The Austin Cambridge is no stranger to us at Ireland Made as we featured the car in Season 1 – Episode 20 as being the original people carrier within the badged range of cars offered as the Morris Oxford, Wolseley, Riley and MG.
While this ultra-rare 1967 car belonging to Kinsale resident Marian Caulfield started life as an Austin Cambridge Countryman it is now badged as a MG Magnette estate, which was never an official car and so this the car that never was?
Marian began her classic car journey in the late 90’s with a £200 budget being spent on a ‘rusty’ Triumph 2.5 PI complete with racing check. Classic car ownership continued without issue until the combination of a narrow road and a large HGV wrote off the car. The subsequent insurance pay-out paid for another Triumph 2000 and Marian was hooked on classic car ownership.
As is the case with so many of us, life got in the way and Marian moved away from classic cars for a period of time in the late 90’s and then five years ago moved back into classic car ownership with the purchase of the MG Magnette Estate.
So how did this unique and beautiful car come to look the way it does? According to Marian she is the fifth owner and the four previous owners have all completed body and interior modifications and a range of engine swaps.
Marian’s car had begun life as a 1967 Austin A60 Cambridge Countryman. What strikes people straight away about this car is that is it NOT an official model MG Magnette estate – this is the car that never was.
The second UK based owner of the MG Magnette estate, Alan Hunt gave the car it’s unique look by modifying the bonnet and front grille-mounting panel to accept the MG badge. On the Wolseley, MG and Riley versions of this car the wings are curved the whole way around which makes fitting of the grill simple enough.
When Alan had the car off the road for body restoration, he had toyed with an engine transplant and for a time favoured the 2L 16 valve Rover 820, then he changed his mind for a turbo-diesel from the Austin Montego TDi to shoe-horn into the tight fitting engine bay. Such was the tight fit of the Montego engine that only an air intake pipe from a Saab 900 could be utilised to fit in the space allowed.
There has also been some modifying of the rear light clusters to give them more of a look of the Westminster version of the car.
Inside there are further modifications with black leather seats from a Ford Sierra 2000E and the MG Magnette dashboard adapted to take an Austin 3-litre speedometer, there was also a boost gauge for the Montego TDi which has been removed. Aside from the rear light clusters, changes to the front grill and interior dashboard, the car looks like the original that left the Cowley production line in 1967.
The third owner tried to return the car to original spec and refitted a 1622cc original engine. The modification by subsequent owners caused the grill to become a bit of a mishmash of design styles with an Austin badge fitted to a MG Magnette grill.
Marian first spotted this car around ten years ago when it was brought over to Ireland from the UK by the fourth keeper of the MG, her friend Trevor Deane who did some minor works on it and who then brought it back to the UK and placed it in storage for a few years. In 2018 Marian travelled to England and bought the car back from Trevor, becoming the proud fifth owner.
Once back in County Cork and under Marian’s ownership as the fifth keeper, the car underwent its fourth engine change when she fitted a 1800cc MGB engine with matching gearbox and overdrive.
Marian’s MG Magnette estate is reliable and is maintained by her partner Anthony Morrey, along with a Kinsale based mechanic. As with all classic cars occasionally a ‘biggish’ job comes along. The last such job was between Christmas and New Year 2022 when the brake system pipes failed and as is usual in these situations the call went out to the local classic car community for assistance. A member of a local classic car club in Kinsale, Co Cork came to the rescue and thanks to Anthony being on the spot to do the repair, the MG was back on the road for a New Year’s day car run. Recent work has been completed by Anthony on the carburettors and a front suspension upgrade.
As with all things in life you always find a kindred spirit in shared interests and Marian and Anthony first met on a Facebook group where they were discussing the merits of towing trailer tents with their classic cars. Marian with her MG and Anthony with his Morris Minor. Anthony is the Chairperson of the South Cheshire Morris Minor Group and between Cork and the UK they are regularly to be found attending car shows and going on runs together in both of their classic cars.
The car does get a lot of looks and curious people are always asking Marian about the car’s origins and unique styling. Marian and her unique MG are to be seen this summer motoring around the lanes surrounding Kinsale in Co Cork.
According to Marian, driving her MG “makes her happy – it’s almost a spiritual experience” and we can’t argue with that!
Information sources:
Countryman-james007
Brightwell’s Classic & Vintage Cars
An Austin Anthology I & II – James ‘Jim’ Stringer
The Austin A55 (Mk. II) and A60 Cambridge and Countryman Driver’s Handbook
