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The Roars

  • December 29, 2021 12:58 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    The season finale for the activities of the Houston MG Car Club is always the Christmas Party, where we take the time to share the spirit of the season and reflect on the events of the past year. And 2021 was indeed a memorable year for the club, marking the return of (almost) normal activities, registering a record number of members, and the achievement of reaching our milestone 50th anniversary.


    The Christmas Party was held in the accommodating and familiar surroundings of The Club at Falcon Point on Saturday, December 4. For those driving their MGs to the golf club, the weather co-operated by being comfortably warm and keeping the showers at bay. The Club was decked out in seasonal livery, adding to the warmth of the Christmas spirit.


    As is tradition with the HMGCC, donations of food were accepted for a local food bank, and club members were invited to join President Mike Woodward in an MG caravan delivering the considerable collection of donated food on the following Tuesday. Thank you to all the members who contributed to this worthy cause!


    The party started with friends gathering in the banquet room and sharing laughs and Christmas spirits with their friends. Many club members arrived wearing their seasonal finery and ugly Christmas sweaters, reminding us all that Christmas never goes out of fashion. Old and new friends swapped stories about the events of the past year and tales of tribulation with their vintage autos.

    Mike Woodward ably demonstrated his extraordinary range of talent as he acted as master of ceremonies, award presenter, activity director, and keyboardist during the course of the afternoon. The first award was the group presentation of the 500 Mile Club, recognizing those enthusiasts who use their car for more than just an objet d’art by driving them at least 500 miles to club events. The members of the 500 Mile Club for 2021 include Bob Chalker, Alex Laverock, Ken Evesson, Mike Woodward, Dwight Dawson, Gordon Bard, Joe Schrodi, Scott Hardy, Roger Sykes, Ray Holtzapple, Rich Colwell, Steve Session, Pete Sandy and Bruce Payne.

    After the first award, Club members enjoyed a fine Christmas feast served buffet style. As the guests patiently waited for their table to be called to the bar, those who were first served enjoyed a sumptuous meal featuring both fish and fowl, not to mention holiday treats for dessert.

    The presentations recommenced as the members finished their meals. The Club Officers for 2022 were announced, and thanks given to those leaving their positions.

    o          President – Mike Woodward

    o          Vice President – Tony Galt

    o          Board Member – Ron Redding

    o          Board Member – Bob Schroeder

    o          Board Member – Rich Colwell

    o          Board Member – Steve Sessions

    o          Board Member – Gordon Smith

    o          Webmaster – Bob Chalker

    o          Assistant Webmaster – Rob Ficalora

    o          Regalia – Alex Laverock

    o          Treasurer – Greg Fleischer

    o          Membership Chair – Rob Ficalora

    o          Secretary – Roald Lokken

    o          Event Coordinator – Larry Lovins

    o          Roars Editor – Scott Hardy


    One of the most anticipated yearly awards is the Driver’s Award, given to the club member who records the most mileage in attending club events in their vintage car. This year’s deserving winner was Joe Schrodi, racking up an impressive 2,945 miles in his yellow 1976 MGB.


    The Alan Rayne Memorial Award, better known as the Broken Crankshaft Award, is the trophy nobody really wants, because it memorializes a mechanical misfortune occurring during or driving to/from a club event. The trophy this year was presented by last year’s recipient, Gord Bard (who keeps himself in the running every year). The 2021 winner was Pete Sandy, for losing his distributor at the Autocross held in 2019.


    The Ralph Diebert Award goes to the MG that receives the most votes from club members attending the Houston All British Car Day, and this year was presented to the 1972 MGB of Bob Chalker. Bob was a double award recipient, also taking home the Board of Director’s Award for outstanding service to the club. Well done!


    The President’s Award is given to any club member who has provided exceptional leadership or service. Service can include, but is not be limited to: contributing articles to the website or Roars, organizing one or more events, or attending multiple events throughout the year in support of the club. Mike mentioned several people he considered for the award, and the plaque went to Larry Lovins for his exceptional job organizing and promoting club events.


    The Back Seat Driver’s Award is given to the spouse or partner of a club member who in the opinion of the Board of Directors made the greatest contribution to the Club’s success for the year. For 2021 this award was presented to Trish Hardy in recognition of her success in organizing past events.


    After the presentation of the awards, Mike assumed his activity director role and led the gift exchange aerobics. Door prizes were handed out to the lucky winners, and one person at each table went home with the table centerpiece.


    To wrap up the party and send everyone home in the festive spirit, the indomitable Oil Spots reconvened and regaled the crowd with their renditions of holiday classics. Our thanks and a tip of the fedora to John Bowyer, electric guitar and vocals; Rich Colwell, saxophone/flute; Mike Woodward, keyboard; Ken Evesson, drums; and Walter Bernard, keyboard.

    Our best wishes to all for a wonderful holiday season and a healthier and joyeous 2022!

    • -       Story by Scott Hardy, photos by Greg Fleischer


  • December 19, 2021 6:05 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Autocross, Twisted Sisters, GoF, tech sessions, movies and many more driving events.

    The club has begun planning the schedule of events for 2022 and although it isn't yet official we have published a list of tentative events so that you can begin planning.  We encourage you to mark your calendar so that you don't miss out on the fun.  The list can be found on the 2022 Tentative Events page.  Once they are official they will be added to the Club Sponsored Events Page.  

  • December 18, 2021 9:17 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    For those of us who love our classics, this will touch your hearts.  Get your Kleenex’s ready.  

    https://youtu.be/c4-oyBnknHk

    Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, may it be full of family, friends, love and peace.  Oh yea, and a bit of driving in your MG!

  • November 27, 2021 8:20 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    As you prepare to attend our Christmas Party, remember to bring your package for the Food Bank. Here are some Ideas from a person that spoke to people who actually receive donated food items: 

    • Everyone donates mac and cheese in the box but it is hard to make use of because it requires milk and butter which is hard to get at food banks.
    • Boxed milk is a treasure, as kids need it for cereal which they also get a lot of. 
    • Canned vegetables and soups are great but often need a can opener or a pop top. 
    • Oil is a luxury but it is needed for rice-a-roni.
    • Spices or salt and pepper make a real Christmas gift.
    • Tea bags and coffee make people feel like you really care.
    • Sugar and flour are treats.
    • Tuna and crackers make a good lunch.
    • Food Banks get a lot of peanut butter and jelly but little sandwich bread.
    • Butter or margarine are useful.
    • Cake mix and frosting make it possible to make child’s birthday cake.
    • Dishwashing detergent is expensive and always appreciated.
    • Everyone loves Stove Top Stuffing.  
  • November 04, 2021 7:37 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    As always thanks to Greg for keeping up with the standings :


  • November 04, 2021 7:25 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


  • November 02, 2021 12:08 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    A crisp October morning greeted the participants in this year’s autocross event hosted by the Texas Triumph Register. Held annually at the Houston Police Academy training track, an autocross provides enthusiasts like us with the opportunity to drive their cars in the manner for which they were designed. That is to say, drive it like you stole it! But you can do so in the safety of a closed circuit with the only obstacles being plastic pylons marking the course.

    The host club had arrived early to litter the training track with orange traffic cones, marking the figure eight track into a maze of twists and turns. After the participants arrived and finished their coffee, the organizers went through the track procedures and led the group on a parage lap through the maze of cones. Which left everybody to wonder how they were ever going to remember the correct route through the piles of pylons. (Spoiler: many did not!)

    The hosts required that the cars be cleared of loose items in the cab and boot, and all cars had to pass a tech inspection. Surprisingly, all did. All drivers who did not bring their own helmets were given a colorful balaclava and a loaner helmet to complete their drives. And so the competition began, with the cars being divided into four heats and drivers being allotted four timed laps each.

    The cool morning air was soon shattered with the sound on snarling exhausts and squealing tires as the autocrossers attempted to better their times with each succeeding lap. And those who overestimated the abilities of their classic cars to negotiate the twisties soon provided spectators with some impressive drifts and smoky slides. A special shout out to Pete Sandy, who guided his big Healy through, by consensus, the most entertaining slide of the day. Special mention to Gord Bard for his numerous trips off the tarmac and to Ken Evesson for his brilliantly executed 180° drift to conclude his day on the track.


    The HMGCC was able represented by the aforementioned drivers as well as Rich Colwell, Glenn and Fran Carpenter, Renne and Clair Lanphier, Scott and Trish Hardy, Dwight Dawson, Larry Lovins and Steve Loden.

    The event was not limited to just Triumphs and MGs, as more modern machinery was also allowed to run. But there is no doubt that the older cars, while they may have been slower, were much more fun to follow as they skittered through the course squealing their tires, smoking their brakes, and listing through every turn.

    The Triumph club had a special surprise at the end of the day. They had a trophy made which would be presented to either the Triumph or the MG club, depending on which classic British marque’s devotees had the best average lap times. In a remarkably close decision, which may or may not have come down to some creative Hollywood bookkeeping, the MG club took home the inaugural presentation of the Lucas Memorial Cup. Said trophy will be proudly on display at the Christmas gala in December for all club members to ogle.

    The only blot on an otherwise perfect day was that the number of Triumphs greatly outnumbered the number of MGs. All HMGCC participants agreed that the autocross was a wonderful day to spend with your car and fellow club members. Nothing quite matches the adrenalin rush of pressing your car and your skills to the limit, trying to put together the perfect lap. And even if you will never be the reincarnation of Stirling Moss, the excitement of working the steering wheel through the pylons is worth the price of admission. You enjoy the same fun factor regardless of skill level.

    Enjoying an event like this is definitely something all club members should seriously consider, and the good news is that you will have another chance to do so in the spring!

    -       Story and photos by Dwight Dawson and Scott Hardy


  • October 28, 2021 1:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    (translated into English: You will get what you were meant to have!)

    This wee Scots expression perfectly sums up my MG experience! My MG story starts when I was growing up in Scotland and my uncle owned several MGBs. We kids would squeeze in behind the seats and enjoy the ride and the wind in our face! Scroll forward some 40+ years later and I now live in Houston and scan the Hemmings website every other month hoping to find my perfect car.

    This summer I took my family back to Scotland, and while in 10 days quarantine I once again turned to scrolling through the Hemmings website. To my surprise I spotted my perfect red 1960 MGA and proceeded to bid. To my amazement and joy I was the highest bidder. To my great disappointment I never made the reserve! I contacted the seller and said that I would get a friend to inspect the car when I returned to the US – although the car was in Toronto, Canada!

    I managed to contact an acquaintance who lived outside Toronto and asked if he would help inspect the vehicle. Fortunately, he had a good friend who bought and refurbished old classics, so it was back on again for my perfect car.

    They visited the owner the next Saturday morning, and I got a call at lunchtime with all the details. My friend’s classic car guy was a perfectionist and wasn’t sure what standard I was looking for, but he soon realized I was also a perfectionist, and it seemed the car needed a new paint job, re-chroming, and a new soft top. He could hear the disappointment in my voice but said he had been looking online for a few days for comparable cars and had seen a perfect car, to which he promptly sent me a link.

    I looked up the link and to my amazement saw the perfect red 1960 MGA, for real this time. My family all looked at it and I immediately contacted the seller up in Idaho for a video of the car running. Ray Myers was the owner, and he duly shot and sent me a video. I called Ray the next day to find out more about the car and got its full history and all the care that he had given the car over the past twelve years. I said I would think about it and get back to him. But I couldn’t wait, so less than an hour later I called back to say I wanted to buy the car and would send a deposit on Monday morning! So in less than 24 hours, and never having seen the car, I let my heart do the talking instead of my brain and hopefully, probably foolishly, bought my perfect MGA.

    I sent the deposit and said I would arrange to pay the remainder within the week. Ray was gracious enough to suggest that I come and see the car before I bought it and sent me flight details. What I didn’t realize at the time was that Ray was interviewing my son and I to see if we were worthy of owning his pride and joy! So a few weeks later my son and I flew to Spokane and drove over to Idaho to meet Ray. But not before I had paid the full asking price! This, I explained to my 17 year old son, was something that he should never, ever do and gave him all the reasons why – but the first time in my life I went against my own better judgement. The only reason being my conversations with Ray and the trust I had developed in a man I had never met.

    When we arrived, Ray asked questions, but not to me – to my son: Would you work on the engine or put her into a garage? (James wants to learn all about the car and how to maintain a real engine). Would you show her or just keep her in the garage? (James would love to start going to shows and get involved). So while that passed, Ray really got to know us and decided he wouldn’t give me my money back; rather, he would allow us to buy his MGA.

    Ray then told me the complete story of his twelve years of tender loving care and refurbishment, including the day he got her, what happened in the local garage, and the time he and his grandson stripped down the engine and rebuilt it together. He also traced the car back to the day of manufacture and received the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Certified copy of the factory record.

    A few weeks after visiting Ray and transporting the car home, I joined the Houston MG Car Club and entered the 31st Annual Houston All British Car Day on October 9th. We invited Ray and his best friend Frank to come down and see us in our first car show, which they both did. We had a terrific weekend with two new friends, spending Friday examining the car to see if it still met Ray’s exacting standards. The next day Ray and Frank were at the show before we arrived and stayed with us the entire day. We had a wonderful time with them, and James impressed them and the rest of the HMGCC with his ability on the pipes. I’m pretty certain Ray was even more proud than we were of us winning first place in our first show with “his” beauty.

    So not only have we found our perfect car after all these years, but also have two very dear new friends from Idaho. I’m sure it won’t be the last time we see then down here in Texas at the MG club events! Glasses up to a long-lasting friendship and a beautiful, perfect car for generations to come!

    - Story contributed by new member Jim McWhinnie. Photos by Dwight Dawson.


  • October 05, 2021 2:57 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    “The Oil Spots” debuted at the HMGCC 50th anniversary party and entertained our membership with a variety of pop and rock-n-roll songs.

    We would like to keep the good times going!

    The band needs an electric bass player and would like to know any if our HMGCC membership play and would be interested in joining the group.

    Our intention is to practice twice per month and play at club events and other extracurricular activities as we build our song list.

    If interested, please call or email Rich Colwell at 610-703-7313 or rlcolwell@gmail.com


Contact Us:  HoustonMGCarClub@gmail.com


Houston MG Car Club

10119 Hibernia Dr.

Houston, TX  77088


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