The MG Car Club, Cape Town Centre

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50th Anniversary

The MG Car Club, Cape Town Centre is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 1998. The Club will launch its Jubilee year on the 1st February 1998 with a breakfast at Kelvin Grove in Newlands, to which Founder members of the Club, motoring personalities, the media and dignatories will be invited. Members' cars will be on display and members will be on hand to take anyone interested on a nostalgic drive in an MG. The Club events during its Golden Jubilee Year will include an economy run, a breakfast run, show day, a car display, winelands tour and the Brian Porter Tour. The Club has committed itself to raise money for The Red Cross Children's Hospital Appeal during its Golden Jubilee Year.

The MG Car Club of South Africa was formed in Cape Town in 1948 by a handful of MG enthusiasts who recognised the magic of the marque. In the following year, affiliation with the parent MG Car Club in Abingdon was granted and in November 1951, Lord Nuffield accepted an invitation to be the Club's first Honorary President. In 1969, the Club merged with the MG Sports Car Register and in March 1973, the Club had its final name change to the MG Car Club, Cape Town Centre. During its 50 years of existence, the Club has provided both enjoyment as well as technical support to its members and has united MG owners both locally and internationally.

The MGCC, Cape Town Centre boasts some of the most interesting MGs in the country. The oldest MG belongs to Bill ten Oever. It is an example of the first MG Midget ever made, a 1930 "M" type, followed by Philip Costa's 1931 supercharged "C" type Montlhery Midget. This 746cc car had a chequered career on the race track in the 1930s and earned the nickname "Hoodoo" - a name that has stuck to this day. Ralph Clarke's beautifully restored 1935 "R" Type is the only one in this country and only ten were ever manufactured. This 746cc single-seater supercharged MG and "Hoodoo" both participated in Cape Town's first grand prix - THE GROSVENOR GRAND PRIX - on the 16th January 1937. Ralph has two other equally desirable MGs, a 1935 PB and a 1935 NA Magnette. There are superb examples of the post-war "T" types (TC - 1945-1949; TD - 1949-1953; TF - 1953-1955) to be seen regularly on Club outings even though the more modern MGAs (1955-1962) and MGBs (1962-1980) have tended to become more popular with Club members during the past decade.

Not only will the MG Car Club, Cape Town Centre be celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 1998, it will also be hosting the Panasonic Business Systems MG 1998 INTERNATIONAL INDABA in Cape Town and Montagu from 4th-8th October 1998 and our guest-of-honour will be none other than Gerry McGovern, the chief designer of the MGF. To date, there are 180 registered entrants for the INDABA (350 participants) and 45 of the participants are from countries overseas. At least one MG, a 1930 "M" Type is being shipped out from the UK for the event and it is possible that a second MG, a very rare 1935 18/100 Tigress, will be shipped from Germany.

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50th Anniversary

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