1934 MG PA Midget Supercharged Special Speedster
Indeed. What this one was doing getting through to the Pro's I have no idea!
The following is copied from the description of the car when it was auctioned recently:
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MG PA 1268 was delivered on July 18, 1934, through Smith's Auto, Ltd., of Croydon, Surrey. Built as a four-seat tourer in Duo Blue, it was sold to T.J. Lattimer of Lincot, Chequers Hill, Flamstead, Hertfordshire. It was registered with the London number BGH 724, part of a series issued from June to August of that year. Its early history is not recorded, but we know that a subsequent owner, J.D. Pursey of Cardiff, wrote to the factory in May 1946 in search of new pistons. Records show that engine number 1554 AP is original to the chassis.
Its first known appearance in the United States was in Oregon, from where it was purchased in the 1980s by James H. Proffitt of Long Beach, California. Mr. Proffitt commenced rebuilding it as a special in the 1990s, a task the current owner completed in 2007.
An aluminum body was built, along the lines of Miles Collier's 1935 special "Leonidas." The body, comprising formed aluminum sheets on a multi-tube steel armature, was completed by the restoration shops at the well-known Symbolic Motor Car Company in San Diego. It has a complete belly pan, with the exception of the area below the engine. The battery and a small fuel cell are housed in the tail section. Fittings, castings and accessories are [in the style of?] those found on MG cars and specials of the 1930s.
The PA engine was rebuilt using a new Bob Jones cylinder head, billet crankshaft, flywheel and clutch. New shell bearings were installed and Carillo connecting rods, in a newly-cast engine block. A Vertex Scintilla magneto and crankshaft-driven Automechnica supercharger, and proper 1-5/8" S.U. carburetor supply spark and fuel. A Brooklands silencer and fishtail exhaust take care of the rest.
Power is supplied though an ENV 75 pre-selector gearbox to new 48-spoke wheels and proper Englebert 4.50 x 19 racing tires. Eric Herith of Motoring Specialists in San Diego and Alan Taylor Company of Escondido did the engine and transmission rebuilds.
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