small sports cars due to its cumbersome size and it required the use of heavy duty batteries .
Women on patrol are also discussed and there are some wonderful stories told the women themselves . One of the earliest women police officers was Bettie Norwood “ who had studied at business college before joining the Blackpool Borough Police to work in communications .” At the age of 20 , she was one of 50 policewomen to join the Lancashire Constabulary . She was an advanced driver with considerable experience of the MGA .
There is a brief mention of a shining new MG TD used by the Fire Chief of Concord , Ohio in 1954 and reported in the Nuffield News Exchange , “ Equipped with a six volt siren , three blinking , red lights , a short-wave twoway radio , and an instrument panel that looks like it had come from a B- 37 bomber , the car was owned by Dr . T . C . Hobbs who , in addition to being a medical man , is chief of the township ’ s fire department . ... Dr Hobbs is a sports car enthusiast ... It will do 80mph he claims , and it is highly manoeuvrable . A locker behind the seat holds an axe , fire hat and coat and a one gallon fire extinguisher .”
Retired Chief Superintendent Terry McCabe tells a little about the MGC , “ The MGCs were able to hold more equipment , traffic cones and accident signs were carried , but once again you took a chance if you conveyed a prisoner . ... the conveyance of a prisoner was not encouraged . You were required to radio for a saloon car ; if one was not available there was little choice . I well remember arresting a young chap one summers day and he
January / February 2017
made a special request that en-route to the police station I should drive through the area where he lived so that his mates might see him in the much-admire M . G .!”
In writing the book Andrea covers a lot of detail describing each new model of MG and she seems to have got all her facts correct . Such as the extra power offered by the MG NB which replaced the MG NA and the front-hinged doors which included extra door catches ... fitted as part of the pre-delivery modification . In nose to tail traffic the MGC “ would often become choked-up and misfire .” Accurate indeed !
Remember ladies and gentlemen keep ‘ em tuned , Rich
This is the second edition published in 2011 , $ 29 from the Book Depository
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