Double Touch

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the Purple Plum!

I meet Trevor Leighton in the pit lane at Silverstone. It is a cold but sunny spring morning and the weak rays of sun glint off the passing MG’s as another volley drives by. Standing in amongst the jovial and eager attendees, you get the feeling that today is going to be an excellent trackday.

This is none more true for Trevor, nicknamed the “Purple Plum” due to his rather excellent purple MGF. Sitting in the shade of the paddock the MGF -to which Trevor has many made modifications- waits patiently for its owner to return. Unfortunately it won’t be for a little while as today I’m asking what Trevor what he makes of MGs on Track and, of course, the MGF.

Trevor has come to the Silverstone trackday, one of the highlights of the MGoT’s year and incidentally sold out within a couple of days, from his home in Stockton-on-Tees near Middlesbrough. As a regular attendee of almost all the trackdays MGoT have to offer, this long distance drive is not new. In fact for many of the trackdays Trevor travels down the night before and stays overnight in order to attend. For today’s trackday Trevor spent three and a half hours travelling.

“They’re all a great bunch,” Trevor notes as I quiz him over the social aspect of MGoT. “I’m not that mechanically minded and there’s always someone who will give you a hand.” “The social aspect of the trackdays is good,” he adds and as for the sessions on track “it’s not competitive so there’s no pressure.” This is something Trevor appears to really appreciate. As we start to discuss his favourite tracks through the country another volley of MG’s flies by.

As a regular at MGoT Trevor has driven the best Britain has to offer. Well, apart from a few tracks right down in the south! From Trevor’s favourite track Caldwell to the stately Castle Donnington, to the Paddock hill bend at Brands Hatch, Trevor has visited them all. When I ask him about today’s offering he replies, “Silverstone is a good, full circuit.” Other tracks that Trevor has visited include Croft, Sutton and Anglesey.

So what has the Purple Plum done to race spec the MGF? The car, which cost £17,000 with 6000 miles on the clock, was bought by Trevor after just six months use. It has a 1.6 litre engine and churns out between 165 to 175 Bhp. However underneath its fruity shell Trevor’s additions include: lowered suspension, new adjustable shock absorbers, a different exhaust manifold with quad-pipes, roll bars and crisp new 16inch wheels. This combined allows the car to hit 60mph in 6.5 seconds and with minimal fuss to boot.

Before joining MGoT Trevor had a history rallying, specifically in the 1970’s. In addition he also spent ten years racing in Rally Cross, something that he moved on from in 1995. His first session with MGoT was at Caldwell in 2004 and since then has really enjoyed everything it has to offer. So, as Trevor gets kitted up for his next session, MG’s lining up and then pulling away in the pit just a meter or so from the Paddock exit, I ask him where we can expect to get a glimpse of the Purple Plum next? As the last car pulls away in the pit, Trevor fires up the MGF’s engine and states, after a little thought, that he will be at Snetton. A few seconds later he is on track.