Meet n’ Greet
Paul Pickley—Vice-president, Chicagoland MG Club

My name is Paul Pickley and it looks like I’m the new VP of the Chicagoland MG Club. So, a little bit about me and how I got involved. I was looking to get a start learning more about cars and I thought it would be fun to start a project car. I think most people call this a “midlife crisis”. Here in this club we call this a hobby.

I first got introduced to MGs by my father who had an MGB, while I was growing up. I later found out that he had owned an MG Midget and a Sunbeam Alpine before I was born. My father also purchased a couple of BSA motorcycles when I was young. So, I guess I was born into having the British Motorsports bug.

One of the main things I was looking for in my midlife crisis (hobby) was a manual transmission sports car. I had many different manual transmission cars growing up and I missed how fun it was and how connected I felt to the car. I wanted that fun and connection back in my everyday commute. I was getting to the point where the drive was just a chore. What happened to cars being fun?.

CARS BEING FUN. I think this is one of the lessons my father taught me, indirectly. My father always had a small sports car he used for his daily commute. From the first car I remember being an MGB to the various other fun commuters (RX7, Datsun 240Z, Pontiac Fiero, MR2, then another Mazda RX7). I now realize my father was combining practical with fun. He had a 2 hour commute every day. That’s 1 hour each way. Having some of his dream cars for this commute, like the large V8 American Muscle cars, was just not practical. He would often talk about Ford Mustangs, Dodge Chargers, Mercury Cougars, and then there was still the Sunbeam Tiger. That Sunbeam Tiger was talked about like a mythical creature; a little deuce coupe with a V8.

So now I have a 77’ MGB Roadster which this club played a huge part in getting on the road for me. This keeps the sports car and the practical all wrapped up in one, for me to start having fun. Then the next chapter started. My son, Cole, turned 15 years old and got is driving permit in December. Cue the scary music.

I did some thinking and decided I wanted to get my kids driving a manual transmission. I think giving this gift of knowledge and skill to them lets them decide if it becomes a passion for them. So, I waited for the time and the weather to break to give my son his first driving lesson.

CHRISTMAS DAY! Well this past Christmas day was a wonderful weather day. Once the gifts were opened, what was left of the day… Giving Cole is first driving lesson. We jumped in the MGB, with the top down, on a beautiful 50-degree Christmas day and headed to the closest open parking lot. Cole did great and only killed the car once when he forgot to push the clutch in while breaking. I fear he has a little be too much of my lead foot, as he squealed the tires on half of the take offs.

Did I pass on this passion to the next generation? Only time will tell, but we had a fun day. As I reread this short little article, I am starting to recognize a common theme. FUN!!! That’s what this is all about. This club has helped make this journey fun for me, and I hope to give the fun back to this club and my family. Let’s hope I can pass along some of the MG passion as well.

~~Paul Pickley