THE ORIGINS OF BRITISH RACING GREEN
The 1902 Gordon Bennett Race, which was part of the Paris-Vienna event, was won by S. F. Edge in a 6½ litre Napier. He was the only finisher, averaging 31.8 mph over the 351 mile section to Innsbruck, thus winning the American’s Cup.
The Napier was painted, as were all Napier touring cars, in olive green. Previous to this the British racing driver, Charles Jarrott, had driven a 40 hp Panhard in the Paris-Berlin race. The car had been painted a rich dark green and it was explained to him by the manufacturers that because his race number was 13, the company had decided on this colour – the French lucky colour – to counteract the unlucky number. This is strange as both the number 13 and the colour green are considered unlucky by some but did not seem to bother Jarrott.
The rules of the Gordon Bennett Race stipulated that whichever country won would organize the following year’s race on their own terrain. Therefore Britain had to organize the 1903 race. Racing on mainland roads in Britain was illegal so a course was selected at Athy in Ireland by S. F. Edge and Count Zborowski.
After inspecting the course in the Emerald Isle, a gesture was made to the Irish people by painting the three Napiers driven by Edge, Jarrott and Stocks emerald green. The cup was won that year by Mercedes and incidentally the Napier pit staff wore green ties.
National colours were introduced for the 1905 Gordon Bennett Cup Race. These were:-
Britain – green, France – blue, Germany – white, Italy – black, Austria – black & yellow, Switzerland – red & yellow.
Soon after the 1905 race Italy’s cars were painted red and which remained the traditional colour for Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa Romeo.
After many changes and variations, by the mid-fifties the colours of the main competing nations were:-
Argentina – blue & black with yellow bonnet
Austria – blue & white
Belgium – yellow
Brazil – body yellow, wheels green
France – blue
Germany – white or silver
Great Britain – green
Holland – orange
Italy – red
Portugal – red & white
Siam – blue & yellow
Spain – yellow & red
Sweden – yellow & blue
Switzerland - red with white bonnet
United States – white with blue stripes
In more recent times, with the advent of multi-sponsorship, only Ferrari remains faithful to its national racing colour but several years ago the Jaguar F1 team chose a distinctive metallic green for its main livery.
British Racing Green has varied a great deal over the years ranging from emerald green, dark Napier green to almost black for the Jaguar sports car team in the 1950’s and pale metallic green of Aston Martin. British Racing Green is epitomized by the famous Le Mans Bentleys but these were a lighter shade of green than is the common perception.
This of course can be a problem for painters of historic motor racing such as myself, as it is important that the correct shade of green is portrayed in the interest of historical accuracy.
Graham Bosworth
MG - THE COVENTRY CONNECTION
Coventry has a long and distinguished history of motor manufacturing, many world famous marques being produced in the city - Alvis, Armstrong Siddeley, Daimler, Hillman, Humber, Jaguar, Lanchester, Lea-Francis, Riley, Rover, Singer, Standard, Sunbeam Talbot and Triumph being the principal makes. Morris is also well known through the engines branch at Courthouse Green, better known as 'The Morris' to generations of Coventrians.
Less well known is Coventry's significant contribution to MG, the best known sports car in the world. Coventry people and Coventry factories were responsible for much of the inspiration and early development of MG with bodies, engines, trim, radiators and hoods from the early beginnings in 1920 to 1969 all built in Coventry factories. Later there was also the development and build of the modern MGTF body by Mayflower from 1995 to 2005.
This is the story of Coventry's connection with MG :
MG would not have existed if William Morris had not founded Morris Motors. He started his career in a cycle repair shop in Cowley in 1893 at age 16. Five years later he expanded to in 1901 he expanded further by renting
The following year he entered into a partnership with Joseph Cooper to make the Morris bicycle and in 1904 started a taxi & hire car business following the failure of his car & bike agency which he sold in 1908. Later that year he entered several motor sport events using Enfield and De Dietrich cars. Morris's interest in motor sport was formed in these years and in 1910 he established the 'Morris Garage' business at the expanded
In the MG Car Co. Later that year the first Morris Oxford prototype was built and W R M Motors was founded at Cowley to build cars, production starting in 1913 with bodies supplied by the Coventry company Carbodies.
In 1915 The French Company Hotchkiss et Cie opened a factory in
As well as armaments Hotchkiss supplied a copy of the American Continental engine and Detroit Gear gearbox exclusively to Morris for the 'Morris Continental' car. Bodies for these cars were supplied by Carbodies and also Hollick and Pratt, both Coventry companies.
Morris concentrated on standard design products for the benefit of cost control and simplicity of manufacture. He was very aware of the market for specials cars and this customer demand was undertaken
by Morris Garages independently from Morris at Cowley.
In 1920 the Coventry company Hollick & Pratt designed and built a special sports body for Morris's personal use. The car became well known around Oxford, being nicknamed 'The Humbug' due to the alternate dark and light stripped wood used in construction.
It is very probable that it was this car, and Morris's love of motor sport, which inspired him to establish a more sporting car than the standard production Morris models.
Cecil Kimber joined 'The Morris Garages' as sales manager, later General Manager in 1921 and Morris then had a man to help him fulfil his ambition to build special bodied sports cars.
At this time Morris Garages sold Humber, Dodge, Sunbeam, Singer and Standard amongst others, as well as Morris Cowleys, Oxfords and Sixes. The Garage would paint and undertake customised body alterations to the customers requirements and special bodied cars on the Morris chassis. There is no doubt that William Morris both supported and encouraged this initiative and in 1923 the MG Chummy was introduced, bodies being built by various suppliers including Parkside of Coventry. Cecil Kimber was a motor sport enthusiast and in 1923 started the build of his first special-bodied car based on the Morris Chummy chassis. This was a joint venture with Buist of Newcastle and Parkside Garage in Coventry.
Morris had purchased Hollick and Pratt in 1922 following a disastrous fire which virtually destroyed the Coventry factory. The re-built factory then became 'Morris Bodies Branch, supply bodies to MG until closure in 1971.
Ron Cadman.
Morris had purchased Hollick and Pratt in 1922 following a disastrous fire which virtually destroyed the Coventry factory. The re-built factory then became 'Morris Bodies Branch, Quinton Road' and continued to supply bodies to MG until closure in 1971;
In 1923 Morris then took over Hotchkiss et Cie Coventry for £350,000 (about £14m today!) the factory then became Morris Engines and was the principle supplier of engines for MG apart from the 7 year period
between 1928 to 1935 when Wolesley engines were used.
By 1924 Carbodies of Coventry were supplying bodies to MG for the MG Super Sports from their factory at Foleshill and later Holyhead Road. (Now Manganese Bronze LTI factory)
1924 was also the year Morris sales overtook Ford and Austin and held the dominant position in the British market until 1939. Although not directly part of the MG story, Morris' success provided the financial
support for the development and continuation of MG through the 1920's and early 1930's.
During 1925 Cecil Kimbers' special (Now called Old nol ) won a London-Lands End gold medal. This car was built over the years 1923-24, the body reputedly being supplied by Carbodies of Coventry, but probably
on site at the Longwall Street factory. The engine and gearbox was supplied by Hotchkiss from their Gosford Street factory. Although there were previous Morris Garages built cars this car is now generally accepted as
the first MG.
In 1925 Morris Garages established a new factory, the third in just two years, at Banton Road and two years later expanded further with a move to Edmund Road in 1927. The company was going places and Coventry
factories were kept busy supplying them. In 1929 the momentous move was made to the old 'Pavlova Leather factory'. This factory was continuously developed to become known world wide simply as
'Abingdon'.
By then in 1926 the first flat radiator MG - the 4/18 was introduced, this being the first Morris Garages car to have a radiator distinct from the Morris 'bull-nose' design.
In 1927 Morris acquired a 45 acre site at Courthouse Green and commenced build of a new factory, a momentous event for Coventry.
The foundry at Cowley was moved to the new location in Bell Green Road and the site was developed to become one of the most up to date car engine factories in the world. Morris Engines Branch was transferred to the new Coventry factory in 1938.
In 1928 the 'MG Car Co' was founded with Morris Garages Ltd. remaining proprietor and William Morris holding 99% of the shares.
This date is arguably the true birth date of MG and 2008 is the 80th Anniversary of the founding of the MG Car Company. It was an important date for Coventry as the new MG Sports 6 and Midget were introduced, bodies being supplied, painted and trimmed ready for mounting on the chassis from Carbodies and Morris Bodies, Coventry. Many of these cars also had engines built at Gosford Street and later, Courthouse Green. All radiators, from Osberton Radiators; trim, made on site at Morris Bodies and hoods from Coventry Hood & Seating were produced in Coventry and supplied to MG for final assembly.
The famous octagonal badge was first used on these cars and an unusual fact is that Kimber was so committed to the octagon that he had typewriters made with a special key for the badge. He also had Bluemell's produce an eight sided steering wheel which was not a success. A pity the designers of the Allegro 'Quartic wheel' didn't absorb this lesson of history!
By 1930 the MG Car Company Ltd became separate from Morris Garages. Morris held 18,996 of the shares and the other three Directors held 1 each! No doubt who was in charge!
By 1934 the MG range had become probably the most complicated model range ever produced, two chassis lengths, 3 engine types and 3 basic body styles. Production in this years was only 170 cars with a potential
18 different basic variations. This is an indication of Kimbers lack of appreciation of manufacturing, engineering and financial control which lead to Morris taking MG back into corporate ownership the following year.
Leonard Lord, born in Coventry was appointed Managing Director of Morris and he was responsible for consolidating MG manufacture and closing the MG racing shop. Lord was educated at Bablake School and
served an Apprenticeship with Courtaulds before joining Hotchkiss in 1922, which became Morris Engines the following year. He was an excellent engineer, but a flawed personality acquiring the unfortunate
nickname 'Lord Loudmouth'
To be continued.
MG – THE COVENTRY CONNECTION. Continued.
He forced MG to adopt the cheaper to manufacture XPAG engine, which was designed and built in Coventry and discontinue use of the Birmingham built Wolseley engines. Lord left Morris in 1936 but his short period of control had a vital impact on Coventry's part in manufacturing components for MG as output increased and new jobs were created.
The MGTA introduced in 1936 used the push rod 1292cc engine derived from the Wolseley. This engine was built in Coventry at the Gosford Street works.
The model ran until 1939 when it was replaced by the MGTB the first XPAG engined MG, these engines being built at Morris Engines Branch, Courthouse Green. Production of these engines continued until 1955,
the last MG to receive them being the 1955 MGTF.
From 1936 to 1939 Charlesworth at Much Park Street, Coventry supplied bodies for the larger MG SA and MG WA cars. All other standard MG bodies were supplied from Morris Body Branch, Quinton Road.
In 1938 William Morris bought Riley at Durbar Avenue and plans were made to move all MG manufacture and assembly to Coventry. This was opposed by John Thornley and George Probert, the General and Works Managers at Abingdon. The anticipated onset of the war must also have influenced the decision not to go ahead with the move.
This proposal by Morris was a good illustration of his perception; had MG moved to Coventry then manufacture and assembly would have been consolidated and it is arguable that MG's future under BL Cars would have been secure.
A valued acquisition of the Riley take over was Eddie Maher, a very talented Coventry engineer who after secondment to the Government during the war returned Morris Engines and was responsible for production development of the Riley 1.5 and 2.5 engines. He then became development engineer at Courthouse Green seeing the MGA twin-cam into production and developing the A series engine for the AH Sprite and later Midget models. He also led the design team which developed the 6 cylinder MGC engine.
After the war Coventry continued to supply engines and fully painted bodies to MG. Production re¬commenced in 1946 with the MGTC, then MGTD, MGTF, MGA and MGB.
The MGB bodies, introduced in 1962, were built at Cowley but transferred to Coventry for painting and trim. The last Coventry built
MGB was produced in 1969 and the Morris Bodies No l Plant at Quinton Road was closed in 1971.
Morris Engines Courthouse Green was finally closed in 1981, although by this time there was no manufacture of engines for MG cars.
It seemed that Coventry's long association with MG was over but in 1995 the MGF was introduced. This car was joint venture between Rover and Motor Panels, later Mayflower in Holbrook Lane. The MGF was designed by Gerry McGovern, a Coventrian who was educated at Binley Park School and Coventry University.
Sadly after nearly 10 years of production Rover ceased manufacture at Longbridge and assets were acquired by the Nanging Automotive Co. who also purchase the MG brand name from BMW. All tooling for the MGF, now called the MGTF have been shipped to China and sales of a revised version of the car are expected to be resumed later this year.
The MG-Coventry connection is something the city can be proud of and the 80th anniversary of the foundation of MG is a occasion MG enthusiasts around the world should celebrate and appreciate the contribution Coventry has made to the success of this unique sports car.
Ron Cadman