1954 Dick Jacobs MG YB Special Coupé

1954 Jacobs MG Special, Stuart Dean, Etretat Hill Climb 2017.

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Dick Jacobs, South Woodford, Essex, England.  Dick Jacobs was a well known driver post-WW2 who drove for the works MG team and built a number of MG specials.  He took over the Mill Garage from his father in December 1945 and the next year it became an MG dealership. He then took up racing MGs with his first race being at Goodwood in 1948 in a supercharged MG TC where he finished fourth.  in 1949 he took his first win, had his first drive for the MG works team and built the fist of his MG specials on a TA chassis using a supercharged TC engine.  In the early fifties he raced an MG YB in production races with some success.  In 1954 he built two specials based on the MG YB, one of them being built on the last ever YB chassis 1551. The one built on chassis 1551 is the one owned by Stuart Dean and seen above at Etretat.   They had special glass fibre bodies built by RGS Automobile Components Ltd and 1.5 litre MG engines.  They were raced throughout 1954 but were however no match for the Lotus-MG of Colin Chapman.   Dick Jacobs drove a prototype MGA for the works team at the ill-fated 1955 Le Mans 24 hours but had a very bad crash that ended his racing career.  He did however recover to continue his MG business.  Stuart Dean regularly races and hill climbs this car including at the famous Goodwood Revival meeting.

1936 MG TA Midget

Peter Edney, 1.35 litre 1936 MG TA Midget, Etretat Hill Climb 2017.

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MG, Abingdon, England.  The TA Midget was introduced in mid-1936 and continued to be produced until early 1939.  It was powered by an in-line four cylinder 1.3 litre 52 hp pushrod engine through a four speed gearbox that drove the rear wheels.  The body of the 1936 car shown here is a 2 seater roadster.  Other bodies were available later.  Top speed was just under 80mph but it took over 20 seconds to get from 0-60mph.  In the UK it originally went on sale for £222.  It was a bit bigger than the previous Midget but had a more powerful engine.  Not popular with the MG purists at first, it was become a very popular small sports car and over 3,000 were sold.  Initially it was called the T type until the TB was introduced.

1931 MG Midget Montlhéry C-Type

Chris Cadman, 1931 MG Montlhéry, Course de Cote d'Etretat-Bénouville VHC 2016.

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MG, Abingdon, England.  In February 1931 George Eyston achieved over 100mph at Montlhéry in a modified MG Midget.  This led to the revised 2 seater C type Midget being known as the "Montlhéry".   The car had a 750cc supercharged engine and even the road car could achieve 90mph. 0-60mph was in about 20 seconds which was good for the era in a car of this capacity.  In 1931 this car would cost you £575.  It was wonderful little sports car of the early thirties. They were entered in many races and won a number of them such as the 1931 RAC Tourist Trophy driven by Norman Black.  They were raced at Le Mans and Brooklands as well. Great to see one today.

MGB Roadster

Modified MGB Roadster, Montée Historique Beaune St Romain, 2016

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MG, Abingdon, England.  The MGB was a long lived sports car produced from 1962 to 1980.  The 2 seater convertible roadster was the first of the MGB models and was followed by the hatchback coupé the MGB GT.  The MGB was more powerful than the MG Midget and had the 1,800cc straight 4 BMC B series engine.   The MGC which followed had a 3 litre engine and can be distinguished by the bonnet bulge.  MGBs were successful in motor sport events both on the circuits of the world and in rallies.  The MGB Roadsters normally ran with hardtops in these events.  Hopkirk and Hedges finished 11th overall and second in their class in the 1965 Le Mans 24 hours.  Makinen and Rhodes fished 9th overall and won their class in the 1966 Targa Florio.