Bury Me in An Old MOWOG Parts Box - How it really all began!

By Jay Lockrow

For some time I have thought of writing a column on this subject but several times I have talked myself out of it because I didn’t want to antagonize those in the muscle car fraternity or those too young to realize what really happened. On the other hand if someone like me does not tell them, how will they ever know? In a way it’s a lot like political parties, they tell you only what they want you to hear not the whole true story.

Over the last fifty years or so I have been to countless car shows, races, rallies and other forms of motorsport. My main interest has always been in sports cars and performance cars. I also like antique and classics but those cars have now become almost untouchable because of value. Also the use of the term “Classics” has been over used and abused to the point we might as well forget it, just say “old cars.”

In these many appearances I have taken my MG TC on many occasions. Many times I was sandwiched between things like Mustangs, Barracudas , Camaros, or any of a dozen types of muscle cars. Right where I should be, right? Not according to many of these owners, I have a piece of foreign “junk” and why don’t you go somewhere else. “Why would you want that old relic anyway?”

First and foremost they always seen to take the entrance fee without a problem but it’s after you are parked then you get the aggravation. Aggravation can be as little as “isn’t it cute” type comments to “Never could understand why people liked that stuff.” What they are missing is the beginning of the whole scenario.

First you should know that sports cars were not always herein large numbers. Yes, there were some early imports but unless you went to some of the “Old Money” cities like Boston, New York, Philadelphia and such you just didn’t see this type of machine. If you were interested in automobiles or performance there was oval track racing but if you wanted a performance car you either made it yourself or paid someone to build it. Yes, there were manufacturers of performance equipment, like for the model T or model A but nothing like what happened after the end of WWII. That’s another whole story. However, if you were of the moneyed gentry possibly you could afford an Auburnspeedster, Cord or maybe a Duesenberg or something like an Alfa Romeo or Mercedes or other foreign exotic. Performance cars did not exist for people like you or me.

The first post war sports car race in the states was held in1948 at Watkins Glen New York. There were MG TCs by the dozens and many pre-war entrants of various makes. Looking atpictures of this event you would be amazed at the number of interesting cars. Forward a couple of years say to1950 and the number of entrants was short of amazing. There were of course the TC in almost countless numbers but now the TD and the addition of the JaguarXK120 and the still present pre-war cars. Forward a few more years and you get the Austin Healey, Triumph, Porsche, Mercedes, Fiat, Ferrari and others I could bore you with for several hours. The die had been cast and thankfully, spirited automobiles were here to stay. The MG TC was the car that filled the field

In these early races and made people realize that driving could be fun. If you have ever driven a late 1940s or early 1950s car you will know what I’m talking about. Some were fast yes (Ford V8) but handling was something else. The MG TC changed all that and people liked the challenge of a car with spirited handling and performance although the TC was never really considered fast unless it had been warmed over by talented engine builders.

About 1952 or so the American car companies must have noticed the appeal of the sports car and figured they needed to get on the bandwagon as they were missing a good chunk of business to the sports car market. Myself, I can recall several one off concept cars that were not bad to look at but never went anywhere. (Remember the Buick Wildcat?) In 1953 the first Chevrolet Corvette was put on the market. About all I can say about this car is it was a start and let’s leave it at that. My dad about this point was a volunteer officer in the SCCA. (Contest Secretary) He told me one time he was approached by someone from General Motors and was offered a brand new 1953 Corvette at a much reduced price. He quietly told them respectively “he was not interested” and they were flabbergasted. He told them “it really wasn’t a sports car.” They said “they did not want to build a sports car. “And he quickly replied “That’s where you made your mistake.” This was well over 60 years ago and I guess they got the message. It took a few more years but they finally got it right.

So now we have the Corvette as a performance car and it was not long after that when we started to get performance cars like the Mustangs, Barracudas, Camaros and SS Chevrolets, and all sorts of so called economy cars fitted with big V8 engines, nicer interiors and better suspensions. These were considered “Family sports cars” Look at the lineage it all slowly works back to the ancient relic MG TC. It started the whole movement and thankfully it continues.

One last interesting point I would like to make. When Lee Iacocca was with Ford he was the one that got in touch with Carroll Shelby and asked him to make the Mustang into a performance sports car which he of course did, in a big way. Magnificent, fast and good looking. Do you know what Carroll Shelby started his racing career in? Yep, the MG TC as did Phil Hill the USAs only world Formula one champion. There are others out there but enough said.