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Kenya Republic Day
The Republic of Kenya celebrates Jamhuri Day (Republic Day) today, and we celebrate with this rather quirky MG 1300, Mark II...
...the interior looks to be very well appointed but for some reason the C-pillar has been reduced so that there is no longer a rear parcel shelf – it is clearly an MG that is very well cared for.
We are the only truly global ADO16 club with contacts and representatives in over 40-countries, our membership continues to grow and our Facebook Group has over 2,100 members! You can join the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level here: www.ado16.info/membership-join
Magenta – An International Rally Car!
During the 1970’s the ADO16 derived Lightspeed Panels Magenta, complete with hydrolastic suspension became untouchable on the British club-rally scene – indeed, a Magenta took the overall lead of the 1976 prestigious CCC national rally championship; at the time the CCC motoring magazine, devoted to Cars and Car Conversions was hugely popular and heading a CCC Championship landed all sorts of offers of drives for the following year – for the first time ever a kit-car was invited into an international rally, the 1977 London to Sydney Marathon.
Philip Young had watched the départ of the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon vowing to take part if there was ever another – by 1977 his job was on the News Desk at the Daily Mail newspaper and Lightspeed were delighted to team up with him for an official works entry into the 1977 Singapore Airlines London to Sydney Marathon – they couldn’t buy such advertising! Steve Johnson set up Lightspeed, he was also general guru and design boffin of Lightspeed Panels and he designed a hard top for the car – he also took charge of the car build promising a stronger body (thicker all round, but, alas, heavier), a few mods to the chassis, and that was it. We picture the Lightspeed build team with the car still in component form; Steve Spencer Ray Hudson and Will Richardson with Steve Johnson at the front – they would be joined to get the car finished in time by John Corner who would be the co-driver.
Corbeau provided two seats; Lucas Competitions Department had the Magenta in their Birmingham workshop for ten days making a hand-made wiring loom; Richard Longman built an engine, for free, donated by Unipart; Minilite donated a dozen magnesium wheels; the Retread Manufacturers Association provided 20 re-tread tyres… and so, the cheapest rally car by far took shape for the London to Sydney; there was change out of a grand!.
More help came from a pre-war parts specialist, Barry Walker, who astonishingly donated an ultra rare MG J4 petrol tank from a Brooklands racer – this was cut into the rear and gave a capacity of 16 gallons, although Steve Johnson was proved correct in that it adversely affected handling. Jack Knight donated a straight-cut gearbox although the final drive provd to be too low and finishing off, Chris Bruce at Freeway Exhausts built the exhaust system, adapting a Hillman Hunter 1500 silencer box.
The Magenta only got as far as central India but its retirement from the race was down to the adventures of Philip Young and John Corner (our second image), rather than the car itself being forced out of the race. Lightspeed shipped the Magenta back to the UK and it came into the ownership of Philip Young who sadly passed away in 2015. Our final picture shows the car in recent years with Steve Johnson, and the Magenta is now in the hands of Steve’s son.
With thanks to Maximum Mini, londonsydney77.com and the late Philip Young.
We are the only truly global ADO16 club with contacts and representatives in over 40-countries, our membership continues to grow and our Facebook Group has over 2,100 members! You can join the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level here: www.ado16.info/membership-join
Magenta 1972 – 1988
Following our recent ADO16 kit car posts we come now to the Magenta which was launched on August 10th, 1972...
...produced by Lightspeed Panels at their factory in Lealholm, near Whitby, Yorkshire, the Magenta kit car was based on the MG 1100 and took 18 months of planning. Head of Lightspeed, Mr. Steve Johnson felt that there was a gap in the kit car market which the Magenta would fill; one reason being its low cost and that the constructor could expect to have the vehicle on the road for under £350. Asked if it really was possible to put the car on the road for as little as suggested Mr. Johnson replied, "This is definitely so, most of the early 1100’s suffer so much from body rust that they are unable to pass the MOT test, very often the cars, apart from corrosion, are in good running order, but uneconomical to repair, and can be bought for as little as £30".
The Magenta kit comprised a heavy gauge steel chassis and a body in a choice of colours, windscreen, fold-away hood and the necessary mounting brackets, and seats. The Magenta was certainly lightweight; at about 11 cwt (560kg) it was 2 cwt (100kg) lighter than a Mini and 5 cwt (250kg) lighter than an ADO16.
The Magenta was made by Lightspeed Panels until 1986, when the company changed its name to Magna Sport before continuing until 1988 when production ceased and around 500 kits had been sold.
We are the only truly global ADO16 club with contacts and representatives in over 40-countries, our membership continues to grow and our Facebook Group has over 2,100 members! You can join the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level here: www.ado16.info/membership-join
Neal R Narayan 😍
Tanzania Independence Day
To celebrate Independence Day of the United Republic of Tanzania we look back to the 1963, East African Safari; first held in 1953 as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and called the East African Coronation Safari taking in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika, in 1960 it was renamed the East African Safari Rally and kept that name until 1974, when it became the Safari Rally – it was one of the most prestigious and celebrated rallies of its time, as well as one of the toughest.
Celebrated Tanzania competitors were the ‘Khambhaita Brothers’; actually V.J. Khambhaita and N.D. Khambhaita pictured here talking with officials in Nairobi, Kenya with their Morris 1100 – the Khambhaita Brothers were actually cousins who regularly represented Tanzania as private entrants in a range of rally cars all hand tuned by V.J. Khambhaita himself.
A total of 84 cars were entered in 1963 and the route totalled 3,189 miles through Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika. Shortly after the start there were intense thunderstorms outside of Nairobi and by Kampalathe mud was severe with many cars becoming embedded and loosing valuable time and also hindering the progress of others! Back at Nairobi the officials discussed the situation but decided to bar numerous entrants from continuing; the Khambhaita Morris 1100 was one of 41 cars retired or excluded due to lateness.
With special thanks to R. Khambhaita and Peter Mukundi.
We are the only truly global ADO16 club with contacts and representatives in over 40-countries although we know of no current ADO16 in Tanzania; our membership continues to grow and our Facebook Group has over 2,100 members! You can join the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level here: www.ado16.info/membership-join
