This is a factory V8 car of full U.K. spec, including the last tax disc from the year 2000. Previous owners have been diligent in recording their names, and I am now the seventh owner of this car. I purchased in August, 2005 from Anthony John Cooper, son of John Cooper, of U.K. motorsports fame. Records held with the car include the Abingdon production history certificate, tax discs back to 1984, registration documents of the various owners, import documents and repair receipts during its life.

I purchased the car in San Diego County and drove it north to Alameda County. There was only one minor hiccup. The batteries, which were actually in like-new condition, failed. The cause was likely to be lack of use. This was quickly remedied by the purchase of a single 12-volt battery from a Pep Boys store in Orange County. That is one of the few non-original items on the car.

I purchased the car, a basket case, from a resident of Sewickley, PA in October of 2003. A full restoration followed which was completed in 2005. Every last part was either renewed or replaced during this process. This particular auto was modeled after the successful factory entries to the Monte Carlo rallies of the time, and features many period-style accessories and equipment features that might have been found on these factory cars. Starting from the inside, the original black leather interior is augmented with the installation of a Halda Speedmaster and Trip Master. These devices allow the navigator to measure progress and advise the driver of the best way to complete a given stage in the event. The dash-mounted Smiths stopwatch and clock are also used in this purpose. Competition-style lap belts are fitted for safety, as is a fire extinguisher. The original steering wheel has been replaced by a period accessory Moto-Lita wheel, which adds some additional degree of comfort and control. An adjustable steering column is also found. Additional switches are used to control the fog lamps (useful in the occasional snow squall) and rear-mounted illumination lamps. One is colored red for use in fog conditions and the other is white, for all purpose functions. There is a jack for the accessory portable Lucas trouble light. All other controls are standard factory issue. Outward appearance enhancements include the registration numbers from the 1959 factory rallye car, leather bonnet straps and period-style competition regalia.

The body is refinished in the original red-colored paint, although the formula has been modified a little and is actually a shade used on the Dodge Viper. The front end features the familiar Lucas 576 fog lamps, accompanied by the unique grille muffs that were a factory accessory provided by Kingsbury. These were very useful in controlling engine temperatures to ensure optimal performance. The wheels are the heavy-duty Dunlop 72-spoke models, in lieu of the standard 48-spoke types. Other accessories found on this car are the Lucas wing mirrors, the Lucas tripod headlamps, a heater, a badge bar, the factory-style luggage rack and an interior ashtray. The original documents found in the boot include the owner’s manual, an original guarantee, service coupons, a British Motor Heritage certificate and an advertising brochure.

The engine is a standard 1500 unit, with mild improvements incorporated during the complete rebuild. The main improvement is that of a spin-on oil filter, which enables the more common type of filter to be used. This example was one of 773 MGA coupes sent to North America during the 1958 model year.

I purchased this car from Doug Feil of Seal Beach in Marin County, California. Doug had owned the car for some time, made a variety of repairs. All receipts for the car indicate that it had spent its complete life in Northern California. There is a sticker on the car's rear bumper that indicates permission to enter the San Francisco Marina. Doug sold the car to be able to put more attention on a Rolls he owns. It came with a spare motor. I moved briefly with the car to Lancaster County, PA, in September, 1999. The car was towed the entire distance, stopping at Bonneville Salt Flats among numerous other locations along the way. While in PA, the car was never driven during inclement weather. During this time I had the steering rack rebuilt. We returned to CA in January, 2001, during a relocation, to Pleasant Hill in Contra Costa county. Another relocation to western PA followed in March of 2003. I replaced the wire wheels (using them on my MGA) with Minilites and larger tires. At the same time I upgraded the front anti-sway bar and added a rear one. During this time it became clear that the engine was going to need to be rebuilt, as oil consumption was in the range of a quart every 50 miles! The engine was completely rebuilt (using the spare motor) in the Spring of 2005 at Foreign Traffic in Allison Park, PA. Foreign Traffic also rebuilt the front brake booster and replaced the rotors and calipers shortly after this. We subsequently returned to Alameda County in CA in September of 2005.

This is a group photo from the 2004 AMGCR meet in Niagara Falls, ON, Canada.