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MG TD TF 1500 - Car Names

Okay, so we are in deep Winter. Although I live in a mild place, I just returned from a week on the East Coast and I know they are going to have a bad and very cold weekend.

One of the activities in past winters of this BBS has been the annual poetry postings, and I suspect we are not there quite yet. But'm I'm feeling a little bored. So I'd like to offer something different.

Many owners of British cars seem to have a personal relationship with their ride(s) that occasionally involves naming them. Something like boat owners do. In some cases, such as my own, an owner or PO (again, in my case), have gone on to make the name somewhat permanent by etching or painting it on the car.

So I'll start off this string by introducing Libby II. My car is a 53 model, Elizabeth's coronation year. The PO went as far to paint the name on the scuttle and track down a commemorative badge of the coronation and mount it. I'm okay with it, wouldn't think of changing it, and it may add some character.

Looked for this in the archives and found nothing, so I'd like to invite anyone to contribute.

Tom


Tom Balutis

Tom,

You have a very nice car.

My TD is named "Sir Scotty". The reason for the name?

The first owner, Thomas Walsh, originally from Scotland lived in New Jersey and was a concert pianist. He took the car to Scotland and registered it there sometime between 1951 and 1985, with the registration number of QD8764. The car went to the UK twice.

This car is original with only the seats and carpet replaced by the second owner and I replaced the top and side curtains. The paint is original from 1951 and even has a dent in the left rear fender where it was bumped into by a 1956 Desoto. The car now has 42,900 original miles. I drove it 780 mile this past summer and planning on more miles this year.

David……



David Honness

My first 'T' series was named "Maggie". Because when I got her her top (hood) had started to rip and she looked a little bedraggled. Like a fool 22 years later I sold her. I now have two replacements, a TD and a TF1500. They don't have names but they have each been restored to like new.
Cheers,
Bob
R. K. (Bob) Jeffers

Yeah, we got started on the car-naming thing a few years ago. I'm inclined toward names whose consonants articulate the model designation. So we have:

"TeDdy", the TD.

"BriGiT", the B/GT. Also rather neat because Brigit was an Irish pagan goddess who persisted in Irish culture even after the country was Christianized. So finally the Catholic Church figured if you can't lick 'em, join 'em and Brigit was canonized. She is known as the goddess who would not die. Rather fitting for a 34 year-old MG with 223,000 miles on her and still going strong.

"Geraldine", the ZB Magnette. Our previous Magnette was "Nettie". Geraldine, is obviously not an articulation of ZB, but since so many Magnettes are named "Maggie", we had to come up with something else. My wife, determined that Geraldine is feminine, therefore chose "Geraldine" as a tribute to her designer: Gerald Palmer.

"Cecil", the MGC/GT. It helps that we use the American pronunciation: "Seesil" which emphasizes the "C" while honoring Kimber and Cousins.

"Iris", the Farina Magnette. We thought she was Iris blue when I brought her home, but she's actually smoke gray. My attempt to rename her "Smokey" have fallen on the deaf ears of our "Spring Creek Home for Wayward MGs" board of director (note: singular!). She tolerates the cars with at least a modicum of enthusiasm, therefore I acquiesce most gratefully.

Our '65 B project is as yet nameless.

One of my favorites: our now-sold YT was "Yurtle".

FWIW, (yawn....)
Allen

Allen Bachelder

I have never named cars... think because when I was little, every car I knew was called 'Nellybelle' and although I watched Roy Rogers faithfully, just couldn't deal with the lack of originality at the time....
Guess if i was naming it, i would call it 'BeeMo' cause that is the Bank that still owns most of it....
gblawson (gordon)- TD#27667

Allen,

Where is the picture of TeDdy and the others?

Since Allen mentioned his other cars I will mention mine.

1960 MGA Coupe is Lady Iris because she is Iris Blue.

1961 MGA Roadster is Sir Gordon. Gordon was my ex-father-in-laws name and he liked the roadster when I got him.

1961 Austin Healey 100 LeMans is Herman. My sister named him Herman back in 1960 and it just stuck. Herman wants me to change his name to something more English sounding and proper. I don't know about changing his name. I have been thinking about if for the last 5 years.

My TD that I sold 3 years ago was Morris and the couple that bought him kept his name and when they built a new house they built him is own attached garage with two windows to look out.

My cars are sitting in the garage covered up with car covers to keep warm. They have a heater in the garage that keeps them warm in this cold winter weather until I take them out for a drive.

I am not crazy but I do go talk to them every day.

David....
David Honness

David H.
You are not crazy, but post again, if they should start talking back to you! John
John

Before I was born, my grandfather had a wooden motorboat named Duchess. This was kind of appropriate because his last name was deGraaf, Dutch for Duke. Several years ago, I bought a 1951 Chris Craft which, in memory of grampa, I named Dutchess. When I got my 51 TD, it seemed just natural to name it Dukie (or Dukey - undecided on the spelling). When the restore is done, I hope to put the name ,tastefully, on the cowl or the bonnet. Sorry, no picture, yet. - Lou
Lou Van Koningsveld

Hi Folks,

Since I have spent a considerable amount of time with my TF 1500, during the complete rebuild of the engine, my wife began to refer to the car as "The other women"... In selecting a name for this little lady I needed to use caution, since all women have memories like a CRAY Supercomputer... Therefore, I decided to call my car "Molly" since I don't know now, or have I ever known, any female named Molly... I have found that when Molly is warmed up, and lubricated properly, she responds like she was half her age, and brings me great pleasure...

Cheers,

Rod Macleod - 1955 TF 1500 HDB46/6798 "Molly"


Rod Macleod

Tom and David H, two beautiful cars, thanks for posting their pictures, and a bit about their history.

I'm with David, Allen, you should post pictures of all your cars, or direct us to where they all can be found. Although, I think at different times (and especially with the MGBGT this past summer) I've seen photos of your cars. Nice bunch.

My MG TD was called "Li'l Red" by its previous owner, a name I never got used to since I'm not a very good Kansan. Since we only had one MG in our family, we always have called him "The MG". It is always spoken with a certain amount of respect, and in the case of my sons, a certain amount of desire, as when the oldest asked when he was five "when you die Dad, can I have "The MG"?

The BGT I'm working on is "Harry" after the Optometrist I bought him from. The B I look after is "Maggie".

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

If the vanity plate isn't gone by the time I register in the spring, the TD's plate will read:

Booker
Dave Jorgensen

John -- Were in VA are you located?

Allen -- Direct them to your "Spring Creek Home for Waywards MG's" or post your photos. It's hell to pay if you don't.


Here is my group together.

I have not names the MINI and it's mad at me because he atays out side. Not enough room in the garage.

David......


David Honness

My TD's name is "Prudence"
She is named after an English girl whose headlights were almost as large as the MG's. I dated her when I first got the car, and like the MG she broke my heart.
Terry P

Great Thread.

I must admit that I did have a Willies Jeep that was called Willy J. TD and B I never named. Not sure exactly why, just never came up with one.

Bruce-C

Further to this all:

My wife's Miata [white with twin blue Shelby stripes,] has the plate CHICCAR. It's only silly and cute until she redlines it and 12 pounds worth of boost kicks in - it pulls to 7000 in 5th, so perhaps we need a new name. So the conversation around our house is not "Who's driving the Miata?" but "Who's driving the chick car?"




Dave Jorgensen

The TD MKII is 'Mark',
The current YB is 'Angus',
Past Y's were 'Harriet' (Brit name from the plate being HVC... hense Harriet Vera Caruthers) and 'Wilfred' [also mine on occassion],
My Amilcar (boat-tail) is 'Big Blue'
and the Austin 7 Ulster is 'Little Blue',
and so on...
Paul
Paul Gaynor

I've never named a car until I finished the TF. Now refered to as the "Green Hornet". Alternative names considered were "The Money Pit" and from my son "The Death Trap".

LaVerne


LED DOWNEY

Our 52 TD Mark II is "Little Red"

1902 Oldsmobile is "Old Bill"

1930 Model A coupe was "Cindy Lou"

1931 Model A Victoria is "Miss Vicky"

1971 RHD Postal Jeep was "Pink Panther" (was painted Mark Kay pink)

1988 GMC box van car hauler is "Old Yeller" (still painted Ryder yellow)

Homebuilt, 3 wheel, hand powered (no pedals) bike is "Green Monster"
John Masters

I have been reminded, more than once, to post pictures of my named four-wheel friends. Best go to:

http://www.mgexperience.net/member/bachldrs

Proposed contest: name the '65 pull-handle B. Winner, if any, will be determined by the "Spring Creek Home for Wayward MGs" board of director (note: singular). Get used to it...

Cheers,
Allen

Allen Bachelder

I've never been into naming cars, but I do have a nickname for my '65 MGB. It's called "The Flying Raisin". My siblings and I called it by this name when we were children because at that time it was my father's car, and it was a beat-up old daily driver. It was dented from all the years of use, but still a quick little car. So... being small, black, wrinkled and fast, it became The Flying Raisin.

My '67 BGT has the name "Cedric" as given to it by the previous owner. The car is UK-Spec and Cedric is a very British name, and a name he really liked. I kept the name in his honor.

The rest of the cars are simply referred to by model, or by color when my wife can't remember all the letter combinations which make up their designations!
Steve Simmons

Mine is Lazarus. See http://www.ttalk.info/Tech/OldFriend.html for details.
Bud Krueger

Steve... hmmm... early 'B'... 5 main bearings...pull handles, the Pullman Rail car invented by George Pullman ... George Foreman Grills .... bar-b-que on grills, cook steaks...'mmmm...steak'!!!.... theres a couple choices....

The 'Pullman 5'....
'George'
The 'Foreman'
'T-Bone'


gblawson (gordon)- TD#27667

Sherlock, photo attached
TRM Maine

If at first you dont succeed???


TRM Maine

Rod..Led.. TRM...

I've seen some very nice T's posted on here. I always like looking at pretty T series cars.

David.......
David Honness

Wife didn't know what MG stood for-Margret Grace was my flip answer. Name stuck even after she knew better. My shop is on the lower level of our home,so I too have been accused of spending time downstairs with the "other woman". Would post a pic,but Margret is camera shy with her underpinnings showing.
Dan Craig TD/C21793
D.R. Craig

Tom,
I like your TD especially the coulour red. It is sooo shiny! I am restoring a 1951 TD and this spring it is time for the paintjob. Red is also our favorite and there are many kinds of red. Since yours is soo beautiful, do you know which kind of red it is? And what is the coulour of the interior (seats, carpet, doorcovers). Greetings, Huib
Huib Bruijstens

When a former wife complained of my attentions to the "other woman", the car that is now "Brigit" became "Bambi", and on her license plate: "BamBGT". Except in the all-capital-letter format of license plates, the joke didn't came out very well: "BAMBGT". People kept asking me what a BAM BGT was.

That was the wife who said "either those cars go or I go".

... I still have the cars.

And I love my "new" wife of these past 15 years.

FWIW,
Allen

Allen Bachelder

I have not named any T-series that I have owned but my 1939 MG-VA tourer of 18 years was always MURGATROYD
I do not remember where that name came from but it seemed to fit.Now she is gone back to Merry OLDE and is being totally rebuilt. She lived with me for 18 years but had to go.
Sandy
Sandy Sanders

Never named a car as such, only with vanity plates.
My 34 Ford Pickup was FORD34
My 32 MGJ2 is MGJ2
My 54 TF is mgtf
My Jag is IROLL (used to be on my wife's
Volvo which translated, means I roll.)

I only name boats and have had the following: PT102,
Quahog, Caper (twice), Foam (a sailboat), and POP-AYE
(current boat).
SEAMUS, Cape Cod,MA
F. HEALY

Hello, to you all.

Tom, this is (TUFFY).
Actually, the first moment that my wife saw the TD she named it Tuffy. She remembered that sound tuf tuf tuf tuf from her childhood.
So its Tuffy.

Alvin.


ALVIN ST.JAGO

Hi all!
upstanding worck
new look
senks
unbind akaaunting
Bye
roarierse

Dear MG drivers this is "Rosie". Australian National winner 2005 and 2006.

Best regards
B Jackson

B Jackson,

Your picture didn't come through. ' Hope you try again. We're anxious to see your car.

Cheers,
Allen
Allen Bachelder

Have my TD for 40 years and am in the process of restoration. Never thought much about a pet name for it, was always the "MG" or "The TD". The others were the "TR6" or the "TR3". Again no pet names, but now you got me thinkin'.
I'm naming my TD "Winslow" in honor of my wife's farther, one of the finest men I ever heard of and my vanity plate will read "WINSLO" when it's back on the road again this Spring.
Best regards.
daniel

My TD is named "Pugsley", for no good reason, except that back in the late 60s, pre TD, I promised a dear friend that I would pay his expectant child's college education if only he and his wife named him/her "Pugsley" (adult beverages were involved). Public college tuition, in those days in Michigan, was only about $500 a year. They named him Warren, thank the lord!

I always liked the name Harvey...
(wait - Jimmy Stewart has already been there and done that).

In the late 70s and early 80s I had a second TD, red and unnamed, until a young thugster-in-training rattle-canned my garage door with "Mr. Wiggles". From that day forward "Mr. Wiggles" was that red TD's moniker.


Cliff
C A Schnell

Cliff,

I like "Pugsley"... Good name.

David......
David Honness

My wife and I and two daughters started naming all of our cars when the girls were very young. Now the grandkids get involved. All have been named after famous aviators, as flying is our other passion. Here is the current inventory;

'55 TF-1500 - "Harriet" for Harriet Quimby, the first US licensed female pilot.
'59 MGA - "Wiley" for Wiley Post.
'65 MGB - "Roscoe" for Roscoe Turner.
'70 MGB - "Benny" for Benny Howard.
'70 MGBGT - "Clarence" for Clarence Chamberlian.
'64.5 Mustang Conv. - "Jacquelin" for Jacquelin Cochran.
'04 Landrover - "Rip" for Rip Gooch, early black aviation pioneer, Kansas state Senator.
'05 F-150 - "Harold" for Harold Neumann who happen to be from my home town.
Only have individual pictures but planning to do a group shot soon.

Cheers - Dennis

D L Rainey

Cliff, et al - Here's a shot of Pugsley that I took at a club outing last fall. Lou
Lou Van Koningsveld

Oops - Let's try again
Lou Van Koningsveld

Third times the charm
Lou Van Koningsveld

Sooner or later
Lou Van Koningsveld

I quit
Lou Van Koningsveld

ours is "Phoebe". i subscribe to skinned knuckles magazine and they had a restoration shop owner...old time car collector who told in his column he had had just sold his mid-'30's, V-12 lincoln tourer. it had been in there family for about 50 years. fomoco bought it. the car was named Phoebe. so in honor of Matt Joseph, whose writing i really enjoy, our car took up the mantle the day i read his Phoebe had gone down the road. regards, tom


tm peterson

Years ago my TD got it's name from a rather obnoxious gentleman(?) who said it had more wire screening than a butter dish in fly season. Another friend said to me at the same time, (in a very think Boston accent "where is the Buttah Dish", thus the name stuck. When I got the TF (primrose yellow,) the name the Butter Cup seemed appropriate. Still have to name the B.

George Herschell
George R Herschell

Sorry, Can't seem to get the photo to upload.

GH
George R Herschell

Finally got it to work I think

GH


George R Herschell

George - Looks like the third time WAS the charm for you. Wish I knew what I was doing wrong. Lou
Lou Van Koningsveld

Lou,
after pressing "upload" (see below this type-in window)you see a small window in which you scan through your files to mark the image. Than, in this little window there is a "submit" button. This processes the image. Finally you press the usual submit button. Good luck and greetings, Huib
Huib Bruijstens

The '52 TD I've been using as a therapy project for the last 8 years was immediately named 'The Buggie' by my then 7 year old daughter when it arrived. My wife claims that the MG and TR4A can't possibly have female names as they both have stick shifts - they MUST be boys! So, we have The Buggie and Speedy.

Hope you like the pic - some assembly required!


Francis Precht

Francis,

Great Shot. Looks like a giant model car kit just out of the box. But I don't see an instruction sheet.

George Herschell
George R Herschell

Francis,
BY far the neatest "pre-assembly" picture of a T-Type I have ever seen!
I couldn't even "find" one of my doors when I went to put my TF back together!
(As it turned out ...it had left Ohio for Kansas having been left in the bunk-bed of a camper we had been storing painted pieces in that got sold!) LOL
Cheers & Best Regards,
David 55 TF1500 #7427
David Sheward

My '52 TD is Matilda & she waltzes right aling. My '58 A is Stirling and the most recent member (s BGT) is still waiting for a name. We bandied 'Bridgette' around but have not decided yet - I see Allen has a Briget already do I guess this is a popular choice. We also have Betty (BRG Miata) and Lilly (Passat wagon). Previous cars have been Maxine, Mervyn, Ferdy, Cap. Open to ideas for a name for the GT.
Ted
T Leis

This thread was discussed between 19/01/2008 and 13/02/2008

MG TD TF 1500 index

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