Uncovering the history of two MGBGTV8s
Geoff Allen, the V8 Historian & Archivist, clarifies the
the history of two MGBGTV8s. (Sept 04)
Terry Grimes was at the Abingdon Works Motor Show 2004. He used
to work on the line at Abingdon when they were making V8s and
now he now owns an early MGBGTV8, Denim Blue 0111, currently
registered as OBL 2. He had a friend with him who owns one of
the MGBGTV8s believed to be one of the last of the two 1977
cars. 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.
MGBGTV8 Harvest Gold 0111
Geoff
Allen recalled the car well. 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. |
Geoff
then looked
back into the production records and found 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.
Geoff said "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."
MGBGTV8 ADO75 424G
Geoff continued "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". |