Missed opportunity

[Blaketon]

Back in early 1985, a hardish Winter had made me realise that my MG Midget needed to retire from daily use (It was garaged at night), if I wanted to keep it long term (Remember that aside from badged Metros, MGs were no more), I would need to take good care of it.

As I was going to then give the Midget a thorough overhaul (It turned out to incorporate a number of upgrades, such as an overdrive gearbox and another 40bhp), I wanted a small estate car and was on the lookout for a Mini Clubman (My first car was a Mini and I liked and still like the way they handle). Alas I couldn’t find one with low enough mileage and ended up buying a one owner Mini 1000, with 25000 on the clock (That turned out to be a good little car and upon checking I find it had a service life of 17 years; I hope the Waxoyl I put in it helped). That made way for my only new car (Another Mini) and in turn a couple of VWs, before I come to the Traveller. I can’t help wishing I had discovered Minors earlier and it is to my shame that when I first went to a classic car show (1985), I was puzzled by the numbers of Minors there. My father toyed with the idea of one in 1991 (And that was a missed opportunity, for which I think I am partly responsible) and joined the MMOC to see what was available. I must say that Minor Matters impressed me even then and there was something infectious in the enthusiasm it exuded. I think part of it was that I was all too well aware of the limits of BL durability/quality control and I tended to tar the Minor with that brush, when clearly it is more a Nuffield car, than a BL one. It is also true that not all parts of BL were as bad as the worst but the bad ones were the ones that made the news back in the day.

Back in 1985, I never gave a thought to a Traveller, which I now realise was a mistake (Though I suppose I had the experience of a Gold GTI, which was overall the best car I ever owned). I’m sure had I bought one then, OTBE, I would still have had it (Just like Des Varian in Minor Matters) and I expect I would have spent less, on motoring, than I have. Back in 1985, I only had one garage space at my parents’ home and it wasn’t until 1990, that I had my own place, with a tatty garage but it was far better than nothing (The Midget didn’t move from my parents’ place until my new garage was built in 1993) and the Mini kept better in that, than in the open.

The letter, by Trevor Chambers, “Please keep Moggie” is something with which I can identify, having owned the Midget since 1984. I also have an MGB GT V8, that has been in the family since 1985 and that is also very much part of the family. It was my father’s car bit since my new garage was built (Which will hold four small cars), the V8 has spent most time there and in 2003, my father said I might as well have it in my name.

I don’t know what the future holds and I hope to be able to hang on to what we have. The length of time, that the Midget and the V8 have been with us, does tend to give them a special place. My mother has a very nice MGB GT (Probably the best all rounder of all of them), which has been with us nearly 15 years and my father has a nice 1972 MG Midget. I think my parents are very keen that I keep the Traveller, as it is so useful and I’ll do my best.