It is auto translation of Portugese article from this great blog https://macauantigo.blogspot.com/. I made it for myself (as long as i am very interested in my almost local Gran Prix, but i don’t speak Portugese). So probably more english speaking mates can read it. But all credit go to the original source.
The original author of Portugese blog says he was very lucky recieve letter from owner of this GP Morgan.
….I am the owner of the Morgan (…) first owner was Gordon ‘Dinger’ Bell (1923-1981). I bought her from her in Hong Kong in early 1968 and, when I retired from Hong Kong Government service in 1997, brought her back to England…….Here in the UK there is a big (heavy too) new book on famous Morgan cars and my car, “Betsy”, has a whole chapter to herself entitled “The Macau Grand Prix Morgan”. her “The Macau Morgan”. In all “Betsy” appeared on the Macau GP circuit about five times. The first was in 1954; the second at the Classic Car Race of the 25th anniversary of the GP (1978) and the last time in 1985. She is the reason that the Classic Car Club of Hong Kong was formed.“
The first Macau Grand Prix took place on the 30th and 31st of October 1954. The main event, on the 31st (Sunday), started at 3 minutes after noon. It had 15 participants in a four-hour race over 51 laps of the Guia Circuit with an extension of 3.9 miles (6.27 Kms).
In the first edition of the GPM, the starting method was the so-called “Le Mans type”, that is, the cars were on one side of the track and the drivers on the other side had to run to the vehicles, at the start signal, to start proof. In this type of match, Morgan (nº 7) was the first to go out onto the track (image above). He led for the first 5 laps and set the fastest lap record, but he broke down and did not finish the race.I remember José dos Santos Ferreira (Adé)’s account of Morgan’s performance:“The ‘Morgan’, very fast, immediately took the lead, closing the first lap with almost a third of the lead over the second. water tank, unfortunately for the driver, a wheel came off the car, which became unusable for the rest of the race. to the wall of the Outer Harbor, with the driver having the presence of mind not to let go of the steering wheel and drive the car braking until it stops completely, but already on the ramp that goes down to the water.”
the book “Morgan the march of progress”, by Charles Neal. It tells the whole story from 1909 to the present day with a total of 288 pages and over 400 images
Author of original blog asked Dick Worral to explain the origin of the name Betsy. Here’s the answer:
“It’s called Betsy because when I bought it in Hong Kong in early 1967, the rubber gas line was decomposing, causing the engine to misfire (cough) and run poorly (stutter). My wife had worked in a bank in the UK and the manager’s wife was a heavy smoker and drinker, which made him “cough and choke” like Morgan.The manager’s wife was called… Betsy.
Pictures show some of the cars going back on the track after the 1978 race. On the left a Bentley (I think owned by Michael Kadoorie of Hong Kong), in the middle is my Morgan, Betsy (race number 16) and on the right one of the Japanese contingent’s other cars. The top picture is of the race results. First place was the ‘straight 8’ Alpha Romeo race car belonging to Mr Hayashi, a wealthy Japanese classic car collector. Betsy (16) in second place and only 5 seconds behind the winner after 6 laps! In third place was the newly restored Jaguar SS 100, which was driven by Mr Hayashi’s mechanic. Betsy started from the back of the grid with the Alpha at the front “in pole” and the Jaguar close behind. There was much catching up to do but whilst doing that Betsy and I also set the fastest lap time of the race …….just like “Dinger” Bell, also driving Betsy, did at the first Macau GP in 1954.
Betsy is the main reason that the Classic Car Club of Hong Kong was formed. That is because the Clerk of the Macau GP course, Mr Phil Taylor, told me that because there were so few old cars in Hong Kong organizing the Classic Car Race had proved to be very difficult (that was why most of the cars were from Japan) . He said that if I could get old car owners in Hong Kong to get together he would allow old car events at future the Macau GP’s.Shortly after that, I started work contacting classic car owners in Hong Kong and eventually formed the CCCHK. I kept in contact with the Japanese car owners and also with the owner of the Triumph TR3A which was the sole Macau entry in 1978. Did you know that there is a very rare Jowett Jupiter sports car which I believe is still in Macau where it’s Chinese owner keeps/kept her in a garage. It is my understanding that the TR3A was subsequently turned into the replica of the TR2 that won the first GP and is the car display in the Macau GP museum.
Source: https://macauantigo.blogspot.com/
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