VA 2299
This black MG type VA open tourer was produced around the 7th of March 1939 and arrived not long after at the Dutch importer Molenaar on the 4th of May. It was probably ordered by its first registered owner as the MG is noted as being sold on the 8th of May to Mr. Pierson from Nijmegen.
The above photo is taken around 1939-1940 a during a change of ownership as no registration plate is fitted. Note the special wartime headlamp masks.
Mr A.W. Joppe, who was the second owner around 1940 and lived in Oostvoorne, posing with the VA. Note the unuseal badge covering the starter handle hole in the frontbumper. Photo taken at the Molenweg in Oostvoorne.
Mr. Joppe kept the VA untill April 17th of 1941 when he exchanges the MG for hard to get steel plates he needs for building a new sailing vessel. This deal is done with Mr Jan Kappelhoff from Dedemsvaart.
From there on the VA disappears in the mist of time to re-appear in an advert in the carmagazine "Autokampioen" from August 1951. The advertiser is hiding behind the postbox of the magazine only revealing that it is fast, with a fuel economy of 10,5 kilometers to the litre and that the car has been completely overhauled in the previous year.
If it was sold through this advert is unclear but it is more likely that it took untill around March the 20th of 1953 when the VA is registered under the new registration system with number NX-05-73.
Next in the long row of known owners is (1967) Mr de Jong from Leiden, followed by (07.02.1969) Mr Lakeman from Utrecht,
Mr Lakeman in 1969
Through the well known trader Hans Compter this VA is in July 1970 being sold to Mr. J Boersma from Dokkum.
During the ownership of Mr Boersma the engine had a hard time when te local garagist drained the engine oil and forgot to refill the sump before a testdrive. This resulted in the purchase of couple of spare engines from a scrapyard in the UK, amongst which was enginenumberTPBG 503 which according the production files was originally fitted to VA 0254, the first VA of the production line in Abingdon.
Mr Boersma's son Dirk was so attached to the VA that he still remembers the moment the MG was sold in December 1974. In fact he was very angry about it and as a kind of a memory still keeps the wrecked VA engine in his garden shed alongside some remains of TPBG 503.
Next owner Mr Hiddema from Weidum keeps the VA for no longer then a year and its again Mr Compter who strikes a deal in december 1975 with another new owner Mr Schnieders from Erica. He rally's the VA frequently and finally gives the MG away as a present to his daughter Pauline in 1989 when she marries Mr. Wim Reuvers from Klazienaveen who is now performing a major restoration.
July 1994
Note: speedometer in kilometers per hour !