I have a new car. Actually I’ve had it for a couple of weeks already, but I’m especially enjoying it now that summer has shown up. Who knows how long any English summer will last, I usually escape to America for the assurance of sun and heat. For now at least it would seem that the sun is here making for ideal conditions for me to enjoy my new car.
The new car is (another) MGF, a British made two seater sports car which I picked up for a bargain from small car dealer in North Wales. My two previous MGF’s have both been ‘British Racing Green‘ but by way of a small change, this one is beautiful shade of metallic blue.
My previous car broke down a few weeks ago, suffering with a possible cam belt failure that might have been the result of damage sustained to the rear of the vehicle in February. It might well be repairable to someone who knows how to fix those kind of things themselves, but to me it was written off by my garage as beyond economical repair.
The new car is a beauty though! I transferred my Sportser roof and rear wind-stop from the old car to this one, and have been enjoying the beginning of a new motoring relationship. I don’t like these cars for their speed, I like them because when it’s not raining I can throw back the roof and enjoy the joy of top-down motoring.
You might think that owning a convertible in Britain is a bit pointless given our famously dreary weather, but apparently Brits buy more convertibles than our continental counterparts. Brits buy twice as many soft-tops as Italians and ten times as many as the Spanish. This despite the fact that on average the UK only gets around 51 sunny days each year, compared to the the average of 140 sunny days enjoyed in Italy and Spain.
According to Guy Fielding, an Oxford psychologist who analysed the motives of those who bought convertibles, Brits associate being in the open air and sunshine with being on holiday. “Driving soft-tops plugs directly into this, helping individuals to create a more relaxed and less stressed state.”
Funnily enough though, one of my favorite times to have the top down is at night. A warm starry night drive is fantastic! Hopefully there will be plenty of those this summer.
—
In with the new
Out with the old
Crash!
Hello Sunshine
Wrote the following comment on May 29, 2009 at 6:52 pm
blue is nice- it looks like a very nice car. but could it be a fast car if you wanted to drive it fast?
Wrote the following comment on May 29, 2009 at 9:14 pm
It is photos like this that make me miss my old MGTF!
Wrote the following comment on May 29, 2009 at 10:07 pm
It’s a beauty, Simon. Enjoy those sunny days and starry nights. I’m with you, I open my sunroof on my car as often as possible. Albert and I had a jeep for a few years and we loved taking all the “skins” off – sometimes even the doors. That was fun!
Wrote the following comment on May 29, 2009 at 10:30 pm
@ Rachel – Oh yes, indeed it can be very fast. I’ve already enjoyed a few speedy moments here and there. I just went to watch the sunset at the beach and I cruised at 100mph along the motorway just to make sure I got there in time. It did that sweetly. Though breaking three figures like that lands you in a lot of trouble if caught, so I try to avoid anything higher than 90mph where possible. :)
@ Mark – You have a baby now mate. Your sports car days are over! ;-)
Wrote the following comment on May 29, 2009 at 11:04 pm
wow!!! that car is sex! I bet is good looking car on you … we need to see!!
Wrote the following comment on May 30, 2009 at 1:14 am
I didn’t even realize that MG’s were still around. I’ve seen them on old British TV shows but I have never seen a modern one. Looks like a sweet ride for sure. What’s it’s vitals?
Wrote the following comment on May 30, 2009 at 3:09 am
Now that looks like a fun car to have for those country roads in England! When I was there we had some French car called a 306 and it was, as you might say, utter shite! Nice pictures too, it almost looks like a brochure scene.
Wrote the following comment on May 30, 2009 at 4:46 am
What I want to know is the location of the pics. Did you drive around one day and just think, “Man, that Thornton Manor would be the ideal setting for my new car”? And once they spotted you outside of their house, did they call the uppity butler, Jeeves, to ask you in that polite English way to please remove your car from the premises?
I guess in a situation like that a fast car would be ideal. ;)
Wrote the following comment on May 30, 2009 at 8:26 am
Hot car Simon. Love the colour. Careful of those radar traps! ;)
Great pic by the way. I adore Tudor houses (or in German Fachwerk- interestingly when I try to pronounce this it sounds like a rude word…)
You know for all the good weather in Aus, soft tops aren’t that common. I suppose because it is usually too hot (we like the air conditioning as you found out when you were here) and the sun can burn you in 15mins… Enjoy the English summer! It is 16 degrees C here and it feels freezing to me…
Wrote the following comment on May 30, 2009 at 3:26 pm
It looks great and I’m sure you look great in it with your sunglasses on! It will be easy to take pictures while you’re touring the countryside with the top down!
Wrote the following comment on May 31, 2009 at 4:53 am
sweet ride.
Wrote the following comment on May 31, 2009 at 8:34 pm
@ Braden – It’s a 1.8 Litre fuel injected transverse 4-cylinder in-line mid-engined car with twin overhead camshafts developing 120 bhp at 5.500 rpm. It has a top speed somewhere in the region of 145 mph, though at that speed this little car would be simply terrifying! Like I said though, it’s not about the speed for me, it’s about having the roof down.
@ Becky – I was actually out and about showing someone around the area on a sunny day when I stopped at Thornton Manor just to show them the auspicious gate house. At that moment, with the car parked for a few moments, it was just begging for a photograph to be taken. :)
Wrote the following comment on Aug 18, 2009 at 11:13 am
At 58 I finally got my life long ambition to buy a MG, just like yours only red. Like previous comments Queensland Australia can be pretty hot, early morning and evening drives are just fantastic. When it gets too hot. Roof up Air Con ON. Never enjoyed a car as much as this before. I hope you have many years of motoring pleasure from your Blue F.