Two weekends ago, 12 MGs from our club made a 500-mile round trip to
Monterey for a weekend British car meet. Lovely roads, lovely scenery,
good company and a nice selection of LBCs at the show. Yesterday, we had
a meet in Sacramento, again, an all-British meet, the focus of which was
a picnic on the grass at a local community college. Once again, lots of
MGs and varied selection of other marques.
To add spice to the event, I'd arranged with the college to put on a
Driving Test event in the parking lot. Backwards & forwards in and out of
"garages" and a simple slalom.
Nothing fast, but a chance to press the car hard and demonstrate one's
ability to handle the car precisely through small, rubber pylons.
The point of this note? Of the fifty or so cars at the gathering, only
ten attempted the Driving Test! Seven MGs (an MGA, an 1100, a Midget, two
Bs, two BGTs), a Spitfire, a TR4 and a Bugeye Sprite. The rest spectated
but chose not to run. Is this an indication that only MG people are
interested in putting their cars through their paces?
Or are MGs the only cars that are maintained well enough that their
owners dare drive them in the manner Abingdon intended?
Or perhaps it's a reflection of a changing philosophy about sportscar
ownership? They are to be seen in, rather than to be driven properly? Or
is the current generation of sportscar driver not well-enough schooled in
driving to risk showing that they really have no idea how to push their
car? (Only two drivers were seen to use their handbrake to make fast
turns!)
What's the situation in other parts of the country? I know the Aussies
and Brits still use their MGs hard, but am I alone on the West Coast of
the USA in thinking that our cars are not ornaments but a darned good
tool for honing our driving skills and having some real fun?
Lawrie
British Sportscar Center
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