever Guy couldn’t be found at an MG meeting, one only had to search for an open bonnet, finding him hard at the repairs, that’s the type of man he was. If Guy couldn’t repair it, nobody could, and it was beyond repair. Whenever a light blinked on a dashboard or another problem occurred, he was the first to seek out. Thereby initiating a passion for cars and the Club among youngsters. For this reason, our Club is the largest in Luxembourg, counting some 250 members and the lowest average in terms of age in Europe.

I got to know Guy really well ten years ago. Following the wish to erect the Cercle Triple-M once again, I asked for his help. His reply, “join the MG Club’s committee and I’ll join the Triple-M Club’s.” A deal I couldn’t refuse, and from that time onwards we worked closely and organised many events for our members.

Working on cars with Guy was always a wonderful affair. To start off, his wife would ask if I wanted some coffee and I’d join her in the kitchen. We’d have a lengthy chat and I’d return to the garage. Guy, meticulously working on my car, would bark: “Are you here to work on the car or to chat.” Of course, he was right ...

Though he was a hard taskmaster when it came to my repairing skills, he was overwhelmingly kind-hearted when I got married some nine years ago. Three days before the date, he spontaneously asked me to join him on a Guy (left) and Bob Rallye. Of course, I said yes. My wife-to-be shared my delight...

When the Rallye was about to start, he told me I was sitting in the wrong spot. Instead, I should drive the rally in his MG ‘K3’, his stag party gift to me. Those are exactly the Guy-moments every one of us holds dear. One of Eric’s memories is his first fish and chips at a P&O ferry, which was an experience in itself. Guy led them all into the restaurant for lorry drivers on the ship. The food there was cheaper and better and only occasionally, they were thrown out, especially if they were dressed too cleanly and weren’t looking like lorry drivers. However, if they had previously repaired the MG on the quay and then showed their dirty trousers and black nails in the truck drivers’ restaurant, they never had a problem.

Every year, before the Stoneleigh event in February, they regularly had to share ten places at Guy’s favourite Indian restaurant with 20 people, because he invited all MG people he encountered that day.

The loss of Guy is tearing a big hole in our hearts in the classic car scene of Luxembourg, and even beyond our borders into the MG Car Club scene across Europe. At Guy’s funeral, thousands of people around the globe were thinking of him. The days following the tragic news delivered proof of this sentiment via the hundreds of emails and messages that have arrived.

Thank you for everything you did for the MGCCL and the CERCLE Triple-M. You can never be replaced.

Farewell, my friend. May you rest in peace. Goodbye Guy!

Bob Nosbusch and Eric Tanson

FBHVC CLARIFIES THE INTRODUCTION OF E10 PETROL FOR HISTORIC MG OWNERS

After an extensive consultation process, the Department for Transport has announced that they will legislate to introduce E10 petrol as the standard 95-octane petrol grade by September 1 2021. They will also require the higher-octane 97+ ‘Super’ grades to remain E5 to provide protection for owners of historic MGs. This product will be designated as the ‘Protection’ grade.

The introduction of the 95-octane E10 grade and the maintenance of the Super E5 protection grade will be reviewed by the Government after five years to ensure they remain appropriate to the needs of the market. In relation to the E5 protection grade, such a review will examine market developments over the period. HM Government have sought to reassure MG Car Club members that, without a suitable alternative becoming available, it is highly likely the Super E5 protection grade would continue to be available.

Filling stations that stock two grades of petrol and supply at least one million litres of fuel in total each year, will need to ensure one product is the Super E5 protection grade. While not all filling stations meet these criteria, almost all towns across the UK will have a filling station that supplies the ‘Super’ grade and currently one major retailer, a national supermarket group, has committed to offer the product. The main exception to this is in certain parts of the Highlands, north and west coast of Scotland, which will be covered by an exemption process and allowed to continue to market the 95-octane E5 grade.

The Federation therefore recommends that all vehicles produced before 2000 and some vehicles from the early 2000s that are considered non-compatible with E10 – should use the Super E5 Protection grade where the Ethanol content is limited to a maximum of 5%. If MG owners are interested in checking compatibility of vehicles produced since 2000, perhaps the daily driver for example, then we recommend using the new online E10 compatibility checker: www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-e10-petrol

However, we note that currently there is no MG data included on the Government checker at time of writing, so consult with your model Register within the MGCC to check if you are unsure.

It should be noted that some Super E5 Protection grade products do not contain Ethanol as the E5 designation is for fuels containing up to 5% Ethanol. Product availability varies by manufacturer and geographical location and enthusiasts should check the situation in their location.

SELF-DRIVE MG CLASSICS FROM CLASSIC CONCIERGE

Classic Concierge is launching a classic car self-drive hire operation to work alongside their classic car storage, logistics and automotive care business.

The first classic car that’s on their hire fleet is a lovely 1973 MGB Roadster in Teal Blue and in superb condition and to original specification. The company are based close to Abingdon in Oxfordshire and the MGB is available on hire packages from a day, weekend to a week or more. What could be better than a drive through the Oxfordshire countryside this summer, perfect for special occasions, a celebration or just for fun. A delivery and collection service is also available. Club members receive 10% discount from Classic Concierge’s storage and hire services.

Contact Classic Concierge for further details. Tel: 07974 333789 or email: mark@classicconcierge.co.uk or visit www.classicconcierge.co.uk

CLASSIC CAR AND RESTORATION SHOW

The next outing of the Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show, with Discovery, will now take place in March 2022.

The show was scheduled to take place on June 11-13 2021 after moving from its usual March dateline. However, the recent announcement of Covid restrictions means that the show cannot be held at that time.

Tickets already purchased will automatically be carried over to the same day next year (March 18-20 2022). Visitors also have the option to move their booking to the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show (November 11-13 2021) or Reis Race Retro (February 18-20 22). Please contact practicalclassicsshow@seetickets. com with your request, including your ticket booking reference if you have this available.

MGB Register AGM

Date: Saturday May 22 2021. Time: Starting at 11.00am. The meeting will be held via Zoom. To register your attendance please email: agm2021@mgb-register.org by May 18 2021. 1.Apologies for absence. 2.Approval of the previous AGM Minutes. 3.Matters Arising. 4.Chairman’s report. 5.Secretary’s report. 6.Treasurer’s report and adoption of accounts. 7.Registrar’s report. 8.Election of Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Committee. 9.Any other business. Nominations for Election to the Committee/ Committee Posts and AOB Agenda items should be submitted to the Secretary by May 10 2021. All communications to Neil Hyett, Secretary MGB Register. Email secretary@mgb-register.org

PETER BROWNING 1936-2021

A true gentleman of Motor Sport takes the chequered flag

Peter Browning, renowned for his organisation skills in motor sport – as competitions manager of BMC/British Leyland and executive director of the British Racing Sports Car Club – has died, aged 84.

His life-long interest in motor sport was instilled by his father, who raced at Brooklands, was founder member of the Veteran Car Club and later a senior RAC scrutineer and BRDC member. His work included restoring church organs and Peter became an accomplished organist and tuner.

In 1955 Peter joined the Harrow Car Club, where he met many of the racing and rallying personalities who became friends and with whom he would deal throughout his career. He qualified as a Grade 1 international timekeeper and was invited by Geoff Healey to work with the Healey team at a number of long-distance races including the Le Mans 24 Hours, Sebring 12 Hours and the Targa Florio.

In 1961 Peter was asked by John Thornley, the General Manager of MG, to set up the Austin Healey Club alongside the MG Car Club that had been established at the MG factory in Abingdon. He was soon co-opted to edit Safety Fast! magazine. The BMC works team was on the same site and he began his association with them attending rallies as Competitions Press Officer.

By 1966 he had a wider influence in the team and was instrumental in the excellent result obtained by an MGB winning the 84 Hours Marathon de la Route at Nürburgring. At the end of that year John Thornley told Peter that Stuart Turner was leaving and that he wanted him to take over as BMC Competitions Manager. He accompanied Stuart Turner on the 1967 Monte Carlo Rally to gain first-hand knowledge of the complexities of this event. Despite complicated service arrangements and tyre developments, the team’s Mini Cooper won the Monte for the third time.

Peter purchased one of the Austin Healey 3000 rally cars, and reregistered it with his personal registration number PWB 57. In 1967 with the opportunity to enter a prototype in the RAC Rally, the car was re-purchased from the works and prepared as an entry in that event. Sadly, the RAC was cancelled because of an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease. Many rally people consider the specification of this car as the best Healey 3000 ever prepared at Abingdon.

Peter was invited to become an Associate Member of the prestigious British Racing Drivers’ Club in 1968.

Leyland took over BMC in 1968 and the Competitions Department came under stricter financial control and was forced to reduce its programme of events. Nevertheless, Peter obtained agreement from the British Leyland Competitions Committee to enter both the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon and the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally and good results were obtained in both. But it was not enough to impress Lord Stokes, managing director of British Leyland, who closed the Competitions Department at the end of 1970.

Peter was not idle for long. He worked behind the scenes on a number of rally projects and wrote a regular column for the sports pages of Autocar.

He also completed the first of a series of well-regarded books: Healeys & Austin Healeys. That was to be followed by The Works Minis in 1971, Works Big Healeys in 1995 and Works MGs in 2000.

Rallying was put aside when, at the end of 1971, he was appointed Executive Director of the British Racing and Sports Car Club but it was not forgotten. Peter had an ambition to bring the idea of the Tour de France Automobile – an event combining races and rally stages – to the UK and in 1973 the BRSCC organised the first Tour of Britain.

Through the 1980s Peter was involved in sports promotions with a number of organisations and in 1998, Sportscene, the business he ran with his wife Sharon, organised a classic car rally with a route that included many of roads used in the Coupe des Alpes, one of the toughest events of the 1950s and 1960s. He brought in a number of ex-BMC team drivers and co-drivers as on-event marshals team. A light-hearted event, not seriously competitive, the Prix des Alpes continued successfully for 10 years.

Peter’s 1973 marriage to Liz ended in divorce and his second wife Sharon died after a long illness in 2020. He is survived by Nichola and Oliver, the children of his first marriage and five grandchildren.

Bill Price

UK BINS THE VNUK MOTOR INSURANCE LAW

The UK Government plans to bin the EU’s ‘Vnuk’ motor insurance law which requires motor insurance even on private land for a wider range of ‘vehicles’, including ride-on lawnmowers and mobility scooters. The move will ensure every British driver is spared an estimated £50 annual increase in their motor insurance premium. The announcement on the GOV.UK website says that had the EU law been implemented in Great Britain, it would have meant the insurance industry would have been liable for almost £2 billion in extra overall costs. These costs would likely have been passed onto their customers – British road-users. Now we have left the EU, the measures no longer need to be implemented, helping road-users across the country avoid increased insurance costs.

Bypassing Vnuk will also protect the existence of the UK’s world-leading motorsports industry

The EU rules would have meant any motorsports collision involving vehicles from go-karting to F1 would have been treated as regular road traffic incidents requiring insurance cover. This could have decimated the industry due to the additional insurance costs of roughly £458 million every single year. Scrapping the rules will save the industry from potential collapse and secure hundreds of thousands of jobs in the sector in the process.