As perhaps one of the oldest born-in-England listers, may I address the
implied misperception that most roads in England at the time of the first
MGs were dirt roads. My early years (during the war and just after) were
spent in many different rural areas. While it is true that most small
villages had their share of muddy (or dusty, during the occasional periods
when it didn't rain) farm tracks, most roads had either what is called in
the US blacktop or chip-and-seal surfaces.
That is not to say that trialling, where the cars were tested on their
ability to traverse steep and muddy climbs was not something that MGs did
(and did well!). However, they were certainly not designed just to cope with
off-road conditions.
Lawrie
British Sportscar Center
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Hineline <hineline@helix.ucsd.edu>
To: PMS GB Ltd <100070.740@compuserve.com>
Cc: mg-t@autox.team.net <mg-t@autox.team.net>
Date: Friday, July 21, 2000 3:59 AM
Subject: Re: Hypothetical question about driving a TC
>Many thanks for all of the considered answers to my question. I see now
>that there are two questions, really: one is, how prudent is it to take a
>50+ year old automobile off paved roads? And the answer seems to be: not
>prudent at all. Points well taken.
>
>But the other question is this: what was the TA-TB-TC designed to do?
>What would have been the standard roadway in the UK in the mid to late
>1930s? Perhaps it is merely my vivid imagination, perhaps it is too many
>episodes of Masterpiece Theater (BBC programing in the U.S.), but I'm
>thinking that the TA rarely saw pavement, that it was designed to be
>driven on dirt and gravel. And so, although the cars might have been
>specially prepared for hillclimbs and for negotiating rutted roads at top
>speed, they were also designed for what we would now call "off road"
>conditions.
>
>Mark Hineline
>
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