LORD HOWE OUTLINES HIS MILLE MIGLIA PLANS

LORD HOWE OUTLINES HIS MILLE MIGLIA PLANS M.G. Team Arrangements now Completed for the Italian 1000 Miles Classic

ONE of the most pleasant functions which took place last month was the luncheon given at the Savoy Hotel by Lord Howe, to celebrate the success obtained by the M.G. Magnette team in the Coppa Mille Miglia last year. The guests included Mr. Kimber, the Managing Director of the M.G. Company, Mr. Charles, the designer, Col. Lindsay Lloyd and other members of the R.A.C. racing committee, not to mention Lord Howe’s fellow drivers, Hall and Mrs. Hall and Penn Hughes and H. P. McConnell who will again act as team manager. Lord Howe outlined how he and Sir Henry Birkin as soon as they had heard rumours of an 1,100 c.c. M.G. had determined to enter the car in the Mille Miglia, and how after much research, the first batch of new cars were despatched to Italy in April, 1933. Apart from the experimental character of the Magnettes at that time, the race itself with its single lap of a 1,000 miles was a tremendous adventure, for a driver might be stranded

some hundreds of miles from effective assistance. As the last of the great townto-town races over open roads on which normal traffic and every sort of obstacle was liable to be met with, the Coppa Mille Miglia was unique in severity and the credit which it brought a successful car.

One of the things which made the race such a fine thing was the sportsmanship of the spectators, who acted as everything from human jacks when the driver was unable to change his road wheel, to direction posts as they waved lighted toches on the unmarked corners on the winding mountain passes. Lord Howe who by then had roused in everyone the greatest enthusiasm for the race he was describing went on to thank Mr. Kimber for the help he had given and support and energy which he had shown in backing up the venture when it was under way, and added a further word of praise for the makers of the accessories, the Wilson gear box, Dunlop tyres and the rest whose help contributed so materi

ally to the final result. As a result of experience gained the cars would be better than ever for the forthcoming season and he hoped once more to show the British flag abroad.

Mr. Kimber replied briefly and after thanking Lord Howe for his generous tributes said that much of the credit was due to his designer, Mr. Charles, and those who worked with him, giving as an instance a mechanic who had worked 73 hours without sleep, preparing one of the cars. Such efforts had not been in vain and he then wished the drivers the best of luck in the forthcoming race in April. A feature of the decorations was the Gran Premio Brescia, the team prize which was a massive bronze trophy rgpresenting a chariot drawn by galloping horses. A cup for the first foreign car to finish was also won by the leading car, driven by F,yston and Lurani. Captain Eyston was prevented from being present at the gathering owing to preparations for another record attempt at Montlhery. ,