Lost Costellos
As the search continues for the few remaining MGB Costello V8 cars worldwide, perhaps you can help? Do you know of any Costello cars in your club, or have you seen one on a recent run or at a meeting?
Lawrence has almost exhausted all the email addresses of senior committee members from MG clubs globally, so listed here are a few more cars identified from historic articles on Costellos, and from exhaustive internet searches. Where possible the copyright for the photograph is attributed to either the last known owner, or the magazine photographer.
So, have you seen these cars? Are they still on the road or languishing in a barn awaiting their day? It would be great to contact their owners and have them join the Costello community. Contact Lawrence if you have any news.
VTM 173K (Mk II GT) is believed to be one of Ken Costello's press cars, used to woo excited open-mouthed journalists around 1973/74, but where is it today?
Some initial investigation work has revealed that this car is more likely re-registered or scrapped.
This late Mk II roadster, CRA 199G (below), featured in a Sporting Cars article from 1983, now seems to have disappeared from view. We know it had a 180 bhp version of the Rover V8, with SUs on a low profile inlet manifold, a bespoke dual exhaust system and Koni rear dampers. It was instantly distinguishable by its US-specification wings with their side indicator repeaters. Since being photographed for the article, the Minilite replica wheels it wore then have apparently been changed to slightly wider ones from Wolfrace.
The car was subsequently sold to an Australian enthusiast who worked as an air traffic controller in Papua New Guinea - and it apparently ended up somewhere in his home country. But where exactly is it now?
The picture of BL 96467 was taken at a rally at Silverstone in the early 1980s. The second picture (below right) was taken in Switzerland a few years later, when this green Mk I GT was sporting new wheels. The car was wearing Swiss plates in both instances and was then thought to be owned by a J.Milliet. Is it still?
Thanks to Lothar Taverne for spotting this one.
Bob Farquarson owned the car with registration 66 UFC (below) many years ago. He also owned the pale green MGC which can be seen in the background. Perhaps the Costello registration was a cherished one and has now reverted to a more standard form; we don't know. We await more news from Bob, but where is the car now? Do you know? Photographs copyright Bob Farquarson.
Thought to be an early press car used by Costello Engineering Ltd, but where is it now and what is its registration?
Meanwhile, a tantalising snapshot of a Costello, whose registration began A-, but this is all we have.
Perhaps this early, unidentified MkI engine bay shot belongs to the same car? The colours seem to match....
MGB 271 - spotted here in a car park in Australia. Can anyone throw any light on this very rare MkI Roadster?
SGN 763L seen parked outside the Costello Engineering garages in Kent, early 1970s. Did this car become a Costello, or was it simply visiting for the day? Photograph copyright Dave Vale.
Chris Coote's wife was sorting through some old photographs and came across a photograph of their car, YFJ 35K. He bought the car - a Mk I - in 1973 and sold it to someone from Blackpool in 1975/6. Chris remembers overtaking cars in the South of France at 140mph in 1973, but has no record of where the car might be now. Some initial investigations have revealed that the car was registered in April 1972 and was exported (to where?) in July 1987, now resprayed in black.
If you have seen it, please get in touch.
Nigel Preston sent this one in. This car xxx 310J is believed to have been either tested, or owned by the popular racer and journalist Chris Harris.
Whilst looking for wheels on the "Image Wheels" site, Nigel spotted this red GT, described as an "MGB GT V8", but is clearly wearing a the Costello bonnet, suggesting this car is in fact a MkI GT. For the pedants, the wheels are Billet "46P" Classics.