MGS FROM A'S TO Z'S MEET IN GEELONG, VICTORIA

... from sought after MGA Twin Cams to the latest Z models sports sedans - converged on Geelong for four days of displays and competition over Easter for the 40th MG National Meeting.

The tradition of MG Car Club National meetings dates back to the early 1960s with friendly rivalry between the MG clubs in Melbourne and Adelaide, whose members began meeting at Easter and on the Queens Birthday weekend for a series of competition events. In 1970 the N.S.W. club invited all Australian MG owners to a meeting in Sydney and this successful event evolved into the National Meeting format as it exists today, with the various State clubs taking it in turn to organise.

Hosted jointly by the Melbourne based MG Car Club Victoria and the Geelong club, this year's meeting was the second to be held in Geelong. It attracted a near-record 500-plus MGs, from the forerunner of the MG sports car dating back to 1929 to the 100 T-series cars from the TA and TB models of the 1930s, to the TC, TD and TFs of the 1940s and '50s. With racing being an inseparable part of MG history and development, many competition vehicles were also seen at the Nationals.

Held from Good Friday April 10 until Easter Tuesday, April 14, entrants enjoyed a scenic tour of the Geelong and Great Ocean Road environs, competition at Camperdown's Mt Leura Hillclimb, a tricky Observation Tour and finally raced against the clock around a tight and torturous course in a car park.

The meeting included a Presentation Dinner where trophies were awarded and culminated with a Farewell Breakfast, from where M.G. owners headed for home and began planning for the 2010 event in Adelaide.