Colin Spong

1900 MMC 2.25

American-car specialist Colin Spong (on right) and brother Adrian turned out with a real rarity: the only trike at the races built by the Motor Manufacturing Co. “We found it in a scrapyard in Rushden, Northamptonshire, in around 1970 and my late father did all the work on it,’’ says Colin. “He was quite an accomplished engineer, a clever chap. It was finished shortly before he died so he never actually saw it go. We’ve had it in storage for about 25 years now, and thought the time was right to bring it out and to try to make it run.”

The Spongs’ interest in classic, vintage and veteran machinery is very much a family affair: “My father used to buy old cars because it was all we could afford, and in ’58 he bought a Lincoln Zephyr. He was going to scrap it but, being an awkward teenager, I said no. So I had to go and rent a garage for 12 and sixpence a week to keep it! We eventually restored it together in the ’70s and we still have it. We have a collection of cars and motorcycles, predominantly pre-war American stuff – three Lincoln Zephyrs, Adrian has a Willys Knight, Model T Fords and so on.”

Despite hours of fettling, the MMC refused to co-operate: “It’s running an original coil and, for reasons I can’t comprehend, seems to be putting the high tension back through the frame – which is quite shocking! We tried a couple of other coils and they didn’t work, so thought it would be best to take it home and review it in the workshop.”