| 300 Exactly how many MGBGTV8s were built at Abingdon? Most authors of publications covering the MGBGTV8 quote 2,591 as the total production figure for 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! (Feb 04)
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Geoff
Allen's research has revealed that some 2,600 MGBGTV8s were built
at the Abingdon MG Plant as the table alongside shows. 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, ADO 75 414 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. ADO 75 425 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. ADO 75 413 and ADO 75 424 are known to exist and have been registered with the V8 Register. One slightly odd fact is three cars produced as MGBGTV8s were subsequently sold off with MGB 1800 engines fitted - they were the early Development pre-production car GD2D2 0098 G, ADO 75 414 above and another Development car GD2D1 0993 G. All the cars in Geoff's analysis above had the suffix "G" signifying they were MGs - for example GD2D1 NNNN G, GD2D2 NNN G and ADO 75 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. 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 proved to be a Factory V8, then the total production of MGBGTV8s built at Abingdon would be 2,601. |
 Geoff Allen spent 27 years at the Abingdon Factory in Rectifications and was the V8 Historian & Archivist from 1978 until 2006 when sadly he passed away. MGBGTV8 "ADO 75" Development cars In David Knowles' book "MG V8" he mentions "at the time the MGBGTV8 was being designed MG was firmly under the Austin-Morris "umbrella" and so a great significance is the "Austin Drawing Office" ADO 75 project code, a register for which also forms part of the MG experimental register records". See page 84 of David's "MG V8" book for more on the "ADO 75" Development cars.
Updated: 240203 Copyright reserved: V8 Register |
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