The Steering Column
Left Hand Drive from our President

Holy cow! I can’t believe it’s already July! I know last month I said summer was finally here, but I think that may have been premature. With all the rain and cooler than normal temps, I know I hadn’t even put the top down on the B yet!

Well, I finally drove the B into work for the second time this summer! I can’t wait to do it some more! Well, not drive to work, but rather, drive the B some more!

Now I’m really looking forward to some fun summer driving! I can’t wait to do some ice-cream runs with the top-down in the B! I also can’t wait to do some autocross with the Miata club! And I can’t wait for the Drive-In movie night! There’s a lot to be excited about, that’s for sure! So make sure your MG is tuned up, the top is down, and you hit the road!

To make sure the B was driving straight and true, I had to replace the rear leaf springs. It turns out that almost exactly 3 years ago, I did the same job. On the bright side, since I’d done it before, I got the job done in a little over one evening. And what I thought was an axle leak, and not a brake leak, turned out to be a slight brake leak, and not an axle leak! At least now I have all the parts to re-seal the outermost bits of the axle. Now I just have to order some rear brake cylinders. I’ve done that job before too, and while it’s not a tricky job, I always hate dealing with brake fluid, and especially, bleeding the brakes. Oh well, that’s part of the fun, right? Right!

So, let’s all get out there and show off our MG’s!

-- Dave Novak

	The Steering Column
	Right Hand Drive   from our Vice-President

THE LAST CONVERTIBLE
That was the headline on April 22, 1976. It was referring to the last American convertible rolling off the assembly line. It was a white Cadillac Eldorado with red and blue pin stripping. Actually the last 200 Eldorado convertibles were all white with red and blue pin stripping, they were called the Bicentennial Edition and all came with a certificate stating it was one of the last produced.

American Motors (remember them?) was the first to stop offering convertibles in 1968. The demise of the American convertible was credited to a lack of sales. The void in new convertibles lasted until Lee Iacocca took the top off the Chrysler LeBaron in 1982. He wanted to tap into America’s love of convertibles that was not being served. Today virtually ever automobile manufacturer offers convertibles. Convertibles account for about 1 percent of the new car market, but they occupy a far greater place in our hearts. Automakers know this and new models are added each year. This passion for open air driving takes many forms: Inexpensive or expensive, two seats or four seats, hard top or soft-top, high speed or off the road, the choice is yours. I prefer (and I assume you too) prefer the two seat, soft-top version with an MG octagon. This would fall in the inexpensive category (other than maintenance).

The purchase of a convertible is emotional. For most consumers this will be an additional vehicle in the garage, a reward for hard work. This is a fun vehicle, something to give the excitement of an open air ride.

According to one study, sales are split 60 percent male and 40 percent female. Drivers have higher incomes – primarily because luxury Marques dominate.

There is no better way to forget your troubles for a little while than driving with the top down on a beautiful spring or summer day on a small scenic road. If you get a chance to take your convertible on a drive, try to think of the time we thought we saw the LAST CONVERTIBLE.

~~ Ray Hansen & Maggie     (AKA Little Red)