Model Information
Not all the M.G.s that are eligible for The Vintage Register are vintage in the Vintage Sports-Car Club’s definition of vintage i.e. built before 31st December 1930, and not all the M.G.s built before that date are eligible for The Vintage Register. The details below have been gleaned from or verified from various sources, such as John Thornley’s “Maintaining the Breed”, Wilson McComb’s “M.G. by McComb” Phil Jennings “Early M.G.” and Phil’s book “From Oxford to Abingdon” which he co-wrote with Robin Barraclough.
The following is a description of the eligible cars: –
The 11.9 hp Raworth Chummy (six built from mid-1923 to late -1924 none known to exist) they were built, on a slightly modified Morris Cowley chassis. Charles Raworth of Oxford provided the sporting two seater bodies. They carried a raked windscreen supported at the sides by triangular glazed frames, and a scuttle was provided with two marine-type ventilator cowls.
A Raworth Chummy
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Old No One / Kimber’s Special (one built one exists) This was a one off special built in 1924-1925 by Cecil Kimber who competed in it in the 1925 Land’s End Trial, for which he won a gold medal. The car was built on a much modified Cowley chassis, it had a special Hotchkiss engine of overhead design of the type used in the 11.9 hp Gilchrist. The body was built by Carbodies of Coventry and registered FC7900 on the 27th March 1925.
![1925-old-number-one[1]](http://www.mgcc.co.uk/vintage-register/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2015/11/1925-old-number-one1.jpg)
Old Number One / Kimber’s Special
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14/28 Super Sports Model (approx. 400 built from late 1924 to late 1926 about 10 known to exist). This bullnose M.G. was built on a slightly modified Oxford Chassis, the changes however were significant. The 13.9 Oxford engine was retained. On this chassis M.G. offered three body styles, an open four seater, an open two seater and a salonette.
14/28 M.G. Supersports
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14/28 Flat Nose Model (approx. 300 of these cars were built from late 1926 to late 1927 about 10 exist) When Morris dispensed with the Bullnose radiator, M.G. had to follow suit. The new car had a longer wheelbase and a modified chassis, although it was very similar mechanically.
14/28 Flat Nose Model
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14/40 Mk 4 (approximately 490 were built from late 1927 to late 1929 about 21 are known to exist) again as Morris modified their Oxford cars, M.G. followed suit. Quite why they were called Mk IV nobody is sure, it might be because they were the fourth model produced by M.G. They were little modified from the 14/28.
M.G. 14/40 Mk 1V
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18/80 M.G. Six Mk 1 (there were exactly 500 built between late 1928 and mid-1931 and about 33 are known to exist, with another 4 or 5 chassis in New Zealand). This was a completely new design, with the first use of the stylised M.G. radiator, designed by Kimber himself and used on all cars until the mid-1950’s. It had a 2,468cc over-head camshaft engine, wet cork-lined clutch and a 3 speed gear box; it retained the 4’ – 0” track of the earlier cars. Early examples had rod brakes and later models had rod/cable brakes with 12” drums, the cars had Rudge Whitworth wire wheels, although the prototypes had 5 stud wire wheels.
18/80 M.G. Six Mk 1 Speed Model
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18/80 M.G. Six Mk 11 (there were 236 built between late 1929 and 1933 about 27 are known to exist again with a few chassis in New Zealand). This was a modified version of the Mk 1, with a deeper and stiffer chassis frame with beefed up rear springs, 14” brake drums and shock absorbers axles with a 4’ – 4” track, a four speed gearbox was also fitted.
Carlton Bodied 18/80 M.G. Six Mk 11
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18/100 M.G. Six Sports Road Racing Model (otherwise known as the Tigress or Tiger) (there were only 5 made in 1930 and only 2 exist, although there are several Mk 11 that have been made as lookalikes and almost a complete car minus the chassis in New Zealand). When Kimber decided to try to compete with Bentley’s success at Le Mans, he produced these cars, they had a much modified engine with a new crankshaft and pistons, a new camshaft, dry-sump lubrication, a crossflow cylinder head with twin sparking plugs and a host of other improvements including a new clutch and a higher second gear. The braking system from the Mk 11 was retained and only slightly modified
18/100 M.G. Six Sports Road Racing Model
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Most of the above cars came in a range of body styles, four seater tourers, two seaters with dicky seats, Salonettes and Saloons. The Raworths came only as a two seater, the 18/80 models also had a Speed Model version and the 18/100 only came with a body similar to the speed model.