MGC V TR5: TIME TO CHOOSE?
Danny Hopkins makes a case for the MGC to be reassessed
Here we go again. The received wisdom tells us that the TR5 is the best TR of the bunch – the greatest Triumph sports car ever made. The same wisdom tells us that the MGC should be avoided. Too heavy, too slow, looks like an MGB with a fat face and handles like a cow.
Different strokes
50 years ago, less than a year before the creation of British Leyland, it was certainly Triumph 1, MG Nil. The TR5 combined the beauty of the TR4 with six-pot grunt and independent rear suspension… the MG was trying to be a big Healey and failing. Game over.
Funny how the bullet points of history and collected cliches of a generation of motoring scribes can taint the mind. Much as I tried to cleanse the driving palate, I still approached both cars on our shoot with expectations firmly in place.
It took several hours of driving to rid myself of the preconceptions and when I did I realised there are major problems with any TR5/MGC shootout. First up is the fact that virtually every MGC on the road will now have had a few subtle mods which elevate it from its original sins. Modern tyres pumped up properly with a decent anti-roll bar solve the worst of the handling woes and an
engine that has had the attention of the breathing fairies now produces smooth dollops of endless torque. Geoff Fender’s MGC delivers… even though, despite the mods, it remains
a very original car. In 1967 MG were that close to building a good car… really good in fact. The other problem with this comparison is that Conrad Hunt’s
stunning TR5 is a sports car and the MGC, well, isn’t. The MGC is a grand tourer in a sports suit. A vehicle that feels ready to take you across continents in competent, stylish comfort. The TR5, on the other hand, encourages you to forget the schedule. It feels lithe, responsive (the Lucas PI system provides power as you need it) and is comparatively nimble. You would be happy to get lost in the TR… a three-point turn in an MGC is a bit of a chore. So despite appearances, these half centurions shouldn’t even be in the same boxing ring. Middleweight vs heavyweight… it’s a match of unequals.
Still, here I am and the news from the open road is that I like them both enormously. They have character – they speak to you as only a true classic can, and they allow you to explore different aspects of your own driving persona. The TR5 is the partner you’ll always remember for ‘that’ drive. The MGC is the car for the long haul. It takes more effort, but is just as satisfying for it. They are born out of different bloodlines, so it shouldn’t be a surprise. A car that has the TR2 as its great, great grandfather should not go toe to toe with one that is the stepchild of the Austin Healey 3000. Now, 50 years on – the verdict is less game over and more match void.
‘Both of these cars speak to you as only a true classic can’