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The Magazine
An intrinsic part of the club has been its magazine. The first magazine appeared in November 1951. ‘Motoring and Morgans’ consisted of seventeen pages of hand typed A4 stapled together with a blue cover. It contained the names of the club officers and a full membership list, reports on the club's first events, notification of RAC recognition, details of future events, technical articles and so on. Obviously the only ads were private ones like “1938 4/4 4 seater, new hood, tonneau, and tyres. Complete re-spray engine and transmission overhaul, the price £395”.
The July 1952 edition mentioned that two of the clubs events had to be cancelled that year due to outbreaks of Foot and Mouth disease. The club had recruited three members from the USA and were considering a branch over there.
A smaller A5 magazine appeared in 1955. ‘Monthly Miscellany’ was the heading on the first page and gave a clue to the origins of the name of our present day magazine. Details of the AGM and dinner were reported along with a driving test meeting at Honeybourne Airfield on 20th of March. It also contains a subscription renewal form, 30 shillings (£1.50p) in those days a stamped, 2.1/2d (1p) addressed envelope was included.
In 1960 the magazine was called ‘Miscellany’ and back to A4 size reporting on various events including reporting that Lynden Simms and Roger Jones had finished in 125 place in the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Plus Four Coupe. They had made third fastest time on the special tests afterwards, beaten only by two Porsches.
By February 1966 the flat-rad on the cover was replaced with a racing cowled rad, the same as used on the club letterhead. The editorial reports on the introduction of the 70 mph speed limit for a trial period of four months saying that trial periods have a habit of becoming permanent (how true).
May 1968 and the magazine is now carrying commercial advertisements, 3 full page and 2 half page. There is much discussion on changing the Club's name. An article on the spares problems for Series Is by Ralph Cross and another on the racing circuits around the country by Robin Brown. The August issue of that year was largely devoted to the introduction of the Plus Eight at a cost of £1,477-18s-4d.
Spring 1970 and the magazine has shrunk again to A5 size with a white cover sporting the Morgan Wing. This issue contains the results of the referendum on the name change.
The following year sees the new name MSCC on the cover and photographs. Until March 1975 the magazines were published sometimes quarterly, sometimes bi-monthly. These editions were supported by a stencilled monthly newsletter. From March 1975 it was decided to end these newsletters and to publish ‘Miscellany’ every month and this has been the case ever since. By 1996 the magazine was becoming very thick so it was decided to go up to A4. Landers did have produced for their penultimate edition, March 1997, a colour photograph of Chris Rowe's +4 4 seater on the front cover, as a ‘thank you’ to him on his retirement as editor. May 1997 saw a change of printers to Clarkeprint and regular colour covers and several spot colour and full colour pages. In December 2001 the first 56 page full colour edition was produced. Tighter control of the cost of the printing and advertising rates plus a much more hands on approach by ‘the editorial team’ has given us a much higher quality product at a lower cost.
What of Miscellany today, there are now regularly 48 full colour pages (with the occasional 56 page issue), around 16 of these are advertisements. Things have come a long way since ‘Motoring and Morgans’ of 50 years ago.
The Club has also come a long way in its first half century. The membership has grown from 20 to over 4,500 worldwide. I wonder what and where The Morgan Sports Car Club will be in 2051.
Morgan Sports Car Club Ltd
Registered Office, Dolphin House, Durford Wood
Petersfield GU31 5AW
Registered Number 2595917 England
