Click for You Tube of the Rally

The annual Pride of Longbridge Rally took place as scheduled close to the date that MGR collapsed in 2005. This is the fourth such rally and was notable this time for a more significant change in the type of vehicles attended. Large numbers of 80's and 90's Rovers vied with the MG era to produce a very large collection of the more recent Longbridge output. This tended to overshadow the Austins of an earlier era who seem to be dwindling in number despite the role of the Austin Federation in assisting the Rover Community Action Trust in the organisation of the event.

Nonetheless it was an impressive array of cars that gathered at Hopwood Services on the M42 early on Saturday morning , so much that they were soon using the overflow parking areas. The run itself is only a short one and takes the cars the few miles from Hopwood to enter Cofton Park right opposite the current MG Motor UK Ltd premises , better known as Longbridge Q Gate. The line of cars seemed as if it stretched unbroken from Hopwood to Cofton as car after car drove into the park, carefully avoiding the footballers finishing off their Saturday morning games.

Parking as much as possible in their own areas, Austins were joined by MGs and Rovers with Wolsey, Riley and the occasional other make thrown in for good measure including a contingent of Abingdon MGs from Bromsgrove MGOC. This year the side show attractions were limited to bouncy castles, hot dogs and some other stands including the Register of course, MG Badge Shop and MGF Mania.

With a lovely day picnics were plentiful and entertainment provided by Derek Varney locking his keys in the boot of his 80th Anniversary TF, luckily an RAC man drove on to the field just in time to rescue him.

The new 3C group showed off their new banner and arrived with a nice selection of F/TFs as did some of the other regional groups including the South East and South Mids. It's always good to see the Register coming together on these occasions.