Uncovering the history of two MGBGTV8s
George Wilder is a well known MGB enthusiast who frequently
appears at the V8 Gatherings at the Shoulder of Mutton on Hazeley
Heath. At the Abingdon Works Motor Show in 2004 he met up with
an enthusiast who used to work at the Factory who mentioned
two interesting MGBGTV8s. Geoff Allen, the V8 Historian &
Archivist, clarifies the situation. (Sept
04)
I was at the Abingdon Works Motor Show 2004 and, whilst looking
at some of the cars, I met Terry Grimes who used to work on
the line at Abingdon when they were making V8s. He now owns
Denim Blue 0111, currently registered as OBL 2. This registration
originally belonged to the prototype Riley 2.6 which he also
owns but needs restoration. He had a friend with him who owns
one of the last MGBGTV8s believed to be one of the last of the
two 1977 cars.
Apparently
Terry Grimes owned Denim Blue 0111 at one time but sold it to
another friend, if I have got the story right, who has recently
died. This friend also owned the last V8 and in his will left
Denim Blue 0111 to Terry Grimes and the last V8 to his friend.
Terry remembers pushing 0111 down the line along with the other
early cars. He also has the operator build instruction for the
time - I have asked him to copy them and forward them to the
Club. He did not know what to do with them in the long term
so I explained there was only one place for valuable archives
of that nature - the V8 Register of the MG Car Club.
So we contacted Geoff Allen, V8 Historian & Archivist who
worked at the Factory for over 27 years, to see if he could
throw any light on the two V8s. Geoff identified the two cars
as GD2D1 111 G and ADO 75 424G - by the way it's worth reading
Geoff's article on the V8 production to understand where these
ADO cars fit into the production records - see V8 Workshop Note
300.
| Following
the release of the news item
from Clive Wagerfield on 25th May 2009, I had a call from
Terry Grimes earlier today and then an email from George
Wilder with a copy of a news item from 2004 which has
some authoritative comments on GD2D1 111 G from the late
Geoff Allen (our former V8 Historian and Archivist) who
was at the Factory for 27 years until its close. (26.5.09) |
|
Geoff
Allen recalled that "Terry Grimes worked on the assembly
line and bought several used cars from the Factory. He was related
(a cousin or nephew Geoff believes) to the late George Shepherd
a member of the V8 Register, and sold the two V8s on to George.
I think the person who was with Terry at the Abingdon show was
probably Ray Cook to whom George left ADO75 424 G in his will.
Geoff understands that Ray Cook was the executor of George Shepherd's
will.
GD2D1 111 G was originally registered by the factory as MMO
226 L and came off the line painted Harvest Gold. In the late
1970s this car was then painted metallic Denim Blue and had
the stainless waistline finishers removed, the fixing holes
filled in, and a 1/8" black line painted in their place.
This was when the registration number was changed to OBL 2.
As George Wilder commented this number was originally carried
by the prototype Riley 2.6 (painted two-tone Kashmere Beige
and Damask Red) which I believe was used for a few years by
George Shepherd. I think the Riley was then passed onto Terry
Grimes.
Looking back to the production records, V8 0111 passed along
the assembly line on 3rd January 1973 and it was invoiced to
MG Production Control and was also loaned to Special Tuning.
It was listed as a Pre-Prod UK photographic car but I have never
seen any publicity shots of the car. I can remember working
on the car at the same time as the HOH cars and Bob Ward (Norman
Ward's father) drove it around on occasions, and it was stabled
in the Works garage for a while.
We have discussed ADO75 424 G in the past when Ray Cook first
inherited the car, and there is no way this can be the last
of the two 1977 cars as I was personally involved in the finishing
those two cars for re-sale when the Factory closed. The second
from last one (GD2D1 2902 G) was a white car and was sold on
to the late Syd Beer, and as far as I know is still in the possession
of the Beer family. As you know the other 1977 car was the Flamenco
Red (GD2D1 2903 G) which was for many years in the Gaydon museum.
It was originally an MCP (management car plan) car leased to
Tom Dover at the Cowley body plant. I did hear that it was sold
by the Heritage Museum recently for £6,000 but there is
no way that it could have been the car owned by George Shepherd
and now Ray Cook.
ADO75
424 G has Autumn Leaf trim and the standard MGBGT fascia panel
fitted, whereas GD2D1 2902 G was built with the 1977 style plastic
covered fascia and had black trim fitted and also the overdrive
switch in the gear lever knob. No other Flamenco Red car was
built with Autumn Leaf trim fitted".
Geoff added that "when Ray Cook phoned me a while ago he
was having to do a considerable amount of work on the car and
he seemed to think it was a very late car, I told him that the
engine number - 4860 2398 - was not one of the last as the engine
number of the last car was 4860 2538, and GD2D1 2600 G was fitted
with engine number 4860 2398 which puts that car over 200 from
the last built". |