Solved: PN #409 -- Bruderlin & Thomas Bodied MG TC Special, 1958

[pnegyesi]

Please identify this car: donor, builders of the special body and year when it was built. Not easy, but then, hey, this is AutoPuzzles, where earning points are sometimes difficult

[pnegyesi]

Experts?

[sixtee5cuda]

British?

[pnegyesi]

Donor was made in uk

[gilescooperuk]

Sidevalve Ford Donor?

[pnegyesi]

no

[D-type]

Triumph Herald/ Vitesse/ Spitfire donor?

[pnegyesi]

no

[gilescooperuk]

MG donor?

[pnegyesi]

sorry, I missed your reply. Yes, it is based on an MG. But which one ?

[D-type]

TD?

[pnegyesi]

almost, a bit earlier

[D-type]

TC?

[pnegyesi]

so we now have the donor

[Craig Gillingham]

Is this locked?

[D-type]

Not as far as I know - I was merely guessing based on the information given.

[Craig Gillingham]

OK, I wasn't sure. It's called the Bruderlin & Thomas Bodied MG TC Special, built in 1958.

[pnegyesi]

 

[Carnut]

What's this, for 1 point?:

Remember - solving puzzles using 'Google Search by Image' is BANNED on AutoPuzzles!

[tobytwirl]

Is it an Australian MG special dating from around 1956

[Carnut]

Is it an Australian MG special dating from around 1956

I believe so, yes or maybe a bit earlier..

[tobytwirl]

it took some finding, but its the 1958 Bruderlin & Thomas MG TC supercharged special usually driven by Brian Bowe. The MG bits will of course be much earlier.

[Carnut]

it took some finding, but its the 1958 Bruderlin & Thomas MG TC supercharged special usually driven by Brian Bowe. The MG bits will of course be much earlier.

It looks a bit like that one, but it's not it.
I've investigated that car and compared the pictures and it's definitely different; it's not the name I have, which is why I looked into it!

[tobytwirl]

Does this help, from Motormarques,com:

"Constructed in 1958 by John Bruderlin and Leon Thomas (Lynx) using a highly modified MG TC chassis, suspension and gearbox and a TF 1500 cc supercharged motor. The chassis then fitted with fibreglass open wheel body using the mould from the late Jimmy Johnson's TC Special. This mould being a shortened and widened version of the RMV Riley body of 1951. Four bodies were constructed. These were subsequently used on Bruderlin and Thomas TC specials -- originally built for hill climbs and sprints in which they were very successful. Two of the original cars were destroyed in late 1959. The third special competed as both a sports car (with aluminium cycle guards) and as a racing car. This Special passed into the hands of Bill Reynolds in 1960. It ran unsuccessfully in a number of road races in this period before being dismantled for a complete rebuild. It was sold in this state to Tim Shellshear in 1962 and, with the help of his brother, rebuilt and raced for the next three years, when it was sold again.   The Special was dismantled again to effect another rebuild. It was sold in this state to M. H. Kennedy in 1967/68. Then, still dismantled, sold again to P.N.Redhead In 1970."
Is it the Jimmy Johnson/Len Cummine MG TC Special from 1952. It usually ran the race no. 103, but it has already been one of your puzzles

[Carnut]

You have been digging!
None of the names mentioned there are the name I'm looking for, but it's very likely the name I have was just the owner of the car at the time the picture was taken rather than the builder.   It does look so very similar that it is most probably the same car so I'll keep researching to see if I can match them; in the meantime keep digging to see if you can come up with the name I have.