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TCTom
USA
274 Posts |
 Posted - 11/08/2020 : 13:49:40
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THE 97th INTERNATIONAL OLIVER ARKELL DAY
Today, the 11th of August 2020, is International Oliver Arkell Day.
This celebrates the occasion in 1923 when Oliver purchased directly from Cecil Kimber at the Queen St. Oxford showrooms, his Raworth-bodied Morris Garages Super Sports registered FC 5855, the earliest properly documented sale of an M.G.
The six cars carrying Raworth coachwork on specially modified Morris Cowley chassis were considered by Cecil Kimber, Cecil Cousins, F. Wilson McComb, and now-a-days most objective, intelligent, good looking, and well informed historians, to be the first sports cars of the M.G. marque.
So, please join us with...
A REMARKABLE ARKELL ODE
Although your town is all locked down,
There's good reason to be jolly,
Fill your glass with Speckled Hen,
And drink a toast to Olly.
Tom Wilson
Zionsville, IN USA |
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Westbury
United Kingdom
1961 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2020 : 14:33:55
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Thank you, for informing us ,Tom and well said ! ( I take it that you include yourself in your colourful description of historian ???)
Chris |
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colintf
United Kingdom
1485 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2020 : 15:20:09
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Thanks Tom for the history lesson :)
Colin Murrell
D0285
Photographer for MGCC (LeMans Classic, Oldtimer Grand Prix etc) & MG Motor (BTCC 2012-5)
http://www.triple-mracing.com/ |
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Cooperman
United Kingdom
757 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2020 : 17:11:02
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One of the earliest known, probably the first use of the stylised octagon M.G. was an advertisement in The Oxford Times of 13th April 1923, although the advert was for The Morris Garages for Morris cars.
John Cooper M 628 |
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Mike the M
United Kingdom
481 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2020 : 20:03:41
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Always thought that it was Billy Cooper who was the first M.G. customer!
"He took delivery of the car 'MF 8068' early in 1924 and the car was illustrated and described in the 'Motor' of 24th June 1924. thought to be the first of the |Morris Oxford based M.G.'s.
Mr Cooper was a Brooklands official and the car could be seen at the start line at most Brooklands race meetings of the era."
From the 'Bullnose Morris Club' magazine no.18 December 1961 by R.I. Barraclough.
Mike Dalby |
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creamcracker
United Kingdom
115 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2020 : 20:34:27
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Yes, an important day.
Thanks of course go to Malcolm Robertson of the MG Pre-War Register of Australia, for posting this announcement last night on their Facebook Group.Not long to go now until the Centenary Celebration. |
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TCTom
USA
274 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2020 : 03:00:41
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Thanks Keith for pointing us to the proper credit source. I know a lot of MG trivia, but not near as much as many of you!
Tom Wilson
Zionsville, IN USA |
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Cooperman
United Kingdom
757 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2020 : 12:43:54
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quote:
Originally posted by Mike the M
Always thought that it was Billy Cooper who was the first M.G. customer!
"He took delivery of the car 'MF 8068' early in 1924 and the car was illustrated and described in the 'Motor' of 24th June 1924. thought to be the first of the |Morris Oxford based M.G.'s.
Mr Cooper was a Brooklands official and the car could be seen at the start line at most Brooklands race meetings of the era."
From the 'Bullnose Morris Club' magazine no.18 December 1961 by R.I. Barraclough.
Mike Dalby
Mike I think you will find that Billy Cooper (no relation although by father was a Billy Cooper) brought one of the first 14/28 Supersports, that is the Bullnose cars. The 1924 cars were called Raworths as they had bodies made by Raworth on modified Cowley chassis, whereas the Supersports were on Oxford chassis.
The odd thing is, that Kimber himself was known to say that the first M.G. was Old Number One, even though there are cars extant that were registered before Old Number One on the 27th March 1925
John Cooper M 628 |
Edited by - Cooperman on 12/08/2020 12:56:02 |
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John James
United Kingdom
960 Posts |
Posted - 13/08/2020 : 10:48:28
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John,
I'm assuming that your reference to "the 1924 cars" being called Raworths is a typo and the year should read "1923".
Regarding the reference to "Old Number One" and "Kimber himself was known to say that the first M.G. was Old Number One", this is unlikely (as I think you infer). A more plausible interpretation is that Kimber himself referred to "Old Number One" as HIS first M.G.
The M.G. SALESMAN'S HANDBOOK, issued in January 1928, states that
“.... the M.G. Sports Cars were first introduced in 1923...."
As this contained a personal message from Kimber, this authenticates 1923 as the first year of introduction, with Kimber's endorsement. |
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creamcracker
United Kingdom
115 Posts |
Posted - 13/08/2020 : 23:03:34
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The inscription in Combat by Barrie Lyndon, “ To Wilf, my first passenger in my first MG, from Kim, Christmas 1933”, has for many years fuelled the myth that FC 7900, now known as Old Number One, was “the first MG”.
The car was a “special MG” built for Cecil Kimber by Morris Garages and registered at the Oxford Records Office to “Kimber Cecil, Woodstock Rd , Oxford, Morris Cowley Sports Grey 11.9 HP on 27/3/25”.
So, it’s safe to deduce that this was CK’s first M.G. and not "the first MG".
Keith |
Edited by - creamcracker on 13/08/2020 23:04:06 |
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Mike the M
United Kingdom
481 Posts |
Posted - 14/08/2020 : 11:48:10
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Wilf Angelo Mathews 1881 - 1963, Insurance Broker and lived in Boars Hill Oxford 1943 -1963. Secretary Oxford M.C. 1905 - 1953!
In 1913 on the Exeter trial he won a Gold medal in Morris Oxford FC 1331
Mike Dalby |
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