British Pathe

The British Motor Corporation Ltd Presents - MG logo

The Sports Car of the Year

Title - Le Mans 1955 - superimposed over farmyard scene as sports car pulls into yard. Four M.G (Morris Garages) sports cars in courtyard. They are being worked on by mechanics. Running start at Le Mans...

The British Motor Corporation Ltd Presents - MG logo

The Sports Car of the Year

Title - Le Mans 1955 - superimposed over farmyard scene as sports car pulls into yard. Four M.G (Morris Garages) sports cars in courtyard. They are being worked on by mechanics. Running start at Le Mans endurance race. Drivers run from the other side of the track and climb into their cars. Crowds look on. Cars speed away, one does not appear to have started. Child watching races. The commentary describes the MG in this race as the EX 182, a prototype of the M.G.A. (MGA). The cars speed round the track. They speed under the Dunlop bridge and speed around the track.

Title - Alpine Rally 1956 - superimposed over narrow alpine road shot from car. MGA takes sharp corner on alpine road. Interior of car showing male driver in cap. Car comes round mountain bend towards car with camera in. MGA takes sharp corner. Shots of back of car as it travels along dusty road. Cars driving through French (?) town. Two men look on as cars go past. Cars on the rally drive through the countryside. (The voice over talks about successes in Liege-Rome-Liege events in 1955 and 1956 - it is not clear whether the film reflects this and if so which year). MGA pulls in towards building. C/U MGA . "This brilliant little car was off to a flying start".

M.G. designers at work. They are working on a test engine. Some of those looking on are wearing ear defenders. The engine carries the M.G. logo. C/U exhaust gases coming out of a pipe. An engineer make adjustments as the engine runs. C/U dial. Man looks on and scratches head. C/U engine. This engine is a twin-cam version of the MG 'A' series model. Engineers work on the engine. Man looks at board with several measuring dials on it. More measurements and notes taken.

Very sleek prototype car in garage. Stirling Moss is one of the men taking a look at the car. C/U Stirling Moss removes his jacket and climbs into the driving seat (the car doesn't have ordinary doors, the front pivots to allow access). He pulls the steering wheel into position. C/U Stirling Moss in the driving seat of the prototype. C/U pedal position being measured. Designers look over the car. The front of the car is replaced. Dissolve to same scene in Bonneville Salt Flats in United States of America.

Title superimposed - Utah 1957 - over close up of Stirling Moss in car. C/U Union jack flag painted on the side of the car. They are attempting the World Record Speed for this class of car. The designers push the car along. The car starts off. Shots of the car travelling at speed across the Salt Flats. The car is very streamlined.

The M.G.A. (MG(A)) Twin Cam production model being driven. (It looks much more like a traditional sports car and has a cloth roof).C/U grill of car showing the MG logo. It is being tested on the M.I.R.A. track (Motor Industry Research Association). The car is brought to a sharp stop. C/U driver's hand on the gear stick. Back view of the car. The car drives away. C/U driver's hand as he changes gear (He is wearing leather driving gloves). Shots from the windscreen of the car as it drives round the track. C/U gear change. More driving shots. The car drives up a banked curve. C/U of dashboard and steering wheel. More driving shots. C/U Rev counter and speedo. Car driving along on banked track. C/U dials. Driving shot. C/U driver and dashboard. Driving shots. They keep intercuting shots inside and outside the car.

The car is brought to a sharp halt just in front of an oil drum to demonstrate the powerful four wheel braking system. The driver has jacked the car up and the bonnet is open. The driver removes the wheel cap with a hammer. (Apparently these centre lock disc wheel are how you can tell the twin cam MG(A) from the standard version). He removes the wheel and checks the brakes. He opens the bonnet and checks the engine. C/U engine. C/U logo on the scuttle air exit on the side of the bonnet. The logo reads MGA Twin Cam. M.G.(A) on the test track. MGA out in the countryside. The MGA is described as "an aristocrat of sports cars that is second to none in its class". Produced for the Nuffield Organisation by Associated British Pathe Ltd.

Note: Lovely documentary about the MG(A), a very beautiful car. The shots on the test track are particularly nicely shot and cut. The documentation consists of a script. Sadly there is no shotlist in the file to give us more details on the racing footage at the start of the film.