The 1956 Coupe des Dames-winning MGA is to compete at the Brooklands Double Twelve Motorsport Festival in June, driven by the daughter of one of its most successful Works drivers.
The MGA, currently owned by Bruce Chapman and Anna Taylor and affectionately known as Mabel (from the registration plate MBL 867), will be driven by Sue Chapman who is the daughter of Nancy Mitchell, the car's famous works driver.
The fifth MGA built, it is the oldest known to survive intact and was one of the five pre-production cars kept by the Works, and the only one of those five used for competition. It was always driven by ladies, representing a virtual Who’s Who of contemporary British female drivers.
The roster includes Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom, Nancy Mitchell and Pat Faichney, Anne Hall and Doreen Reece. Among its most notable achievements were the Coupe des Dames, with Micthell and Reece who beat all the other works MGAs that were driven by men on the rally, and being the only contemporary ladies team to complete the 1000 miles of the Mille Miglia, in heavy rain with just aeroscreens.
The car was originally painted in Tyrolite green, but was changed to Alfa Romeo red for the Mille Miglia in 1956 to gain an advantage from the officials at railway crossings in Italy who, allegedly, would quickly open a gate for any fast-approaching red car.
The MGA is just one of a large number of entries already received for the Double Twelve, which takes place at Brooklands Museum and Mercedes-Benz World on 16-17 June.
