Photos of F996 RHP and MG Maestro Turbo No. 1 required urgently for magazine article

[BIGDAVE]

i had someone knock my door last year looking for a part for a maestro he was repairing.and he knew the where abouts of no 1 mg turbo maestro its in great barr area of birmingham so still in one piece and working ok

[David3500]

Many thanks to Xamtex (Peter) and G51 NAV (John) for all their help with supplying images to support the article. Martin Woods has kindly supplied me with some of No. 1 and the Press car No. 5. These will now be added to the ones I have already submitted of the other three press cars taken from my own collection.

Thanks also to BigDave for updating us on the likely whereabouts of No. 1. It does seem that real enthusiasts like us need to keep tabs on these historically interesting examples, including for the press cars and F121 AOP which was used for press photo issued in March 1989.

I can confirm that both F998 RHP and F999 RHP are in caring hands.

Hopefully F996 RHP and F121 AOP are also in safe, caring hands. I assume F997 RHP (Flame Red) was actually scrapped following the crash it was involved in rather than merely stored as a damaged vehicle awaiting significant repairs?

[Andy]

F997 was my dads which he crashed circa 1993 and was duly written of by the insures due to the nearside wheel been ripped off along with other extensive damage but circa 1996 a friend of his found it advertised in Autotrader magazine. How this came about and the quality of repairs I don't know but its the last I heard of it. Can only presume it disappeared again shortly after this because of the repairs. When was it last taxed? Not sure how people are checking this date of liability.

[David3500]

F997 was my dads which he crashed circa 1993 and was duly written of by the insures due to the nearside wheel been ripped off along with other extensive damage but circa 1996 a friend of his found it advertised in Autotrader magazine. How this came about and the quality of repairs I don't know but its the last I heard of it. Can only presume it disappeared again shortly after this because of the repairs. When was it last taxed? Not sure how people are checking this date of liability.

It was last taxed in 1999 and is still listed on the DVLA website which could mean it has been scrapped and the paperwork was not completed, or someone has it in storage but has not bothered to SORN it because the DVLA was not that active in chasing up SORNs until about seven years ago. However, 15 years is a long time to store it and not doing something with it. I am guessing it has probably been scrapped.

I knew the owner who had it from approximately 1995 until he sold it in 1997/8 although he had not recollection of who bought it. In 1996 he advertised it for sale in either Max Power or Revs magazine as I still have the for sale cuttings for it somewhere...

[Oli]

If it got repaired in the early nineties you'd think/hope it was in a good condition and someone has stashed it away somewhere.

I mean due to a mistake of my own entirely my Vanden Plas currently shows as unlicenced and has done for a couple of years. She is safe and sound however.

[Andy]

Interesting Dave, did the owner you new have any problems with the car? If it was run for at least another 6 years the repairs must have been decent though. For the time I was surprised it was repaired by anyone at all. I mean i was only about 6 but I can remember going to the yard is was been stored in for my dad to collect possessions and the wheel was in the boot and the front/side was rather smashed in. I hope it does pop up one day be a treat but I very much doubt it.

[David3500]

Interesting David, did the owner you new have any problems with the car? If it was run for at least another 6 years the repairs must have been decent though. For the time I was surprised it was repaired by anyone at all. I mean i was only about 6 but I can remember going to the yard is was been stored in for my dad to collect possessions and the wheel was in the boot and the front/side was rather smashed in. I hope it does pop up one day be a treat but I very much doubt it.

I'm not aware of it having any problems associated with the crash incident you mention. However, I do know that in approximately 1996 there was a problem with the engine - I think it was head related - and a replacement engine was sourced from an MG Montego Turbo and fitted into it. The original engine block was then stored in the owner's shed for a number of years before it was eventually discarded (I presume scrapped, although it was long after he had sold the car on). Apart from this, the rest of the car looked very tidy although it no longer had the black inserts in the front bumper, including for the mock air intakes. At the time of it being advertised it had covered 63,000 miles.

I have not seen or spoken to that particular former keeper (who lived in Dudley) for many years so I can't ask him if he has any further information.