She was built on the 23rd and 24th February 1970, leaving the factory on the 6th March.
She was registered BWP 833 H in Worcestershire on the 8th April 1970.
I purchased her on the 5th May 1990 for £2,000.00, ran her with minor repairs until the November of that year.
She then went to Chris Raw of “Classic Repairs” in Huddersfield, where she had a complete rebuild, the body had all the mechanical bits removed, the shell was sand blasted, all the rusty bits removed, these included; bonnet, half cills, front and rear wings; new panels were installed and the shell resprayed.
Roger Pearson Motor Services, a garage nearby, carried out a complete rebuild of engine, gearbox, back axle and suspension.
While this was going on I took the bumpers and overrides to W C Howells in Walsall for re-chroming.
A new hood and “Minilite” wheels completed the transformation, the car being returned to me on 28th February 1991 all for princely sum of £5,195.00.
Roger and Chris carried on looking after the car until 1995.
Stewart Grainger of “Mong Designs” of Fazeley, Tamworth, who I met at the “Midget & Sprite Club”, then looked after her.
He re-built the engine in June 1998, increasing the size to 1398cc, installed a “Servo” on the brakes and lowered the suspension.
From August 1998 Beacon Street Garage in Lichfield started to carry out all of the mechanical repairs, including fitting new front suspension and a “Ford Sierra” 5 speed close ratio gear box, body repairs and new hood after the car was vandalised.
Chris Raw now at “Manor Autosport” Huddersfield rebuilt the engine as a 1275cc unit in January 2000, after the previous engine “blew up” on Boxing Day 1999.
The new engine had a “Peter Burgess” big valve unleaded head, one of his camshafts and produces about 90bhp, pulls from 1500 to 6500rpm and has loads of torque.
During 2008 it became obvious that the engine had come to the end of its life, when it used 3 pints of oil to go 300 miles.
I had been going to see Peter for a number of years prior to going to Le Mans in her for a fine tune on the rolling road.
Peter agreed to re-build the engine for me, I specified that the new engine was to have loads of torque, to be able to accelerate in 4th gear from 1500rpm and not rev too highly as my wife Helen does not like the noise, never goes beyond 4000rpm and is used to driving a diesel car.
So Beacon Street Garage removed the engine, while Peter was rebuilding it they stripped the bodywork back to bare metal, replaced various panels and gave her a re-spray.
In the mean time Peter went about a complete re-build of the engine, pistons were thrown away, crank and bore re-bored, all the moving bits balanced, new starter ring, oil pump, water pump, sump and other bits and pieces known only to Peter and his workers.
I bought a chrome plated rocker cover from David Manners and was delighted when I picked up a shiny red engine early this year.
Beacon Street installed the engine; at the same time they replaced the rear springs.
I ran in the engine how Peter told me, especially enjoying a “Thrash” through the Welsh mountains on Good Friday.
With Le Mans being only a few weeks away I booked her in for a “Rolling Road”
I was concerned as she was using quite a bit of oil and smoking, however once Peter had set her up, including changing the carburettor needles from standard to “Cooper S” the oil stopped.
The result of the tuning is an engine that produces 100bhp at 5,250 rpm, pulls from 1500 rpm and also produces 53 bhp at 3000 rpm.The engine thinks it’s a lot bigger than it is, has more “grunt” and is tractable; I am really looking forwards to cruising down the French roads at 3500rpm in top, doing over 70mph.

Touring

Henrietta has been used not only for “posing” having been on the “Midget and Sprite Club” stand at the Classic Car Show at the NEC, and “Cars in the Park”, she also takes me to my Marshall duties at Motor Racing Circuits, and track laying on the Welsh Highland Railway. She is also used for my work and in the past has been used for Helen to go to University and for her work.We have been on touring holidays to Wales, in the snow with the roof down at –4 degrees celcius.
The Lake District camping, Ireland, where it rained a lot, and the car filled with water, out for a pre dinner drink on a frosty Christmas day with the roof down.
France, both camping and in hotels on numerous occasions, where just about everything has either fallen off the car, or stopped working, but she has always brought us home safely.
Henrietta has taken me to Le Mans for the 24-Hour race every year since 1991, for the last 2 years we travelled down to the Dordogne, between qualifying and the race week, travelling over 2000 miles in 2 weeks.
Finally I would like to thank Helen for “living the dream” with me, and for all my friends and garage staff who keep her on the road,
The “Midget & Sprite Club” and “MG Owners club for advice.
Peter Burgess for his friendship and cups of tea.
Incidentally neither of us would want to be without her for all the hours of pleasure she has given us.
The bears are Mick and his son Silverstone, they go to Le Mans each year with me and have a seat in the grandstand

Michael Glover

As you know this RR tune-up was the 3rd on the car in nearly 4 years, the first being done by a company local to me and the previous to visiting you was done by a recognised expert in the type of engine in my car – yours was by far the best and most effective with great results

Even from the short and restricted run I was only able to do before leaving you told me the car was much better

I've now been able to fully test the car on a Sporting Bears weekend tour leading the way for three other more powerful, quicker and faster cars on some great south west counties back roads – all were surprised by the way my car went and were pleased with the pace I set making the drive enthusiastic for them too

Even less obvious but very important things like easier starting on choke have improved and the increasingly important mpg is obvious just from the decrease in time it takes for the fuel gauge to move from F to E

Even allowing for the cost of the journey from my home and back and buying my wife drinks and a meal the visit was a fabulous investment which paid immediate returns from the moment I drove the car after your excellent RR tune-up

thank you, Nigel 20th June 2011