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tholden
United Kingdom
1650 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2023 : 11:19:37
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At up coming Bonhams Goodwood Revival Auction. Described as 1934 MG Q Type. The Ex Doreen Evans Multiple Brooklands entrant. Chassis number QA 0254 Price guide £150 - £200,000
TH |
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
6326 Posts |
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coracle
United Kingdom
2086 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2023 : 19:18:41
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Presumably this car provided the inspiration for the beautiful blue P type single seater that MR.B has? |
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Colin Butchers
United Kingdom
1487 Posts |
Posted - 14/08/2023 : 12:12:16
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This car was built by Tom Dark using much of the original chassis, plus one piece of the original bonnet. The engine is very highly tuned and is noted for an amazing outing at the Goodwood Revival about 10 years ago, when it appeared in a handicap race alongside RA0255 (also prepared by Tom) being driven by Mark Piercy. The R Type took the lead on the second lap and stayed in front for the entire race. Tom in QA0254 worked his way through the field to finish in second place, and both cars put up race times not far short of the times achieved by the ERAs in their own event at the same meeting with engines double the capacity of the M.G.s. It would be great if the car is bought by someone who intends to race it and I am sure that it would do well in the current round of MMM races.
Colin B. |
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Richard Hardy
United Kingdom
2187 Posts |
Posted - 14/08/2023 : 23:59:52
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Colin, a little of the original chassis, the back 3 or so feet I recall
Impressive car for what it represents
Rich
Vintage MG Parts |
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Colin Butchers
United Kingdom
1487 Posts |
Posted - 15/08/2023 : 11:31:24
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No Rich. At least three quarters of the original chassis was used. At one stage in its illustrious career it was owned and driven by A T (Tom) Norton who fitted it with a six and a quarter litre Gypsy Major aero engine and independent front suspension. To enable this to be done he cut off both front dumb irons which probably represented less than a quarter of the chassis length. When Tom Dark acquired the remains of the chassis (plus one piece of the original bonnet) he added the parts of the chassis which were missing and constructed a very faithful copy of the original body. I have a very clear photograph of the chassis before it was restored - which cannot be posted here because of copyright.
Colin B.
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Onno
Netherlands
1071 Posts |
Posted - 15/08/2023 : 11:58:25
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For me racecars have a life and history, there is no such thing as an all original matching number racecar. They are made by their history Now if I could only win the lottery before the auction.....
Onno "J,D,M" Könemann |
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Tim Sharp
United Kingdom
307 Posts |
Posted - 15/08/2023 : 12:33:27
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Onno
So lets hope that we don't both win the lottery because we would end up in a fight at the auction! I'm with you this is one I would love to recommission and race.
Regards
Tim
Tim Sharp PB0685 - Nuneaton |
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Onno
Netherlands
1071 Posts |
Posted - 15/08/2023 : 15:02:36
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I'll let you know if I get lucky ;)
Onno "J,D,M" Könemann |
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coracle
United Kingdom
2086 Posts |
Posted - 15/08/2023 : 15:34:00
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If I get lucky I was wondering what to do about the begging letters, but on reflection, I will still keep sending them. |
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Richard Hardy
United Kingdom
2187 Posts |
Posted - 16/08/2023 : 22:50:50
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Colin, did you actually see with your own eyes what was left of the original chassis. I did, and before it was grafted onto the reproduced new section
There is an original element incorporated in this car but, it did not look much from what I saw
Rich
Vintage MG Parts |
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Darkie
United Kingdom
23 Posts |
Posted - 17/08/2023 : 07:16:03
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Richard,
You never saw the remains of QA254 as if you did you would clearly remember that over 3/4 of the chassis remained as did the bonnet tops, the front engine cross tube, the special steering box shaft and arm and the external hand brake.
QA254 has had quite a history, within 12 months from being purchased from the factory by the Evans family as a standard 2 seat Q type they gave the car to Wilkie wilkinson to build Doreen a fast single seater to race, this is the car everyone knows about today. After the Evans family raced the car with great success the car was sold to a couple more owners, one being Jim Lafone who used the car for sprints and hillclimbs,post war. The car was then sold to Tommy Norton, who also owned R4D ERA, not happy with the performance of the little MG he started to modify the car to make it a hill climb and sprint special. He firstly in 1949 lengthened the chassis and fitted fitted a Gypsy Major engine, he found after a couple of seasons the car needed to handle better so now the chassis had been extensively modified at the front to fit Morris Oxford front suspension and rear axle.Please note the original engine cross tube fitted. I managed to track down Tommys brother, Martin, and after meeting up in his care home we chatted for a few hours about the "De-Havilland special" Martin told me he helped modify the car with his brother Tommy, I asked if he could remember what happened to the front 2'6 of the chassis that was missing and any other parts, his replay was, we ran a scrap yard and it was all junk to us! Just as I was about to leave he reached in to is bedside drawer and pulled out a small tin box and gave it to me, he said I think you should have these. Inside was 5 small photographs of the highly modified car that I will post below.
I spent 3 years rebuilding the only remaining parts of QA254 back in to the car that is offered at the Goodwood sale.
I hope this clears up any miss information about QA254
Regards
Tom
TOM DARK |
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Darkie
United Kingdom
23 Posts |
Posted - 17/08/2023 : 07:18:48
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TOM DARK |
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Darkie
United Kingdom
23 Posts |
Posted - 17/08/2023 : 07:19:25
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TOM DARK |
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Darkie
United Kingdom
23 Posts |
Posted - 17/08/2023 : 07:20:06
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TOM DARK |
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Darkie
United Kingdom
23 Posts |
Posted - 17/08/2023 : 07:20:40
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TOM DARK |
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