V8 Newsletter
for April 2004 published in Safety Fast!, the award winning monthly magazine of the MG Car Club

This month we have news of forthcoming V8 Events, a useful note on the new Continuous Registration (CR) scheme introduced by the DVLA, an article on the V8 production figure, a note on V8 & RV8 price trends, and an article on the topical subject of speed cameras.

The compact calendar of V8 Events has eight core events starting with the Members' Track Day at Silverstone on Tuesday 6th April which will provide a welcome opportunity for V8 enthusiasts to stretch the legs of their V8s. The event is organised by the Club on a circuit with plenty of space. The V8 Track Laps session at Silverstone last year, part of the V8 25th Anniversary programme, proved to be popular and very much enjoyed by V8 enthusiasts. Full details of the Members' Track Day are available from Club Office which is also handling bookings for the event. Participants will get a six sessions of 20 minutes on the track during the day.


V8 Track Laps at Silverstone - the view from Howard Gosling's V8 Roadster during a session. (Photo: Victor Smith)

The next event is the first of two annual lunchtime V8 gatherings at the Shoulder of Mutton on Hazeley Heath near Hook in Hampshire on Sunday 23rd May organised by Bryan Ditchman. The landlord, Steve Thorning, is a former V8 enthusiast and always has a warm welcome and an attractive lunch menu.


Shoulder of Mutton on Hazeley Heath - a welcome sight! (Photo: Steve Thorning)

Maps and directions to help you find Hazeley Heath are available on the V8 Website or by fax or post from Victor Smith. In mid June, Chris Vernon is planning another V8 Party to le Mans for the 24 hours endurance race which is over the long weekend 12th & 13th June. There is a comprehensive note on the V8 Website on planning a trip to le Mans which is a useful guide for members who have not been to the event before. The principal V8 Gathering is at the Club's annual International MG Meeting at Silverstone over the long weekend Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th July. A BBQ is planned for this year, together with the usual V8 Marquee and warm welcome, and another V8 Track Laps session on the Sunday morning. One addition to the Silverstone V8 programme this year will be a Talk by Geoff Allen on the MGBGTV8 as the third in the series of annual Don Hayter Talks. Geoff has been the V8 Register Historian & Archivist for over 25 years and will touch on his 27 years at the Abingdon Factory together with his usual amusing anecdotes. On Sunday 11th July Abingdon Works Centre has another of the Summer Days Out which V8 enthusiasts have supported for several years and thoroughly enjoyed. This year the event is at Basildon Park, a National Trust property near Pangborne in Berkshire near the Thames. Again full details are on the V8 Website. On Wednesday 28th July Keith Rowson is planning a V8 group at the annual Classics on the Common meeting in Harpenden in Hertfordshire. Do note this is a very popular evening event for which early booking is not just recommended but is essential. Full details are on the V8 Website including an application form or you can call Keith on 01582 760754. On Sunday 22nd August there is the second lunchtime V8 Gathering at the Shoulder of Mutton on Hazeley Heath. In September we are planning another V8 Gathering at the very popular Goodwood Revival race meeting over the long weekend Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th September. For 2004 it is worth noting that entrance is by ticket purchased in advance. Goodwood bookings can be made on 01243 755055. The final event of the year is the V8 Shropshire Tour based at the Longmynd Hotel in Church Stretton with a programme of visits to interesting local sights, including a brief visit to the new workshops of Clive Wheatley mgv8parts near Bridgnorth. The organisers are Derek & Ellen Spencer Jones on 01633 267251.

V8/RV8 prices - what are the trends?
This is a topical subject for both prospective V8 owners and V8 enthusiasts. It is clear some low mileage V8s advertised for sale over the last nine months have been extraordinary bargains but where will prices go in 2004? Well there are signs that prices are beginning to turn as more enthusiasts
are recognising what an amazing classic car package an V8 is! With RV8s, the key factor on prices in 2004 will be the end of the RAWS effect blocking Australian reimports.

Model
Output
Show
Average
MGBGTV8
1973-74
£9,500
£4,250
MGBGTV8
1974-76
£8,500
£3,500
MG RV8
1993-96
£18,000
£11,500

MGBGTV8 prices: For many years now condition has been the main factor determining the price of V8s together with the premium for chrome bumpered cars which seems to be around £1,000 to £1,500. The rationale for condition determining price is simply that bodywork refurbishment costs are very costly so cars needing major restoration are often offered as low as £1,200 or £1,500. But even at those prices the differential with the price of a "show" condition car would, in many cases, not cover the commercial cost of a typical restoration.

Some of the V8s advertised on the V8s for Sale webpage on the V8 Website over recent months have appeared to have been exceptional value. In several cases the V8s were 70,000 mile cars in excellent condition offered at around £6,000 to £8,000 but it seems there may have been a temporary surge in good quality V8s on offer in the third quarter of 2003 which appeared to have been caused by a shake out by a few long term owners deciding to sell up. It is likely prices for good quality V8s will rise over the next 12 months as the success of the V8 Website has broadened the understanding within the MG and classic car market that a V8 is an amazing classic car package and exceptional value!


Tahiti Blue 2470 was advertised for sale in December 2003 and sold for the asking price for export to the US. It has a fabric folding roof, a Ron Hopkinson handling kit and 119,000 miles. The engine and mechanics are all in good working order with good compression and oil pressure. Structurally restored in 1989 by Gloucester MG Centre followed in 1994 with new door skins, bonnet, front wings and a re-spray. The car has been Waxoyled since the rebuild in 1989 and remains structurally sound but there are some rust bubbles now present at the seams on top of the wings and around the edge of the windscreen. John Delafield had owned the car since 1987 and offered the car for sale because his children are now too big! It was sensibly priced at only £3,950. (Photo: John Delafield)
MG RV8 prices: The price guide for the RV8 shown in the table above is a broad brush figure because the prices of RV8s in the UK are clearly influenced by a range of factors, not least condition! The first factor is that "UK spec" cars do attract a premium (possibly between £1,500 and £2,500) over reimported RV8s which is not entirely logical because Japan spec cars do have a higher specification - they have air-conditioning fitted as original equipment. The other factor having a bearing on price is colour, particularly with reimported RV8s, because a high proportion of the RV8s exported to Japan were finished in Woodcote Green. So reimported cars in colours other than Woodcote Green are relatively rare and attract a premium, typically between £1,000 and £2,500.

With RV8s a low or moderate mileage is important because many reimported RV8s have very low mileages. All RV8s appearing at vehicle auctions in Japan have an auction report which indicates the recorded mileage - very few are over 25,000km and many are less. The general consensus is the mileages shown on the auction reports are likely to be genuine but there are a few people who are not entirely convinced! For an RV8 to have covered only 15,000km in nearly eight years for example, suggests an average annual mileage of only 1,875 km (1,171 miles) which at an average speed of even 30mph means the car would have been on the move for only 39 hours a year! Yes it is possible and there is certainly evidence of RV8s being polished and admired a great deal more than driven by Japanese RV8 enthusiasts. But in any case, the impact of low mileage reimported RV8s on the UK market is that of tending to reduce the mileages prospective buyers regard as the norm when looking for an RV8 - particularly for a reimported RV8, but to some extent this effect rubs off on UK spec cars too.

Where will RV8 prices go in 2004? Well by far the biggest factor will be the renewed demand from Australia once the RAWS block (a temporary measure which has blocked RV8 imports to Australia) is removed towards the end of the first six months of 2004. At that stage it will be interesting to see whether any pent up demand amongst Australian enthusiasts causes a surge in RV8 prices as "back orders" are sought at the auctions in Japan. For UK and mainland European enthusiasts thinking of an RV8, it is likely to be worth making you move sooner rather than later this year. Any feedback from V8 and RV8 members will be very welcome.

Strong flow of new members in 2003
During 2003 the flow of new members and registrations has been particularly strong - up 11.0% (net) on 2002. Some 45% (125) were RV8 registrations and 34% (94) were V8s. With 56 new registrations of MGBV8 conversions, clearly they continue to be very popular for V8 enthusiasts. A full report is available on the V8 Website together with
an analysis of the factors contributing to that strong performance. The figures for the first months of 2004 indicate that performance will continue. Also the V8 Website hit rate has increased substantially over the last 12 months - the trend line is up by 44% over the year. In mid February this year our rolling 30 day hit count broke through the 3,000 level and has run over 3,150 since. Our rankings with the leading search engines are good too - just try a Google search for "MGBGTV8" and see for yourself!

Exactly how manyV8s were built at Abingdon?
Most authors of publications covering the V8 quote 2,591 as the total production of the model - but is it correct? Well as information has gradually come to light, the longstanding V8 Register Historian & Archivist, Geoff Allen, believes there were more than 2,591 V8s! Geoff was at the Abingdon MG Plant for over 27 years, much of it in Rectifications Department, and is particularly well placed because during the weeks before the final close, he made a handwritten copy of the production control and despatch books. Here Geoff explains the true total production story and reveals that some 2,600 MGBGTV8s were built at the Abingdon MG Plant as the following table shows.
Stage of production
Cars
Development pre-production cars, prefixed GD2D1, GD2D2 or ADO75 numbered in reverse order from 99 to 95.
5
Chrome bumpered cars, prefixed GD2D1 (RHD) or GD2D2 (LHD) numbered from 101 to 1956.
1,856
First batch of rubber bumpered cars, prefixed GD2D1 numbered from 2101 to 2632.
532
Second batch of rubber bumpered cars, prefixed GD2D1 numbered from 2701 to 2903.
203
Total of all chrome and rubber bumpered development and production cars.
2,596
Extra cars built in Development, prefixed ADO75 and numbered 413, 414, 424 and 425.
4
Total
2,600

So the production figure of 2,591 usually quoted in publications can be reconciled by deducting the five development cars from the total 2,596 for development and production cars above.

Some of the "Extra Development" cars are not in the Production Control or Despatch books, nor were they traditionally counted by Production Control department at Abingdon as production cars. These "Extra" cars were on a list compiled from the individual car history books maintained by the Foreman of the Development department at the time. Of the "Extra" cars, ADO75 414 has not been heard of since it was sold on by Development department as a secondhand sale in the late 1970s and no details of the body paint colour are known. ADO75 425 was sold to Morris Garages by Development department as a secondhand sale and was finished in Damask Red but no other details are known, and also nothing has been heard of it since then. ADO75 413 and ADO75 424 are known to exist and have been registered with the V8 Register. One slightly odd fact is three cars produced as V8s were subsequently sold off with MGB 1800 engines fitted - they were the early
Development pre-production car GD2D1 0098, ADO75 414 above and another Development car GD2D1 0993. If any V8 or MGB members know of the whereabouts of these cars, do let me know!
All the cars in my analysis above had the suffix "G" signifying they were MGs - for example GD2D1 NNNN G, GD2D2 NNN G and ADO75 NNN G where "NNNN" are the Car Numbers. Another MGBGTV8 we are aware of, GD2D2 100 G, is not listed on any of these lists and custom and practice at Abingdon was to start production runs of MG models with the number 01 - for example V8 production started with GD2D2 101 and later the rubber bumpered production batches started at 2101 and 2701. If GD2D2 100 G is a Factory V8, then the total production of MGBGTV8s built at Abingdon would be 2,601.

Speed cameras - safety system or cash generator?
Have we reached a stage where the use of speed cameras has gone beyond the desirable aim of locating them where speed is known to have caused accidents and are they now being located with the intention of simply generating revenue? The scale of the anticipated fines from speed cameras is stunning - a recent Sunday Times report says "there are now 4,500 speed cameras in the UK which are expected to generate three million £60 tickets this year!". The approach of the authorities to speed cameras varies around the country from the enlightened (like Devon & Cornwall) to what appears to be a money-grabbing approach you tend to see in counties like Northamptonshire. The increasing use of fixed and mobile speed cameras and other detection devices is certainly changing the driving behaviour of many motorists - often very welcome changes - but in some areas of the country many careful drivers are beginning to feel the location and use of some cameras is not reasonable. So spotting speed cameras is now essential to avoid an automated speeding fine and points particularly when driving in areas not visited regularly. So how can you get early warning of speed cameras as a prudent safety measure whilst continuing to enjoy driving an MG V8?

Well what are the options? Keeping a keen eye on the verges of the road and speed limit signs is essential for safe driving but traffic volumes often require heavy concentration to monitor other drivers' movements and possible intentions. A device you can fit to a V8 which provides a warning as you approach a speed camera is a particularly useful aid as it acts as a reminder to check speed limit compliance. Used responsibly, no reasonable person could see these devices as anything but a helpful contribution to road safety.

Probably one of the simplest detection devices that can be fitted to a classic sports car is a clip on radar detector that can be easily removed from the car. The Valentine One does just this and performs very well. Several V8 members have used a Valentine for a number of years and feel it is a particularly good detector. The author has used a


Valentine One installed in the windscreen mounted clip, but you will need to note the requirement in the UK that nothing should be placed within the swept area of the windscreen.
Valentine detector for more than five years and has found it has performed reliably and is a great help in maintaining alertness to speed limits and speed cameras. It picks up X and K band and laser signals.

US motor magazine, Car and Driver reports that the Valentine One has dominated every high-end detector test they have conducted since its introduction in 1992. The overall ratings for various radar detectors from tests done in 1992, 1994, 1997 and February 2002 show the Valentine regularly comes out on top. It can be purchased in the US for around US$399 but is considerably more in the UK. Full details are on the V8 Website.

V8 members' views on the subject are interesting
Tim Hipwell (Oxford Blue 1133) from Cornwall responded saying "as a member of the Project Board for The Devon and Cornwall Safety Camera Partnership, I am glad you think we are "enlightened". Thanks for including the link to our website. We want to get speeds and casualties down and we have no qualms about signing our sites, painting the boxes yellow and advertising their position on our website".


Gavin Bailey, the V8 Secretary. (Photo: Liz Curran)

Dr Gavin Bailey (BRG 0766) from Surrey responded saying "I've had radar detectors for a number of years and upgraded from a 'cheapie' to a Valentine
One bought from eBay last year. It's very sensitive and the fact that it will distinguish between different types of radar and even indicate the source is very worthwhile. I also took advantage of the upgrade service offered by Valentine, and shipped my old unit out to the states and got them to send the replacement new unit to my hotel in New York, where I was spending a long weekend. It all worked fine and from memory the upgrade price was a very reasonable US$99. At present they do not ship new units or upgrades outside the US, so you have to ask a friend to help or arrange a long weekend somewhere in the US so the unit can be mailed there! An additional point I would make is that with the recent introduction of the combined radar detector and GPS units (which receive updated data on camera locations via the web), there are now units which offer more than the Valentine as they do not rely on the cameras being 'detected' before giving a warning. The only downside is the relatively costly monthly subscription required to update these units".

New road tax rules in the UK
Many classic car enthusiasts are going to be caught unawares by these tough new rules, particularly if they only tax their cars for six months a year. Why? Well under these new Continuous Registration (CR) scheme the DVLA is going to get a great deal tougher on car owners without a valid tax disc. That is something we will all be pleased to hear but unfortunately the new rules will also catch many honest and responsible V8 enthusiasts who regularly lay-up their vehicles for the Winter months but may not always have sent in a SORN - a Statutory Off Road Notification - punctually. So for members who do not tax their V8s in the Winter months, it is now essential you check your SORN is up to date!

This article in Safety Fast! continued with the information you can see on this website by using the following links:
New road tax rules in the UK
Laying-up a V8 - what's the SORN procedure?
SORN - a case study