Much like it is today in vintage racing, there was a timewhen T-series MGs
were the staple of the sports car racing scene. You might remember my last
article about the 1954 race at Andrews AFB. Of the 165 cars on the entry
list, 40 or so were MGs. There was an all-MG race featuring mostly porting
TDs alongside some equallyprepared TCs and a few hot MG Specials. This was
the norm in early 1950s racing. The TD with its independent front suspension
and rack & pinion steering became an instant hit with MG racers in spite of
the biggest problem of a production sports car: its weight. There were many,
many MG specials over the years. One of the most pleasing to the eye was the
Italian-bodied Motto MG TD of David Ash.
That first Motto MG started
life as a relatively stock TD raced by David Ash, “Mr. MG,” of east-coast
importers J.S. Inskip Motors. Ash had the TD body removed, and a
cigar-shaped alloy body was fabricated on Long Island. He raced the TD with
this body at Watkins Glen in ’51 and then at Sebring in ’52. Success was his
with the “cigar” Motto MG at Sebring, where the team of Ash and Jack Van
Driel placed 6th overall and 2nd in class. Mechanically, the spec sheet of
the Motto TD listed the engine as #1 of a series of 6 “experimentals”
similar to that of Ken Miles [Ed. Note: Miles was a British-born sports car
racing engineer and driver who emigrated to the United States after WWII,
where he pursued a highly successful racing career until his untimely death
in 1966.] The engine was a 1466cc affair with 10.7:1 compression, special
rods and Laystall crank and camshaft along with special pistons and valves,
and 1¾” SUs, etc. Does that make you wonder what the “etc.” was? Also at
some point very early on, the TD chassis was modified to accept a Mercedes
Benz swing-axle rear. To further prove that the TD running gear could be
competitive against the OSCAs and the silver 550 Spyders from Porsche, Ash
soon had a fully enveloping body built by Rocco Motto of Carrozzeria Motto
in Turin (hence the name, Motto MG).
Eventually, 2 more Rocco
Motto-bodied MG Specials were constructed with
tubular chassis being built by Giberto Columbo. All 3 competed in races at
such road courses in the east as Watkins Glen, Marlboro, and the 12 hours of
Sebring, here one of the Mottos was the highest placing MG in 1954.
Additionally, they raced at Brynfyn Tyddyn, the Hillclimb at Giant’s Despair
(both in Pennsylvania), and various other eastern locations. Yet another
fine showing was at Nassau, The Bahamas in 1956.
These were successful MG specials, both beautiful to look at and fast to drive. After
passing though many hands, the first Motto TD now resides in Japan, fully
restored. Photo 1 above shows the TD chassis cigar–shaped special in the
1952 Sebring race, and Photo 2 shows one of the tubular chassis Mottos at
the Glen in 1953. My special thanks to Mike Eaton for the info and pics for
this article.
