MG Car Club

Founding

The first club meeting took place on 12 October 1930, at the Roebuck Hotel near Stevenage, with over thirty MG cars and their owners coming together. F.L.M. Harris was General Secretary of the M.G. Car Club and editor of The Sports Car, which suspended publication at the outbreak of World War II. Earlier he was editor of The Light Car: "Mine was the decision that caused a letter to be published in "The Light Car" suggesting the formation of an M.G. Car Club, and its inaugural meeting at the "Roebuck," Broadwater, was held within a couple of miles of my house." The suggestion came from a Roy Marsh, of Highbury, London.

The company (MG) had adopted a new sales slogan, 'Safety Fast!' late in the 1930s, and two words it seemed to embody the marque's appeal. About the same time a group of enthusiastic owners had formed the M.G Car Club.F. Wilson McComb - MG

History

The first MG Car Club sporting event took place in 1930, the Chilterns Trial. In January 1931, the first club dinner was held with Cecil Kimber as guest speaker; Kimber pledged to donate 50 guineas to club funds. In 1932 the club held the "First Show-Time Dinner-Dance at the Café Royal." Among the guests were Sir William Morris, Earl Howe, Sir Henry Birkin, Mr. G.E.T. Eyston, and Mr. Cecil Kimber.

As MG production increased, the Club continued to grow and the structure of Regional Centres came into being, extending membership of the club across the UK. A Northern Centre was formed by March 1933, and a Scottish Centre, now the Caledonian Centre, shortly after. By April 1933, the membership had topped 500 and both a Trials team and a Relay Race team had been formed, the latter taking part in the BRDC 500 Miles Race at Brooklands in September 1933, finishing in second place. A bi-monthly magazine, called M.G. Magazine, made an appearance in May, 1933, edited by Alan C. Hess, Secretary of the M.G. Car Club and former editor of Motor Sport.