A group of MG Triple-M owners gathered together in Franschhoek in early April to celebrate their pre-war classics that were built between 1929 and 1936. The Triple M moniker derives from the three main MG model classifications of the time: Midget, Magna and Magnette. These are little cars with small-capacity engines but have big hearts and could punch way above their weight. And much the same can be said about the men and women who drive them. They sure can put together a weekend’s outing!

On Friday 5 April all the owners arrived at the museum for registration, snacks, a glass of AR’s finest wines and a good old tyre-kicking session. Everyone also received a commemorative badge for their cars and whole bunch of goodies including a book of MMM short stories written by Ralph Clarke, which was the most interesting item for me. The following day the cars went on a run from the local Protea Hotel where the participants were accommodated to Zorgvliet Estate near Stellenbosch for wine tasting and a picnic. The Saturday evening was one of the highlights of the event in the form of a formal dinner at the Protea when again wonderful stories were shared by all with many gifts and awards presented.

The Franschhoek Motor Museum was the venue for Sunday’s vehicle display to the public with more than 20 cars on show with the infamous Hoodoo putting in an appearance. This little racing car has an international race pedigree as long as your arm and a reputation for flipping or crashing – hence the nick-name. It was campaigned by the late Phillip Costa, to whom the occasion was tribute. The oldest car on view was a 1929 P-type owned by Louis van der Merwe who had travelled all the way from White River. FMM put out its own 1932 J2 on the day. After lunch, all the owners fired up their little brutes and treated the spectators to an honour parade around the museum’s grounds.

In honour of these proud MGs, still on display at FMM are the 1932 J2, a 1953 TD, a 1954 TF, a late-’50s A 1500 and a 1969 C roadster. WH

This year marks the centenary of the William Morris’ first car the Oxford, named after the English town in which it was built but more commonly referred to as the Bullnose because of its distinctive round-topped radiator. It was a small, two-seat tourer (there was a van version too) with virtually all components bought-in and assembled by Morris, and was fitted with a White and Poppe 1 018 cm³ four-cylinder side-valve engine with fixed cylinder head. With just on 1 300 examples built, World War One interrupted production but it recommenced in 1919 in both Oxford and cheaper Cowley (a suburb of Oxford)derivatives with a greater number of body options including four-seat versions. The 1 548 cm³ engine was basically a Hotchkiss design that was enlarged to 1 802 cm³ in 1923 – three years before the Bullnose was replaced.

From a purely personal perspective, the significance of the Bullnose’s centenary lies in a photograph unearthed during my wife’s family ancestry research. The picture shows my maternal great great grandfather Samuel Fripp and his wife Sarah seated in a four-seat Bullnose that has been identified as a 1919 Cowley, and is one of a number of family photos that convinces me that this is the ancestral line from which I have inherited a passion for cars. Happy 100, Bullnose! MM