The Purchase
In 1985 I had already been a member of the MG Car Club Holland for 11 years. In those years I visited a lot of MG events in Holland as well as abroad with my MG MGB.
During these events, also the respected ones like Silverstone and Hausach, I saw many of the most beautiful MG’s. During those years I also restored my MGB in such a way that she was a concourse-winner. My attention was now directed to the beautiful classic cars, particularly those of the mark MG. I realised that the Vintage types were unsuitable for me because they are too delicate for me. The speed, the brakes and the cooling are insufficient for my demands. The choice was easy to make. It must be a T Type. But which one? A TA, TB, TC, TD or a TF?
After some orientation I decided. It must be a TB.
I told a friend in England, who has a body shop, that I was looking for a MG TB. He has rather good connections with local restorers. And yes, he calls to say that someone wants to sell his MG. The previous owner has partially dismantled the car and he did not have any possibility to restore the car. On my question as to what kind of MG it was my friend said something like MG Ward. I answered that I never had heard about such a MG and he should send me some documentation of the car.
He sent me a copy at the Autocar of 1946 in which the car described in detail. It shows that it is a one off by Park Ward Coachbuilders built on a MG TA.
Because the seller does not want to advertise the car or bring her to an auction the price for such a car is rather reasonable. Yes, this is the car I have been waiting for.
Viewing
Because I don’t want to miss this sale I depart to England with some loose money to look for the car and maybe to buy her.
On the Harwich quay my friend was already waiting with a special towing truck and the seller of the car. It seems that the TA never has been collected from the former owner and so still stands in the middle of England.
On the arrival with this former owner I was really flabbergasted. On a large estate there were a lot of the most exclusive classic cars like Rolls Royce’s, a prototype Aston Martin, an MGA with MGA 1 as number-plate etc. rusting in the mud and some sheds. This former owner had sold the TA to get some financial room to restore a classic Bentley. The main house you only can reach by a long lane with mud-holes. So each car is fitted with mud tires. Why make tartan roads?
There she was the MG TA PW Dhc for the first time since 26 years washed and in the fresh air. Because the body is of aluminium she appears, with the exception of some dents, tears and some later alterations in a rather reasonable state. Also the woodwork and the chassis are well conserved. Technically she is a disaster. Beside the chassis parts all the technical parts have been removed. Also the interior is missing a lot of parts. I thought “the chassis and the body are of a good quality and the missing parts I can get somewhere’.
In an instant I know it: she is so beautiful, this is what I dreamed of.
During the loading on to the towing truck I have some time to look for the removed parts in the barn. You must not think that those parts where neatly in boxes or so. No there was a huge mountain, 3 meter wide and 2 meter high, full with parts from the most exotic cars. With the help of this former owner I found the most important parts (like some body-parts, some interior gadgets the steering-parts) in this mountain. Much time to dig was not available because the driver wanted to be at home before midnight.