It All Comes Back At The Same Time.

[Norman Verona]

A few weeks ago I posted a techie question on a USA MG forum. One thing led to another and I started reminiscing about my time served at University Motors. We spoke of a Vic Drew who had one of the first Honda bikes in the UK and a moped which he used when then bike was off the road (not often). He also had a Cooper-MG but never used it for work.

Today I get the Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed" auction catalogue. Looking through the cars I come across a car that makes me look at the details:

• This unique motor car is the work of Mr Victor Percy Drew of Coulsdon, Surrey, who was an employee of MG agency, University Motors at the time of its construction. He bought the rolling chassis from the Cooper factory at Surbiton, Surrey and fitted an MG XPAG engine and gearbox, sourced from his place of work, and an ENV differential. Copied from the Ferrari 166 barchetta, as reported in Autosport in 1952 (August 15th edition), the aluminium body panelling is all Drew's own work. The only modification made during his ownership was a change of windscreen to that fitted to the MGA.
  The car was registered by Mr Drew on the 1st June 1952 and carried the number 'MYH 314'. It was first registered as a 'Tonnelier' the French word for a cooper (barrel maker). The vendor has been told that the car could not be registered at that time as a 'Cooper-MG' for tax reasons. Mr Drew ran the Cooper for 21 years before selling it on 17th May 1973 to the current vendor, who lived close to him and had seen it on the local roads. He wanted a competitive car for hill climbs and the Cooper-MG's excellent power-to-weight ratio made it an ideal choice. 'MYH 314' became his everyday transport and was also used for touring, rallying, racing and hill climbing. In the mid-1980s, marriage and a change in the vendor's financial circumstances meant that the Cooper-MG had to go into storage. It remained there until last year when he was asked by the MGCC's XPAG club to display the car.
  The body is fundamentally sound, with no prominent dents and good shut lines, though paintwork is poor and there is some surface corrosion on the chassis rails. In need of rebuilding, the engine is installed in the chassis, the cylinder head being loosely affixed to the block. Ancillaries such as an exhaust manifold and two sets of inlet manifolds with twin SU carburettors (larger and smaller) are included in the sale together with a box of engine and other mechanical parts. Importantly, the car retains its ENV differential, seats (presently removed) and dashboard with a full set of instruments.
  Highly original and unmolested, having had only two owners from new, 'MYH 314' is eligible for many classes of historic racing, rallying, hill climbs and sprints including the MGCC's series for pre-1960s sports cars in which it should be very competitive in the right hands. An exciting opportunity to acquire a rare early Cooper road car.

2 down the 3rd to come?

• 
  

[Norman Verona]

A little story about Vic. Early one Saturday morning, on the way to work, at the lights near the Hilton in Park Lane, alongside me was Vic on his moped. Vic was a large lad and he looked a bit ridiculous on his little moped.

But not as ridiculous as he looked when he tried to race me away from the lights, the moped died, he caught it at the last rev and promptly traveled backwards at a fair speed into the car behind.

(note: 2 strokes run both ways)