Motoring Miscellany part 1 - Pages 1 to 7

Motoring Miscellany
Fortunately the Ford cars did not stay long and family
motoring looked up considerably when they were replaced
in 1958 by much more acceptable wheels and introduced
me to the MG marque. Pop bought a delectable MG
Magnette ZB Varitone in a lovely two tone black and green
whilst Mother had a green MG YB Type.
As a result when Chris and I started legally driving we
gained a reputation by Pop’s friends of being probably the
fastest Learners in Sutton Coldfield. Obviously we tempered
our style when we took our driving tests!
Happy memories of the Magnette include going to the
1960 BRSCC International London Racing Car Show. In
those halcyon days roads and the newly constructed M1
were quiet and on the then downhill concrete section of the
motorway near St Albans we saw 100 mph on the clock – I
guess an over optimistic speed but never mind, I thought it
great.
After passing my test those teenage years seemed
wonderful – and we all have great youth stories to recount
of some of our “madness”! My best friend was Jeremy
Sadler, many will know of him as Josh Sadler of Autofarm
Porsche fame. Jeremy and I were mad keen on cars and
enviously he was given his brother in law’s Wolsey Hornet
Special known as The Bullet in which we had some fantastic
times. We had some super motoring events including when
Josh was at Birmingham University with other engineering
chums, amongst who was the late Harvey Postlethwaite of
F1 fame. The Bullet mixed it with Harvey in his Morgan and
in company with a Triumph TR4 and MG F1 Type.
Both cars made a big impression on me as it was then I
started to learn drive under age and then with
L plates. At that time, late 1950s, one could drive unheeded
on the “old” Fradley airfield, near Lichfield, adjoining the
Curborough Sprint Track. Pop thought it would be ideal for
him to teach Chris and I to drive – far more fun than the
usual childhood of sitting on Dads’ lap and steering illegally!
Pop was an excellent driver and brilliant in teaching us not
only the rudiments of car control BUT REAL driving! So once
we could handle the basics the next stage was technique
and style. Fast cornering was essential and on the airfield
we would be told when to brake and then accelerate hard to
the point we had the Magnette in some lovely drifts! Pop
indoctrinated us with “It is not the speed you go into the
corner but the speed you come out!” - developing racing
lines.
My parents were incredibly generous and encouraging to
Chris and me and after passing our driving tests we were
allowed, on occasions, to use both the MGs, but woe betide
damage!! Alyson and I met in 1962 and she was soon
introduced to my world of motoring which competed with
her interests in dinghy sailing - we enjoyed both but
eventually motoring prevailed. Alyson soon experienced YB
motoring which in itself was challenging as the car had a
propensity, when driven hard, to go from understeer to
oversteer! On a couple of occasions, glad to report when on
my own, I managed to spin the car but mercifully with the
quieter roads I got away with it bar perhaps new underwear!
Of course I chose not to be such a show off to Alyson
although she does recall a well-known 90 degree bend
nearby, named by us young motoring bods as “hub cap
corner”, which was, and still is today, clearly marked SLOW
as you approach. To we motoring aficionados the
challenge was the opposite – to accelerate and take as fast
as you can, based of course on my Fradley training! I am
glad to say the occasion did not deter Alyson’s enthusiasm
for fast cars.