"Enjoying MG" - MGOC December 2020
Birthday Celebrations - Mike Floyd
Why were members of the Charente MG Owners Club in rural south west France seen toasting two MGBs which were covered in bunting?
Well, it's a long story - forty years long in fact.
At the end of August 1980 two almost identical MGB roadsters left the factory within a few days of each other, their last two chassis numbers just juxtaposed - 38 and 83. Both were in the trendy '80s ' Vermillion' colour (please don't call it orange), one had the standard Rostyle wheels, the other the optional wires and both wore the love-it-or-hate-it 'deckchair' internal trim.
Sales must have been slow as the Rostyle car wasn't registered until almost a year later with an 'X' suffix number plate and the wire wheeled car took even longer to find a buyer, eventually wearing an 'A' prefix plate.
Over the years much of their history disappeared, but at some time both acquired earlier black leather interiors and the Rostyles gave way to the period Minator alloys. And this is how they were when, by complete chance, they were reunited almost four decades later and in the rural depths of another country by members of the Charente MG Owners Club.
Paul and Amanda had owned their wire-wheeled car in the UK and brought it with them when they moved to France a few years ago. Meanwhile Mike and Maria had fulfilled a long-held MGB wish by finding the Minator-shod car in the UK and bringing it out to their home in France to join their MGTF. Both MGBs were then registered as French Voitures de Collection, a category available to vehicles over 30 years old.
Parked alongside each other at a club meet one day (at a local real ale brewery strangely enough) the conversation turned to age, and an examination of chassis numbers. Surprised to find the chassis numbers so close, and with the colours identical that it was possible the cars had even shared the same paint shop, it was decided to throw a joint Birthday Party for them on their 40th anniversary. The Heritage Certificate for the Minator car suggests it left the factory on August 27th 1980 so a celebration at a suitable event at the end of August 2020 seemed a very good idea.
And so that is why ten members and five Charente MG Owners Club cars – some MGFs and MGTFs came along to show solidarity with their elder sisters - gathered on a glorious Charentaise summer day. First of all at a local restaurant's car show, where the MGBs' history attracted much interest, and then later at a member's house nearby for an impromptu picnic and the inevitable glass of champagne, which was followed of course by a few more of the region's excellent wine...
Any excuse for a party, but this one was certainly well deserved!
At the end of August 1980 two almost identical MGB roadsters left the factory within a few days of each other, their last two chassis numbers just juxtaposed - 38 and 83. Both were in the trendy '80s ' Vermillion' colour (please don't call it orange), one had the standard Rostyle wheels, the other the optional wires and both wore the love-it-or-hate-it 'deckchair' internal trim.
Sales must have been slow as the Rostyle car wasn't registered until almost a year later with an 'X' suffix number plate and the wire wheeled car took even longer to find a buyer, eventually wearing an 'A' prefix plate.
Over the years much of their history disappeared, but at some time both acquired earlier black leather interiors and the Rostyles gave way to the period Minator alloys. And this is how they were when, by complete chance, they were reunited almost four decades later and in the rural depths of another country by members of the Charente MG Owners Club.
Paul and Amanda had owned their wire-wheeled car in the UK and brought it with them when they moved to France a few years ago. Meanwhile Mike and Maria had fulfilled a long-held MGB wish by finding the Minator-shod car in the UK and bringing it out to their home in France to join their MGTF. Both MGBs were then registered as French Voitures de Collection, a category available to vehicles over 30 years old.
Parked alongside each other at a club meet one day (at a local real ale brewery strangely enough) the conversation turned to age, and an examination of chassis numbers. Surprised to find the chassis numbers so close, and with the colours identical that it was possible the cars had even shared the same paint shop, it was decided to throw a joint Birthday Party for them on their 40th anniversary. The Heritage Certificate for the Minator car suggests it left the factory on August 27th 1980 so a celebration at a suitable event at the end of August 2020 seemed a very good idea.
And so that is why ten members and five Charente MG Owners Club cars – some MGFs and MGTFs came along to show solidarity with their elder sisters - gathered on a glorious Charentaise summer day. First of all at a local restaurant's car show, where the MGBs' history attracted much interest, and then later at a member's house nearby for an impromptu picnic and the inevitable glass of champagne, which was followed of course by a few more of the region's excellent wine...
Any excuse for a party, but this one was certainly well deserved!
