MG Car Club
A Tribute to Mike Allison
Very sadly the MG Car Club have to report of the passing of Mike Allison on January 6 2024.
Joining the MG Car Club in 1959, Mike became active in Car Club activities in the early 1960’s, joining the South East Centre.
The first Register, as such, was really the Vintage, which was started in 1959, and which rejected Mike’s application for membership because his 1931 Magna was not “Vintage” in the definition of the VSCC. Mike met various members who had J’s and P’s, and agreed that between them they should have a Register of their own, but the Club could not agree to this, for a time. It wasn’t until 1961 that Mike cast a net for helpers in starting a Register for the pre-1936 OHC model MG cars, which became the Triple-M Register.
With Mike as Triple M Register Secretary, by the end of 1962 the Register had over 200 members.
Late in 1964 Mike went to work at Abingdon, initially helping General Secretary and Safety Fast! magazine editor Wilson Mc Comb, Mike also took on some of Wilson’s Club visits. The following year Mike was assigned to new responsibilities in Reg Jackson’s Inspection Department. His brief was to learn about exhaust emissions, and to set up a production test facility at Abingdon by mid-1967. This was duly done, and the following year Jackson retired, and his place taken by John Knight, who appointed Mike as Chief Quality Engineer, with a brief to act as intermediary with Engineering Department on all matters relating to Safety and Emission regulations, and to advise what needed to be done at Factory level on what must be done to meet these important requirements.… as well as all this Mike was still operating in Wilson’s MGCC orbit, such was the way things got done in the MG Car Company, and probably why it was so successful!
By 1968, there were three clubs based at Abingdon: the MGCC which had been there since 1930, the Austin Healey Club, since 1959, and the Mini-Seven Club since 1967. In the name of cost saving, the car clubs were the first item to be axed by a new Leyland hierarchy that took over in 1966, there would be no benefits received by car clubs. The edict was such that it was supposed to take effect overnight.
A number of meetings were arranged in London, initially, and it was agreed by the Council members that a working party be set up to form a new MG Car Club. The working party consisted of Gordon Cobham as chairman, with Tom Hazlem as financial advisor, and Brian Morgans as secretary and legal advisor, with Syd Beer and Mike Allison forming the working quorum.
Gordon secured a two-year lease on offices in Abingdon, over the Westminster Bank, right in the middle of the town, and Mike was able to get the some furniture moved from the old Club office.
In 1969, thanks to Mike and the others the MG Car Club became an independent organisation to promote enthusiasm for MG cars, owned by its members, and limited by guarantee.
By 1973, Mike was transferred to Cowley to carry out similar duties on a company-wide (Austin-Morris and Jaguar) level, under Eric Lord. This did not last long, as following nationalisation of the motor industry by the then Labour Government, the whole department was transferred to Canley (via other stops) to work as an advisor to the whole of British Leyland. Mike resigned in 1976 on the day Michael Edwardes started his overhaul of British Leyland.
Mike bought a village garage, where his expertise in MG matters soon became recognised. After 12 years he sold the garage as a going concern, and moved on to become a rebuilder and adviser on matters relating to the pre-war MG models in particular. This business was finally wound up in 2004 when he retired.
Since 1962, Mike has been involved with running, racing and rebuilding the 1934 supercharged NA Magnette which had run in the 1934 Alpine Trial and 1935 Monte Carlo Rally. Mike held various positions within the Triple M Register, including Registrar and Chairman, such was the respect of Mike within the Register he was later made President.
As well as being a fount of all things MG, writing several well respected MG Books, Mike was a true ambassador of the MG Car Club, donating many things to it’s archive over the years, and penning many an historical article for Safety Fast!, which was always well received.
Mike’s humour and enthusiasm will be missed by all his friends worldwide, he was a real gentleman. The MG Car Club send their condolences to Anne, Jane, David, Charles and their families.
