Greetings fellow SOL'ers.
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This past Saturday I drove up Gerard Goguen's "The Westminster M.G. Car
Museum" in Westminster, Vermont. Wow!
For those of you that have already visited the museum, please bear with me
while I provide the highlights (borrowed from the Museum brochure):
On display:
1927 14/28 Tourer Flatnose (one of six, and one of the oldest M.G.'s in the
U.S.)
1930 M-Type Sportsman Coupe (one of three known to exist)
1933 J-4 Supercharged Racer (#five of nine built)
1934 PB Airline Coupe
1938 SA 4-Door Tourer (one of ten)
1953 TD Inskip 4-Seater (only one of ten built! - my favorite.....)
1955 EX 182 (the MGA prototype - the lone survivor of four built)
1964 MK IV Magnette (Cecil Cousin's car)
(there are about 30 cars in total)
Interesting Facts:
Gerard Goguen owns Abingdon Spares, and played first Trumpet for the Boston
Symphony Orchestra
Admission is $2.50, $2.00 seniors (over 60), children (6-16) $1.00, 5 and
under free
1994 is the museum's 10th anniversary
About M.G. (from the brochure):
- was first sports cars America loved
- was most popular U.S. imported car in 1953
- was world's largest manufacturer of sports cars
- was first 750 cc car to each 100mph, and first 1100 cc car to reach 200
mph
- made more models than any other manufacturer except Bugatti
- was widely used to train race drivers
- largest club membership of any car
- used the alphabet to designate various models, and started over with the
MGA in 1955 after the Z was named
- holds many international records to this day
- was and is the world's best loved sports car
The museum is located in an old barn on Route 5, five miles south of Bellows
Falls, VT. Easy access from Interstate 91. You shouldn't expect a flashy,
carpeted museum. These are real cars, many in original condition, complete with
a few dings and a bit of Vermont dust. I enjoyed the museum's informality -
there was a hand written sign on the door that said "ask the person driving the
tractor to open the museum" (and within a minute or two a young man on a
tractor appeared to usher us in!).
(warning - non-lbc content to follow)
If you'd like a sandwich after your visit, drive about 3 miles north on Route 5
to a place (on the left) called "Father's" - no atmosphere, but their
sandwiches are on homemade bread, and they offer a large variety of delicious
homemade pies. Very reasonable prices.
On my way up to Vermont I spotted a TR6 with Ontario plates - any chance that
it was driven by a SOL?
On the subject of LBC's in films, check out the nice MGA in Disney's "Cool
Running" - the story of the Jamacian bobsled team. A very funny flick....good
family entertainment....
Cheers.
-Doug
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"Lethargy bordering on sloth remains the cornerstone of my restoration style"
Doug Phillips (Douglas.W.Phillips@Williams.edu)
1952 MG TD, Member, New England T Register (#11109) and Berkshire
County British Motor Car Club / Williams College, Williamstown, MA
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