News and views

Well, this 80th edition marks the 20th Anniversary of the D Group! September 2003, when Bill and I got together seems a long time ago now; we hope we’ve raised the profile of the D Type a bit and helped a few restorations along the way. My thanks as always to son Tim who lays out Dispatch, and computer guru Phil who looks after the website.

The MG centenary celebrations are well underway and I attended the all Clubs meeting at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon on the 27th May in D0311. Not quite every model was included in the time line but besides my D0311 Huw Davies was there with D0353 so D’s well represented.

D0311 (PO 5751) in the foreground, D0353 (RX 9867) in front in the next row.

There was an impressive turnout of all MG models besides the 28 or more on display in the Museum itself.

The next big event was MG100 at Silverstone over the weekend of 10/11th June. The weather was perfect if a little warm at times and with the return of Triple M racing it was almost like old times. The layout of Traders City still needs work and a few more of the individual traders are needed but there was an Autojumble corner.

An excellent turnout of Triple M cars and D0353 represented us in the time line and Mike Jakeman’s D0427 made a welcome appearance pictured here next to the J3 of David Hampton.

I mentioned the return of Triple M racing to Silverstone at the meeting and we were entertained by some close racing particularly on day 2. Our man Onno Koneman in D0495, over from The Netherlands, had mixed fortunes.

Pictured here at Copse from ace photographer Colin Murrell.

Well ,the final PreWar Prescott was held on the 15th July and numbers were down on previous years; I think the weather put people off from starting out.

However apart from a couple of sharp showers weather wasn’t too bad! Five Ds attended: Bill Grayling’s D0253, Peter and Janet Chapman’s D0295, my D0311, Huw Davies’ D0353, and John Emmett’s D0430. In the lunchtime cavalcade of MGs through the ages, to mark the centenary, we were well represented by D0430 seen here getting into line:

John is in the passenger seat, son Edward is the driver and the passenger in the back is daughter Erin. Unfortunately, one of the downpours occurred during the run up the hill but didn’t seem to dampen spirits!

As many of you will know by now the Vintage Minor Register (who organise PWP) have changed allegiance to Bicester Heritage and will be organising next and subsequent years there. Watch this space!

The MGCC European Event of the Year this year was in Denmark from August 2nd to the 6th and marked the 50th anniversary of the MGCC Denmark as well as celebrating the MG centenary itself. Various runs and events were including for participants including a time line of 100 MGs. We were well represented by Vincent Dransart’s D0456 from France.

Pictured here looking resplendent in the event time line gradually filling up, with appropriately Dani Ingold’s blue F1 next to it.

A new book was launched at the Gaydon centenary celebrations – ‘Kim – A Biography of MG Founder Cecil Kimber’ and the author John Pressnell (who also wrote ‘Morris – the Cars and the Company’ back in 2013) was there signing copies.

It is a massive volume and John Pressnell has obviously had access to family archives as the detail and photographs are tremendous. There is no inclusion in the index of the various MG models but the D Type is mentioned in a few places but notably on page 173 it confirms that Rene Kimber (Kimber’s wife, not ‘Irene’ as we had in Dispatch 3) used a D Type Salonette.

In Dispatch 3 we speculated that this must have been D0380 registration RX 9779.

In the ‘The Kimber Centenary Book 1888-1988’ edited by the late Richard Knudson, on pages 30/31 Jean Cook (nee Kimber, one of Cecil’s daughters) mentions her mother having a saloon version of a Midget and from the picture on page 31 it certainly looks like a D but maybe not the RX registration!
Any further information welcome.

Bits and Pieces

Firstly, I must make mention of the trouble I was having getting D0311 to run properly after fitting new oil pump gears. After trying everything I eventually sent the distributor away to the ‘Distributor Doctor’ for a rebuild. The car had always run reasonably well but getting a list of what was wrong with the distributor and getting it back again fully rebuilt it has transformed the car. It now starts immediately and runs better than ever!

Still looking for the gearbox end plate for a D. As many will know the 3 speed box for the M and D are virtually the same but the D needs a vertical speedo drive whilst the M uses a horizontal. The end casting which holds the drive are interchangeable on the box.

Pictured is the M type and the D type. If anyone has a D one spare they would sell I would love to hear from you. If you have a complete box, particularly with an original D remote I would be more than a bit interested!

Brian Oxley, in Australia, has for sale a refurbished Shutter Oil Gauge from Patrick Henry at $200 Australian Dollars plus postage. Suitable for D/J1/F1.
Brian can be contacted on oxley@netspeed.com.au if interested.