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12The Le Mans cars differed from the standard M-Types and ‘DoubleTwelve’ Replicas in having more powerful engines; long range fueland oil tanks; reinforced wheels with extra spokes; an upsweptscuttle; extra instrumentation; a pressurised fuel tank; a uniqueunder-body exhaust system incorporating a Brooklands silencer;and an externally mounted spare wheel, many of these modificationsmade to meet the Le Mans regulations.‘RX 6796’ was driven at Le Mans by Sir Francis Samuelson and FredKindell (an MG employee) but retired after a fractured oil pipe led todamaged bearings. The second car driven by Murton-Neale and JackHicks also retired. Undeterred, Samuelson obtained an entry for theSpa-Francorchamps 24-hour race to be held a fortnight later and setoff for Abingdon in his Talbot, taking the MG’s engine with him. Back inFrance the rebuilt motor was soon reinstalled and the MG was then ‘runin’ by being driven north to Belgium. ‘RX 6796’ was the only British entryat Spa and finished 5th in class, hampered by severe clutch slip.This car is believed to have had continuing competition usage duringthe 1930s but the details are not known. It is reputed to have beensupercharged at one time and it is likely that the car’s hydraulic brakesand J2 four-speed gearbox were fitted during this period.The Midget was purchased by the vendor’s father-in-law, Lewin Spittle,in Newmarket in 1943 for £17 10s (£17.50) with three gallons of‘unobtainable’ petrol in the (enlarged) Le Mans tank. He wrote: ‘It lookedsomehow different and had the largest SU I had seen on an engine ofthat size together with a fishtail exhaust which would not have disgraceda Bentley.’As the little MG would not accommodate his growing family, Spittlesold it in 1948 to an undergraduate who took it to Spain. He saw thecar again in Piccadilly in 1950 and by the mid-1960s had traced it toOxford where it was owned by Dr Stuart Milton, who was very wellknown in MG circles and owned the ex-Nuvolari K3. Spittle and Miltonagreed jointly to restore the car to original Le Mans specification, wherenecessary using parts from the second Le Mans car of Murton-Neale,the remains of which Milton also owned. Milton died in 1971 before therebuild was completed.During the restoration, drawings of the Le Mans body were obtainedfrom Abingdon and an accurate replica made, but the rest of the carincluding the engine (with the exception of the carburettor, which is ofthe correct downdraft configuration but of a different model) is believedto be original. The MG was the subject of a feature by Bill Boddy in theJune 1976 issue of Motor Sport (copy available).‘RX 6796’ has been in single family ownership for almost 50 years andhas seen limited use in this time. The engine has been rebuilt, it beingnoted that the special cylinder head had the copper plating which wastypical of MG racing practice of the period. The Midget has appearedregularly at special MG occasions, most recently at the demonstrationof significant MG competition cars at the 1999 Goodwood Revivalmeeting, and has been invited to attend this year’s ‘MG90’ celebrationsat Silverstone on 21/22 June. Currently taxed and offered with V5registration document, the car is running and driving but has seenlittle use in recent years and would benefit from re-commissioning. Awonderful opportunity to acquire a unique and historically significant partof the MG legend.£80,000 - 120,000€99,000 - 150,000Motor Cars | 173