Immaculate MG's take top honours

Normally owners of show cars spend hours preparing their vehicles so they look their very best on display.

John Newey gave his two MGs a quick wash on the morning of the MG International Show at Silverstone - yet still came away with a best in class and a second place.

Newey, dealer principal at Summit Garage in Gornal, even missed the prize giving ceremony as he did not think he had any chance of winning.

"I was talking to three Danish blokes about my supercharger and my friend had to go and get my prizes as I was too far away.

"It was a big show and there were more than 50,000 people. This was the first time I had ever entered a show and I couldn't believe that I had done so well."

Newey, who lives in Wightwick, Wolverhampton, does have a couple of lovely MGs though. His winning car was a 1993 MG RV8 - made in strictly limited quantities by MG, which was still testing the roadster market at the time.

Only 2,000 were produced and the bulk of these were snapped up by Japanese enthusiasts after the car debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show. Only 300 examples are believed to remain in Britain.

Newey, who used to sell MGs prior to Summit becoming a Perodua dealership, originally sold the car to a customer in 1993 - and jumped at the chance to buy it back three years ago.

"I always wanted one - but could never afford it."

The car is powered by a 3.9 litre supercharged engine. It's an old school muscle car with no power steering, no ABS, no airbags, and no electronic traction aids.

"You have to treat it with respect and be sensible with it in the wet."

His ZT TV8, meanwhile, which won second place is one of the last MG cars from 2006. It has an unusual Monogram paint job which would have cost around £2,500 as an optional extra.

The colour is 'Chromescent' Shot Silk Emerald, which looks green or purple, depending on which angle you view the car from.

The car is powered by a 4.6 litre supercharged petrol engine, which makes it a very rapid car indeed.

"I only get around 15 to the gallon but it's still a great car," said Newey. "The paint job is something that you either love or hate but it attracts attention wherever it goes."

By Peter Carroll