MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - Police spec MGA 1600 at Lakeland Motor Museum

Went to see this at the newly opened premises of Lakeland Motor Museum (http://www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk/index.htm) whilst on Holiday last week.

Obviously it has been restored at some point, as all the wings are GRP.

Apparently Lancashire Constabulary ordered around 50 for traffic patrol purposes in 1960.

Nice location, with a good collection of vehicles if you are around that way.

Chris Bond

I notice that on page 51 of Clausager's "Original MGA" that special speedometers were available for police MGA cars.


Mick
M F Anderson

Lovely car. Is the "Police" sign attached to the grille or bolted through the front panels?

GRP wings? Not made by Lakeland Platics by any chance? ;-)

Grant :-)
G Hudson

Just as an aside,Chris Bond,in winter '67-68 we had a nut named Bond living in the Mess at RAF West Raynham,Norfolk, who drove an MGA around with no hood( like, he had no hood) and the snow was deep (and crisp and even).Wasn't you was it?
MR Blencowe

A former work colleague, who in an earlier life was a UK police constable, was one of the police who took delivery of these (or similar) MGA's. They picked them up at Cowley (ie Oxford, not Abingdon) where they were treated to "light refreshments" and then used them quite extensively for road patrols, etc.
Barry Bahnisch

Chris, I'm off to the Lake District at the end of month, so I will pay a visit.
Where in H & W are you?, as there is a classic car show at Webbs in Wychbold on Bank Holiday Sunday (29.8.10)
Nigel Munford

I was at a local car show recently and the West Lancs town-crier was there ( name of Don Evans). He is an ex-policeman and quite a big bloke. He came over to talk to me as I was sitting in my car (black MGA) and asked if it was an ex-Lancahire police car ( it isn't) . He was interested as he used to drive one - "Oh really - must have been fun", I replied. I was shocked when he retorted - "No - I hated it - stuck in it for 8 hours a day - and then falling out of it when I had stopped someone for speeding was very undignified" - Oh well you can't win them all.
Cam Cunningham

Grant - it appears to be bolted through the front panel from the photos I took.

M R Blencowe - not me I'm afraid, far to young to be driving an A back then - hadn't even passed my cycling proficiency test!

Barry - I was about to say what a great job it must have been flying around Lancashire in an A during the 50's, then I read Cam's response. I guess they were not ideal for big blokes, which police had to be back then. Do they still have a minimum height restriction today or would that be viewed as 'heightism' in this PC world. (never worked out how Inspector Frost got in the force!).

Nigel, Hope you enjoy the Lakes (and have better weather)- are you taking the A?
I'm in Droitwich Spa so yes I'll be going to the Webbs show, if the weathers OK. Will you be there or away them?
Chris Bond

Chris, My friend is quite a big chap, over 6 ft tall, and never seemed to be never overly enamoured with MGA's (unlike us!).
Barry Bahnisch

This thread was discussed between 04/08/2010 and 07/08/2010

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGA BBS now