Barry Walker MGs

1933 J2 Historic Trials car

J3113........one of the most prolific and illustrious of all pre-war trials cars.

Difficult to know where to start regarding this valuable and historic J2.   I believe there are people out there that will still appreciate a car with special pre-war history,  and not just how good the paint is, or whether the brakes will stop you! And how rare to find a very well campaigned pre-war car still with all matching numbers, fully counter-balanced crankshaft, 3 owners from new, and never used since the war other than 300 engine rebuild test miles.   No, not a tease, it's true.

 Way back in March 1933, the main west country MG agent, Welsh & Co. Ltd. of Bristol  delivered a lovely Blue J2 to the Mid-Somerset Motor Co. for a regular customer of theirs... a Mr. J.E.S.Jones, later to become known as 'Jesus Jones', an obvious derivitive from his initials.    Now Mr. Jones had been rallying and trialling an MG 'M' type since 1930 and had decided to exercise the new model now coming off the Abingdon production line, and had ordered his car with a stronger prop-shaft and lower rear axle ratio as an experienced trials driver.

Jones did not start trialling with his new steed until the Mid-Surrey Automobile Club Experts Trial in October '33 and immediately won a First Class award. Further trials over the winter of '33/'34 culminated in a Silver award on the prestigious 'Lands End'.   He continued to campaign throughout 1934 entering seven more signifcant events winning awards in all but one of these.   In 1935 he went even further,  with premier awards in both The Lands End  and Edinburgh trials and these wins, coupled with his premier cup in the previous December 1934 Exeter Trial gained him the coveted MCC Triple Award!    This must have been the icing on the cake, as in the  December of 1935 he sold the car to Philip Flower; and here started an even more prolific trials career that would last until the outbreak of WWII in Sept 1939.

Philip Flower had fallen out of a tree when he was 13, and was paralysed from the waist down, but this never stopped him from becoming a formidable driver in production car trials.  His brother modified the J2 with hand controls for throttle & brake & clutch control.  His manipulation of these controls must have been nothing short of magic, for with his brother as bouncer, he coveted some 75 prestigious awards in over 100 entries in the 6 years of his ownership.  I will not begin to list these here, but for the lucky buyer of this car, they will soon be able to read the full exploits of this car in detail in an article, shortly to be published by our renouned MG author Malcolm Green.

Suffice it to say here that this car produced more top results than any other single works trials car in either the Cream Crackers or Musketeers factory teams.

During the war the car was regretfully dismantled until almost all of it was discovered in 1950 in a sale of MG spares at Westminster Garage in Parkstone, near Poole in Dorset. Interestingly this was the home of Philip Flower, so the car had never strayed from its roots.   Mr. Ivan Forshaw , an Aston Martin dealer of nearby Ferndown, decided to buy everything that comprised the Flower J2 as Mr. Forshaw, a VSCC stalwart,  was well versed in the pride that this car carried.  

A restoration back to the factory specification was started, but regretfully progress was slow; Ivan promising to build it for his son Roger, providing he never smoked or rode a motorbike! He did neither,  but even so progress was still slow and incredibly the car didn't see the road again until the year 2000 (Roger's 60th birthday). It never really interested Roger and just 2-300 miles were covered with a poor engine in 2000,  before being laid up in the Aston Showroom. In spite of a total new engine rebuild with Phoenix Crank & Corello pattern rods, etc, etc. in 2009  (all bills to hand) , the car still only covered a few test miles in 2010 before once again being laid up in the Aston Showroom until I bought the car last month!   Less than 500 miles in 75 years of one family ownership and if you can believe it, just 3 names in the old buff log book......Jones/Flower/Forshaw.....incredible. 

How wonderful it would be to find out if YD 6854 was DRIVEN to all its events or transported to them before the war. Here we have a car that has had just 6 years of pre-war use (all of it trials) ,  then 2-300 miles in 2000, and 100 test miles by the engine builder in 2010.  The records show that 'Jesus' Jones had covered almost 8000 miles before ordering a new speedo when  selling to Mr. Flower in 1935. .   It is difficult to ascertain the mileage  covered  in Mr. Flower's hands as he later removed the speedo when massively lghtening the car for his trials career. He may well have covered the 3700 miles on the current speedo before he removed it, and we know less than 500 were covered post-war........... What we can be sure of is, the overall mileage is ridiculously low,  all be it they were damn hard miles pre-war!

Now to the car itself,  as it is offered to you today.    The chassis is undisturbed, but we have rebuilt the steering. We are unable to determine whether the Morris 8 hydraulic brakes were fitted prewar (most likely for trialling), or during the postwar rebuild, but they are now completely rebuilt by us.  

The engine has been totally restored with fully counter-balanced crank & rods, all new head gear, rebuilt carbs, dynamo and starter motor.   There are no oil leaks at all under test, and the ampmeter shows good charging and the oil pressure is 70-80lbs per sq. in. Everything works well.

The body builder is unknown, but the result is very accurate.

The car is still fitted with its original dashboard (worn mottling) , and all the original gauges incl. water temp. & clock.  

The chromework is excellent with full windshield,  aero screens and genuine factory hinged stoneguards.  Additionally it still carries twin spare wheels and hard-to-believe.......its ORIGINAL factory cereleun blue seats!

I have tried to leave it as it was restored by the Forshaw family, whilst bringing it up to today's MOT standards as described above.    It is certainly not an oily rag car, but not a concours car either, just a lovely usable car with a newly rebuilt engine.     In my eyes it would benefit from a set of Blockley prewar-pattern 3-stud 450 x 19 tyres, although those fitted are virtually unworn. The paintwork is really nice, the chromework excellent, and although there is no tonneau, it has a new roof and sidescreens. 

I have been very fortunate to discuss the car with Dudley Flower, who lives near Worcester, (the nephew  of Philip Flower's brother),  and we have some wonderful period photos coming.

The car is for sale, but I truely hope the amaxing history is fully respected and it will now get a second lease of life in possibly (?) the manner it originally enjoyed when new.   How great that would be.........over to you;   and no, its not going to break the bank even with this rare historic provenance, all matching Nos., and 3 owners from new!              Make an offer above £36,000 .....and it's yours....that is a bargain.  

Please ring for an appointment to view.  Worldwide delivery.        

Enquire about 1933 J2 Historic Trials car

Privacy notice: the personal data you enter here is only used by Barry Walker MGs to contact you in regard to this car. We do not share your details with third parties nor will we contact you further without permission.