I have been a regular visitor to London since the early 80’s. My first stint was the era of John Landis’s American Werewolf in London, diesel buses, and British cars galore. In the early 80s, one could still see MGs, Triumphs and Jaguars on the streets. Those cars have generally been replaced with more fuel-efficient models from Europe reflective of the high price of gas. However, in the right neighborhoods you’ll still find top-end sports cars from around the world.

1931 MG M Sportsman’s Coupe

My trip this year coincided with a classic car show which was held in Belgrave Square Garden’s near Green Park Tube stop. The garden is surrounded by white mansions built in the early 1800s and now housing for embassies. It’s a beautiful part of London. The garden itself was fenced off and all around the garden’s edges classic cars were parked perpendicular to the street. It was like walking back in time. Within the garden itself, they had a tent set up with music and food and in the inner circle of the tent were some of the more historic and expensive cars. The show did host a number of MGs which included a 1931 MG M Sportsman’s Coupe. The information attached to the car indicated it was one of three survivors. It was interesting how the engine looks so familiar to the classic MG design. Also included was an MG YB from 1952 several MGC roadsters and an MG FR.

1931 MG M Sportsman’s Coupe

In addition to a fantastic car show, we visited the MG Roadster Café which is a new dealership for MGs on Piccadilly Street. It featured in the window was a gold MG Coupe. It was noted on the side of the car that it was the 1,500,000th MG ever made. Also inside of the showroom was a sedan and an SUV both with the MG badge proudly displayed in front. The café served sushi among other things and they had a number of MG related items for sale

including clothing and coffee mugs. Unfortunately, their vehicles are not the MGs of yesteryear. I believe they’re made in China; and, they all seem to conform to the basic modeling of new cars. The new MGs evidence to me how special the old ones are, with their simple mechanics, curved lines and the curiosity they bring to people who have never seen one or even heard of the MG line. It’s been 39 years since I drove my MG off the dealer lot. I plan to always keep it and then to give it to my son as a reminder of different simpler times.

That yellow Ferrari which is so huge and wide really caught my eye, but the Ferraris were a dime a dozen. I would have to say I would love a jaguar XKE. The blue car is an old jaguar in mint condition and the silver one next to it is one from the racetrack. I also ran into so many varieties of cars that I never even heard of. There’s a brown engineer and company that makes that black car and the saleswoman told me its £900,000 pounds and without the VAT it’s £600,000. So, I’m still saving my money.

~~ Mark Zapf