TC1315 AT ITS NEW HOME IN NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA
TC1315, HKR 473, started life as a police car in the Kent County Constabulary. It was one of nine TC’s delivered on the same day in September of 1946. The Build date for the car is September 3rd, 1946. It was first registered on September, 12th, 1946. The car was purchased from Gatward Ltd. of Maidstone, Kent for 496 pounds, 17s. 11d and was used in police service for about two years. It was then sold to Elvidge and Sons for 430 pounds.
I have a letter from the Licences Department in Maidstone with which they included a copy of the first Registration Book with the names of three additional owners and date stamps up to October of 1957. I also have a wonderful letter from the Chief Engineer in Maidstone in which he checked with the police officers and ex-police officers who were associated with the fleet during the 46 to 48 period. They made comments about the MG’s such as “it held the road very well,…. petrol usage in the region of 25mpg,….top speed of 90mph,….good acceleration,…and an advantage in fog conditions as the windscreen could be opened or an officer could lift himself in his seat to look over the top of the screen”. Other anecdotes, about dragging the exhaust pipe on a u-turn, a horse eating the hood and hitting their knees on the door catch when exiting in a hurry and no heater, were also mentioned. Any Member of T-ABC can have a copy of the above letters and documents by letting me know.
I purchased TC1315 on May 21st, 1977 from the son of a well known member of the management team of the famous Montreal Canadian Hockey team. He was selling the TC and a Porsche 356 and buying a stored Bugatti.
Barc Cunningham