Earlier this year my wife, Kaye, my brother, Dick, and his wife, Connie, planned a trip to England to do some sightseeing and relaxing. Personally, I wanted to visit the British Motor Heritage Centre Museum at Gaydon and check out some MGs in the Motherland. Planning our trip, I did some surfing on the Internet and stumbled onto an interesting website called 'The Open Road Classic Car Hire.' For some time I had dreamed of taking an MG back to its home and driving the narrow country lanes. (I had been planning for years to stow the TD in suitcases -- CKD form -- and reassemble it at Gatwick. I still wouldn't have as many cases as my wife.) But, despite my scheming, taking one of my own MGs just was not going to be feasible for this trip. Could 'Open Road' be the solution that I was looking for?
A quick communication with Tony Merrygold at 'Open Road' and I had reserved a red 1969 MGB roadster for Kaye and myself and a 1961 Austin Healey FrogEye for Dick and Connie. Tony also offered picnic hampers with a choice of several menus for picnicking. Cool! It looked like the dream was coming closer to reality.
Fast forward to Warwickshire England, June 9, 1998. We arrived at 'Open Road' in the mid-morning. Tony gave us a very warm welcome and a quick tour of the cars (i.e. a review of the controls, the proper way to stow the hood, and the individual particulars of the MG and Frog Eye). Tony also gave us a very organised package containing maps, books on places of interest, specifications for both cars (for the motorheads -- yeah!), and personal suggestions on sites to visit. We passed on the picnic basket this trip, but we'll definitely included it on our next trip!
Let me say here that I was struck by the fine condition of the cars we hired from 'Open Road.' The leather interior and wood-rimmed steering wheel of the B looked brand new. The overall condition and roominess of the cockpit was extremely inviting and comfortable. We were soon to learn that the mechanicals had been fine-tuned to perfection as well. If we could just remember to 'stay to the left,' we were ready for some fine motoring!
Of course, our first stop was the Motor Museum at Gaydon -- only a short drive from 'Open Road.' (Coincidence?) I'm not sure which was more fun - actually visiting the Motor Museum (which is highly recommended and the subject of a future article) or motoring up in fine MG style.
After we had toured the Motor Museum, we spent the remainder of the day driving the most narrow roads (and I use that term loosely) that I have ever been on without a golf cart. We were actually relieved to occasionally see a sign telling us that the way was no longer suitable for motorized vehicles because such a sign confirmed to us that it was really OK to be riding on the 'path' we'd just come down. I found that sitting on the right-hand side of the car and changing gears with my left hand felt very natural, and Kaye brilliantly coached me to 'stay to the left' and to take the proper 'o'clock' exit at the roundabouts.
As navigator, Kaye also quickly learned that the Brits do not use compass point directions and that she had to 'already know where we were going,' as one Pub barman warned us. He said that they had pulled up all the road signs during WWII and saved money by not replacing them. (This is the same barman who also told us that the speed limits were merely suggestions and cautioned us not to use the brake unless we were stopping the car long enough to get out of it!) In any event, we always either found our way - or it found us - and we safely arrived at our destinations. At the end of that first day, we arrived back at our B&B with fond memories and plans for tomorrow's motoring.
Following breakfast the next morning, we set out on a driving tour of the Cotswolds. As we made our way from one small village to another, through rolling hills and meadows, we encountered some of the most beautiful scenery we've ever seen. Occasionally we would stop and inspect the local architecture or visit a garden. In one small out-of-the-way hamlet, we met Rick Steves, the 'Europe Through the Back Door' Travel Guru on PBS and my sister-in-law, Connie, got his autograph. Mr. Steves said that there is nothing he likes better than to see one of his books thrust out of the window of a cute little sports car in a country he is visiting. (This just proves once again how our little British cars can bring people together. At the very least, they always elicited a smile!)
Like all good things, though, our time with the MGB and the Frog Eye had to come to an end. When we took the cars back to 'Open Road,' we also got to meet Elaine Merrygold. She was very charming as she chatted with us about our driving adventures. (Actually Tony and Elaine probably thought we Americans were quite silly about the whole MG thing - but they graciously humoured us anyway.) And as an added bonus to my MG dreams, Tony took me for a spin in his new MGF. WOW! What a wonderful experience!
The Merrygolds are great folk who have carefully thought out the classic car hiring experience! They have other British marques in their stable and they most likely plan to add other cars in the future. (Can one have too many?) As for me and Kaye, this is a definite MUST DO AGAIN!
