MGA Twin-Cam Roadster (1960)

Following the 1955 Le Mans and Tourist Trophy accidents, MG delivered a sad blow to those involved in Abington's racing heritage by announcing there should be no more official Works race entries.
At the time, MG's racing team had been working on two special MGA projects both of which were to be abandoned and dismantled or sold. Despite the demise of the MGA race programme, the men soon found a way of channelling their enthusiasm back to the race track.

The annual 12 Hours Sports Car Race at Sebring Florida otherwise known as "Snetterton in the Sahara" was the perfect platform, with America being the prime market for the MGA. Sebring was contested by all major teams of the era and also attracted a variety of different drivers including many amateur drivers behind the wheel of British sports cars.

Thus 1956 saw the entry of three nearly standard MGAs prepared by dealers in New York and driven by locals, marked the beginning of MGAs at Sebring and they quickly gained fourth, fifth and sixth in class on their first attempt. In 1960, a factory supported three car team was assembled using MGA Twin Cams upgraded with works supplied components with close ratio gearboxes, larger SU 2-inch carburettors, limited slip differentials, Vanden Plas aluminium hardtops, no bumpers, 17-gallon fuel tanks, cold air intake for the carburettors, twin driving lamps, oil coolers and wing vents to remedy high under bonnet temperatures.

This car offered for sale, YD2/2571 or UMO93, was raced by Americans Jim Parkinson and Jack Flaherty, finishing 4th in class at Sebring, just behind fellow team car, YD2/2575 UMO96, #39 driven by Canadians Fred Hayes and O.D. Leavens. Following Sebring BMC dealer Ship & Shore Motors in West Palm Beach, Florida, sold UMO93 to Dr Paul Buchanan of Charleston, South Carolina, who campaigned the car across South Eastern US until circa 1963 when it dropped two valves whilst flat out on Daytona's banking and was moved to storage.

MGA Twin Cam expert Lyle York tracked down the car in 1967 and subsequently purchased it. Mr York repaired the damage and drove it "rarely" until 1970 when it lost the clutch. After the clutch failing, Lyle put the car onto blocks where it remained with just 5,139 Miles, noted as being "virtually unmarked but the right front fender has been repainted". Remarkably Mr York retained possession of the Twin Cam for 36 years. More remarkably so he preserved the car in its completely original condition until he sold it in 2003.

Its most recent owner subjected the car to a comprehensive mechanical recommission and it was then reunited with the track once again after almost 40 years, in the 2004 Collier Cup race at Watkins Glen being driven by Bob Vitrikas. It was regularly maintained whilst the patina was preserved during his ownership and was next shown at the 2010 Radnor Hunt Concours d'Elegance in Pennsylvania, where it claimed 1st in the Historic Race Car Class.

DK Engineering purchased the car in 2015 to join their private collection and subsequently repatriated the car back to the United Kingdom. Today UMO93 remains a physical time warp as the only remaining unrestored BMC prepared MGA.

Presented with less than 6,500 Miles from new and accompanied by its original Vanden Plas aluminium roof, original side curtains and a superb file with historical data and images, this car represents a unique opportunity to purchase a significant historic race car with an unrepeatable patina and unbroken provenance. Most recently, it has been UK road registered and reunited with the original period registration of UMO93.