By Dean Sprague

The planning to attend the MG 2016 event in Louisville, Kentucky had taken weeks. I pre-registered and booked several activities. This is a big deal because it’s the convergence of several MG (model specific) clubs nationally and only occurs once every five years. Since it was in Louisville it was close enough for me to drive my 1953 MGTD. My friend David Poe had intended to go with me. However, he encountered an unavoidable conflict and had to beg off. Next my friend Dave Ault agreed to go but he had a trip planned for California that came up faster than predicted so he begged off. Then my friend Bobby Cox agreed to go but in the last minute he had an outside issue and he too had to beg off. I asked several other friends but everyone had something else to do so at the last minute my wife reluctantly agreed to go with me. Then the day before we were to leave she came down with a terrible cold. I guess a solo drive was just in the cards all along.

This trip requires a little over eight and one half hours (wheels turning) if you take the back roads. Of course, in an old car with a cruising speed of about 62-65 MPH and little tiny taillights a trip via interstates would be highly risky. I guess any road trip in something like this could put you in some jeopardy. Even though my MG runs well I had a great deal of trepidation driving this far alone. You see, unlike a modern car anything can go wrong. 63 years ago (when my MG was new) cars really weren’t designed to just get in, fuel them and drive without some considerations or concessions. Today we just take all that for granted when we travel. Once I was on the road however, as the miles melted away I began to relax.

Actually, several other club members were also driving up but they decided to take an extended (3 day) route with the Austin Healey group. The Healey contingent was attending their national level show in Ohio so the MGs and the Healeys rode together as far as Lexington, Kentucky. I decided to meet up with Dave and Kathy’s 1946 MGTC and Corky and Priscilla in their 1949 MGTC at Lexington. Meeting them there offered two advantages. First, the trip would be a little over an hour shorter and second it would provide an opportunity to travel with them along the Bourbon Trail and visit a distillery or two on our way to Louisville.

When riding alone without other distractions I realized you could become more aware of your surroundings and discover-increased freedoms. You can stop whenever you wish for a break or to enjoy a scenic overlook. You are not stressed by having to keep track of the car behind you or keep up with the one in front so it gives you time to just drive and enjoy the experience. I got into the rhythms of my old MG, its attributes and deficiencies. When you are not listening to other conversations you find yourself spending more time glancing at your instruments and listening to the car. I found myself actually talking to “him”. Especially when I might ask “Morris” (his nickname) to climb a particularly steep hill or gear down and brake to descend another one. When driving an old car engine temperatures and oil pressures must be monitored continuously, oil levels frequently checked and under hood inspections conducted at least every time you refuel.

Usually when traveling in an open sports car you become part the environment not insulated from it. You are more aware of things like changing weather conditions and temperatures. Especially on some of the mountain back roads where weather can vary at every turn. Also, your senses become heightened. It all seems more real and vibrant. It makes the trip more memorable when you are immersed in, not “insulated” from the environment. When you are not sealed tightly behind soundproof glass where charcoal filters are cleaning the air while the climate control system efficiently regulates humidity and temperature. Also, you don’t have the distraction of a driving 800-watt stereo system. Travel in an old sports car can become the antithesis of a typical trip experience in one of today’s machines.

I took the route from Hickory via SR181 thru the Cumberland Gap. This has to be one of the most beautiful mountain drives in the country. Every angle is like looking at a Post Card. Of course, some of the mountain roads were narrow and a bit challenging for my little 1.2-liter EXPAG engine. You see it only has 54 blinding horsepower and frankly I think they are actually measuring pony power not real horses. Despite it all, she never overheated and the brakes never faded. I consistently got 22 to 24 MPG on regular fuel and never added a drop of oil, water or hydraulic fluid. How do you beat that!

Fast forward to six days later when MG 2016 ended I left for my return trip home (I will leave the story of the event itself to others). It was on a Friday about 8:00AM when I departed Louisville, Kentucky right after my fifth and final complementally breakfasts at the hotel. The day before, show day, the temps were in the high 90s crawling toward 100 but today the skies were cloudy with temps in the high 60’s low 70s, cool and comfortable. Perfect for day in an MGTD on the open road.

I headed down SR150 south see-sawing my way back toward the Cumberland Gap. I was rolling along on SR150 south when I passed about 6 MGs parked at a gas station. They rolled in behind me and followed me for about 75 miles until they headed east on SR25. I recognized an MGA from their group. I sat across from the owners at breakfast that morning. They were really nice folks from the Raleigh, North Carolina group. We waived our goodbyes as they went east and I continued south.

I arrived home just before dark and again without incident. Unfortunately, not everyone could say this. I found out later that Corky’s TC began fouling plugs and consuming a little oil following Dave and Kathy’s TC on their way to Bowling Green, Kentucky. It seems just 20 miles out of Bowling Green Dave and Kathy’s TC actually blew a piston (although not known at the time) and required a return trip with David Poe’s car hauler to retrieve it. I guess its good they were riding together.

My TD was covered with road debris and bugs but no worse for wear. Even though I took 2 Advil every 4 hours (my back had had enough) but the trip overall was wonderful.

Would I do it again? Absolutely!