The V8 Register has always been about V8 enthusiasts and the camaraderie they feel from running and maintaining an extraordinary MG with smooth power and long legs. This photo gallery is to help both new and existing members put a face to a name they may have seen in the V8 Columns in Safety Fast! or as a contributor in the workshop notes series.
Further photos welcome.

Geoff Allen (Ermine White 4101) from Cheshire, the genial V8 Historian and founding member of the V8 Register. Geoff was in Rectifications Dept at the Abingdon Factory for over 27 years including the whole of the V8 development and production period. Following the closure of the Factory, he ran his own MG servicing business in Abingdon for many years. He is now retired and lives in Congleton in Cheshire.

Jean Allen (Teal Blue 2101) from Cheshire with the first rubber bumpered MGBGTV8. (Photo: Victor Smith)

Ron Armstrong (BRG 0755) from Hertfordshire who originally owned an MGBGTV8 (Citron 1095) and is a former chairman of the V8 Register.

Gavin Bailey (Glacier White 0199) from Surrey owns the Longbridge display car and was the V8 Scribe in the 1990s writing the monthly V8 Column. Recently he recorded the first Don Hayter Talk from which a transcript was prepared. Copies of the transcript are available on CD - see the V8 Register website for details.

Al Barnett (BRG 1839) in Luxembourg regularly uses his RV8 for classic car rallies in France and Spain with considerable success.

Peter Beadle (Damask 0503) from Gloucestershire, a founding member of the V8 Register in 1978 and for over 20 years the V8 Spares guru at the Sprite & Midget Centre, later Moss. Originally Peter was parts manager at University Motors in Epsom where he developed an ability to remember part numbers to an extraordinary degree. He was the instigator of the annual V8 Curry Night which has continued as the traditional first V8 Register event of the year ever since. Currently he and his wife Sue are organising the V8 Cotswold Tour in October 2002.

David Biddle (Chartreuse 2839) from Buckinghamshire has been a member for many years and is the V8 Events Coordinator arranging the Curry Night and Don Hayter Talks. For 2003 he has a major exercise in planning and managing the programme of events for the V8 Register's 25th Anniversary Year.

David Boniface (Oxford Blue 1589) at the MG Day in Karuizawa organised by the MG Car Club Japan Centre in October 2003 where he won a prize for the the most pristine RV8 on display.

Peter Buckles (Bentley V8 & prospective MGBV8 owner) is V8 Chairman and MG Car Club Treasurer who is justifiably proud the Club's annual subscription has not increased in 7 years.

Paul Busby (Glacier White 0228 & Harvest Gold 1344) from Leicestershire a longstanding member of the V8 Register who has traditionally brought the Stilton cheese to Silverstone. A regular member of the V8 Party to le Mans.

John Bourke (Cavalry Blue 3056) from London N who has a well engineered MGBGTV8 conversion and is the V8 Technical member on the V8 Committee for 2002/2003.

Godrey Dance (Woodcote Green 1210) from Surrey who soon after getting his RV8 sent in two useful workshop notes.

Bryan Ditchman (Caribbean Blue 0265, Bracken 1012 & Blaze 1059) from Hampshire who is the Editor of the RV8 Workshop Notes series and a regular contributor to the V8 Workshop Notes series too. For many years Bryan contributed to the series from far flung postings in place like Lagos Nigeria but now he is home within staggering distance of the Shoulder of Mutton where he organises the annual V8 Gatherings at the pub on Hazeley Heath in May and August.

John Dupont (ex Teal Blue 0534) from Middlesex, a regualr contributor to the early volumes of V8 Workshop Notes.

David Franklin (Flame 2177) from Avon who has prepared some exceptional MGBV8s including his own MGBGTV8. Its success on the track and on hillclimbs has been extraordinary - but David is an exceptional driver now racing Ferraris for various owners at classic car events and sharing a race prepared Mustang with Tom Studer (Damask 0109) from Switzerland.

Steve French (Black 1546) from Essex, a longstanding V8 enthusiast.

Howard Gosling (Silver 3001 and Vermillion 4002) from Dorset who had the MGBGTV8 converted from new by Brown & Gammons and has the Huntsman V8 Roadster which he uses regularly all the year round.

Don Hayter (Brooklands Green 4003) from Oxfordshire was with MG Factory at Abingdon from 1956 to its closure in 1979 and was the design engineer during the development and production of the MGBGTV8. In 2001 Don was elected a Vice President of the MG Car Club and in February 2002 gave the first Don Hayter Talk at Sandford near Abingdon on how the MGBGTV8 was conceived and developed on a modest budget in troubled times under BL management. It was a fascinating story from a thoughtful engineer and engaging speaker. In his retirement he has created an MGV8 Roadster conversion with some of the ideas he might have used had a V8 roadster been produced at Abingdon. For members who were not able to attend the talk at Sandford, a transcript is available on CD.

Tim Hipwell (Oxford Blue 1133) from Devon who is a longstanding V8 enthusiast who used to own Bracken 1106.

Alan Kingwell (ex Citron 1679) from Hampshire is a former director of the MG Car Club and V8 Committee member. He is an engaging character and a popular after dinner speaker with a quick sense of humour that could get Eskimos buying fridges to stop the pain of laughing. On one occasion he stood up to speak at a dinner saying "I must be brief, the wife thinks I have just gone out to the tip and that was four hours ago!" Currently he is seen driving an MGA - the cost of eight sparking plugs at each service was just too much!

Mike Maude-Roxby (ex Citron 1498) from Hampshire, a popular member of the V8 Register and a V8 Scribe in the 1980s.

Colin McKerrow (Damask 0325) from London SW has been a member of the V8 Register for over 20 years or more and is always cheerful, good company.

Franck Morand (Mirage 0158) from France who lives in Thailand, times his visits to Europe to attend V8 Gatherings whenever possible. His good looking MGBGTV8 has been professionally converted to LHD and fitted with leather seats and trim.

Philip Morgan (ex BRG 1022 and ex Vermillion 4002), who had the Huntsman V8 Roadster built by David Franklin which is now owned by Howard Gosling. Appears regularly at Club events. (Photo: Victor Smith)

Brian Moyse (BRG 1714) from Surrey is a longstanding MG Car Club member who turned up at the V8 Gathering at Hazeley Heath in May 2002 in an RV8 he had purchased ten days earlier. He promptly contributed two RV8 Workshop Notes and then shot off to Sweden in the RV8 to attend an MG Car Club Sweden event over there.

Continued


Barrie Parkes (Damask 0990) from Warwickshire was formerly at Engines Dept at Longbridge and a former colleague of Geoff Allen.


Gordon Rhodes (Teal Blue 2120 & Nightfire Red 1224) from Lancashire seen here at Silverstone 2002.

Dave Shattock (Glacier White 0294) from Sussex is a former BA pilot who enjoys flying his MGBGTV8 around Lewes.

Victor Smith (Harvest Gold 1089) from London SW the founder of the V8 Register in 1978 and former Vice Chairman of the MG Car Club. He has been V8 Registrar for approaching 25 years and has enjoyed editing six of the seven volumes of the V8 Workshop Notes series. He feels the successful launch of the new V8 website has brought members together.

John Targett (BRG 1022) from Sussex and Ohio USA is a regular at Silverstone, the Goodwood Revival and le Mans. In the US he races a much modified 1963 MGB Roadster in the Past Masters series with considerable success.

Steve Thorning (ex Blaze 1890) who runs the Shoulder of Mutton on Hazeley Heath in Hampshire. His present MG is a Y type saloon.

Bill Wallis (Nightfire Red 0263 & ex Bracken 0991) from Solihull a longstanding member of the MG Car Club and V8 Register. A former Chairman of the MG Car Club and for many years the President, he is an MG enthusiast to the core and a very well known Club personality who, with his wife June, is seen at many Club meetings.

David Waterton (Bracken 1218) from Buckinghamshire, a longstanding member of the V8 Register and current V8 Chairman who enjoys the V8 Tours and the annual trip to le Mans with his wife June.

Chris Watkins, who runs the leading RV8 reimporter HS Imports down in Somerset. Chris lived in Japan for many years and makes regular visits to attend auctions and keep intouch with the RV8 market. The single feature of reports from members buying their RV8s through HS Imports is they find Chris "good to deal with" or "a very pleasant person to buy a car from".



Clive Wheatley (Flame Red 0294) from Wolverhampton is first a V8 enthusiast and second an invaluable V8 parts supplier. His work in finding and sourcing parts is legendary, particularly for the RV8.