MG J2

As a co-chair of GoF West ’95, I wanted to make a contribution that would make this event particularly memorable. It was agreed, therefore, that the event would feature a tribute to all pre-war MGs, and we would make every effort to encourage owners and their cars from all across the country.

Pre-war MGs have always been near and dear to my heart ever since 1969, when I encountered a 1936 MG PB at my very first GoF at Mt. Snow, Vermont. Perhaps it was the wonderfully vintage character and apparent quality of all the mechanical bits, beautiful alloy castings, and an endless array of MG octagons embellishing every conceivable surface. The story goes that Cecil Kimber would have used octagonal pistons if he could have worked out the minor technical obstacles!

Perhaps it was the history of the pre-war MGs and their major racing successes on the road and track. Or perhaps the appeal was that these early MGs had a certain purity of line that was unmatched even by some of the best of the post-war models from Abingdon.

In the process of speaking to and corresponding with many pre-war owners as a prelude to our GoF tribute, the desire to acquire a pre-war MG became stronger with each passing day, and I was particularly attracted to the MG J2. Over the years I had looked at dozens of examples of overhead cam Triple M cars (Midgets, Magnas, and Magnettes), but the relative high cost of the typical poor condition examples and lack of an abundant source of parts was discouraging.

Luck came my way with an issue of “Hemmings Motor News,” which carried an ad for such a treasure—a 1933 swept wing MG J2. This car turned out to be the very same car I had first admired back in Kansas City in 1978 when it was owned by an old friend, Jim Krekovich, and the car has quite a history. It was sold new to a Frenchman living in Casa Blanca, Morocco, but after losing an arm in a motoring accident in 1936, the owner put the car up on blocks and there it sat (just ’round the corner from Rick’s Bar!) for nearly 40 years. When I eventually acquired the car, it had just under 60,000 kilometers (37,000 miles) on the dock and had seen virtually no mileage since 1936!

Although Jim did undertake some necessary cosmetic restoration, particularly paint and upholstery, the car had never been taken apart and still had that wonderful “as found” patina that has all but disappeared from the old car scene. The deal was struck and the J2 was mine!

After a few weeks of careful inspection, tuning, and detailing, the J2 was ready for the road, with its first new license plates in over 60 years. The revelation for me came from the behind the wheel experience. This 62-year-old sports car is an absolute blast to drive! The steering is as light as a feather and while the steering box does have some free play, overall directional stability is amazing. The J2, with its knobby Dunlop trials tires, exhibits wonderfully easy to control oversteer which encourages four wheel drifting maneuvers more akin to graceful movements on a ski slope.

Even the little 8-inch J2 brakes will bring the car to a stop in reasonably short order. Okay, the brakes aren’t super, but Mike Allison told me that mine are as good as they are going to get. The engine loves to rev and seems happier the harder it’s pushed. All 36 horses are to be found in the higher rpm range, and valve crash does set in abruptly at something like 6000 rpm which may help keep me from breaking too many crankshafts! The exhaust note is wonderful, as are the considerable mechanical noises which emanate through the very thin firewall. The crash gearbox is a true delight, and with practice, all changes can be made effortlessly and silently, which adds considerably to the driving satisfaction factor.

While acceleration figures can hardly match a clapped-out Yugo, overall cross-country performance, particularly on winding country roads, can be a match for any post-war MG. These cars are really fun to drive and to drive hard!

My J2 experience has taught me to put more faith in all those glowing road test reprints from so long ago. Whether it’s a 1933 J2, a ’48 XK120, or a ’55 TR3, all of our old sports cars were designed to be driven, and if they are in good mechanical condition they are still fun to drive, a pleasure denied to many motorists on our roads today!

(Chris modestly omits to tell you that GoF West ’95 was most successful, attracting 32 pre-war MGs and nearly 240 vintage MGs overall. Incidentally, Barry Swackhammer in his J2 drove nearly 800 miles to attend the GoF and narrowly missed taking the High Point Trophy for best performance overall!—Ed.)