@Straightspeedphoto : MGC GTS Sebring

A simple question was asked on a Facebook page, under a photograph of a restomod style MGB GT "Sebring", was the Sebring the greatest MG. I answered no, arguing in favour of the much earlier M Type, but thats another story.

The same page then popped up a photo of this car, one of 4 made by John Chatham from the correct shells supplied by BMC Competitions Department.

Only two GTS coupes were made by BMC before the programme got cancelled, Chatham was due to drive one of them on the 1970 Targa Florio. BMC offered him the remaining 4 shells to build continuation model GTS Sebring's.

Sothbys sold this particular car in 2016, a car John Chatham kept and raced until 2004.

They wrote "When John Chatham prepared this particular GTS for competition use, he used the very latest BMC components from the race programme, including an aluminium engine block, which this car retains, and which was mounted further back in the engine bay. Magnesium alloy wheels were also fitted, effectively creating a “super-lightweight”. It is believed that this is the only surviving original aluminium block.

Thanks to its lightweight aluminium construction, the car has a dry weight of only around 900 kilograms"

Back to the original question. Had the photo been of one of the 6 GTS models built from the lightweight BMC Competitions Departments shell, I'd have answered differently.

I've a copy of Bill Price's superb BMC Competitions Department book (remember them) tucked away, I may just read it again now, the full story of the GTS is well documented within.