MEET THE OWNER – STEVE POWLAY AND HIS POLICE MGC ROADSTER
12 June 2023
In the 1980s, Steve owned an MG Midget and an MGB, and his recent retirement prompted him to buy a third Abingdon sports car in July 2019. Any MGC Roadster is a distinctive machine, but this example is one of 18 commissioned by the London Metropolitan Police.
Steve’s MG left the factory in 1968 and was registered in January 1969. At that time, the Met. was retiring the last of its famous Daimler SP250 patrol cars, and the C served as its replacement. The force acquired three batches with consecutive registration numbers in manual and automatic forms. Steve notes:
The special police equipment includes the Winkworth gong mounted under the bonnet and an R/T set. The police would also have installed their own speedometer, but I have never heard any reference to the Met. ordering an upgraded engine. The optional extras on my car include a heater, disc wheels, the hardtop, a foldaway hood and seat belts, but the only factory change from the standard C is the Police White paint finish. The force used the MGs as Traffic Enforcement Cars, which were completely unmarked – I don’t think the sign above the rear number plate is an original fitting. At the moment, I know very little of my C’s history and would like to find out in which traffic division it served and when the Met. decommissioned it.
BMC launched the C in 1967, and Steve’s Roadster departed Abingdon the year before production ended. It was a much-misunderstood vehicle for too long, and when new, the MGC received a mixed reaction from the motoring press. The Guardian of the 6th January 1969 complained, “It is a fine touring car, but its heavy steering, dated controls, and lack of torque rob it of any claim to vintage quality”. Over fifty years later, many enthusiasts appreciate the C’s merits, and Steve finds:
It keeps up with traffic easily, and the combination of modern tyres and the suspension makes it well-suited to today’s roads. The MGC is not a faster engine B but a different car, and apart from the restricted cabin room, it is an excellent touring car for the roads of North Wales. My C has overdrive, which would not have been an original police specification fitting but does enhance the performance. As for the Winkworth bell, I have been known to sound it at shows where the reactions range from amusement to alarm.
And seeing the Powlay MGC is to envisage a Ford Cortina 1600E driver, with a cravat and Simon Dee hairstyle, bowling along the North Circular at high speed. Suddenly he hears the ominous sound of a police bell over the roar of a 2,912cc six-cylinder engine The MGC of the law strikes again…
With Thanks To: Steve Powlay