HISTORY OF “RIP”
“RIP” IS A MONZA RED, 1961, AUSTRALIAN ASSEMBLED, 1600CC, MGA.
44+ YEARS ON AND WITH ONLY 26000KM ON THE CLOCK “RIP” ARRIVED ON THE GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA IN GOOD CONDITION IN 2005.
SINCE THEN, “RIP” HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL TO MANY CORNERS OF THE WORLD.
2005 SAW HER IN THE UK AND WESTERN EUROPE, TRAVELLING THROUGH ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, WALES, FRANCE, BAVARIA, SWITZERLAND, AUSTRIA,
THE CZECH REPUBLIC, GERMANY, BELGIUM AND HOLLAND.
IN 2007, “RIP” TRAVELLED 17500KM AROUND AUSTRALIA, VISITING KARUMBA, AYRES ROCK, PORT LINCOLN, ESPERANCE, PERTH AND CALGOOLIE BEFORE
RETURNING HOME TO THE GOLD COAST VIA ADELAIDE AND BROKEN HILL.
IN 2008, “RIP” DID A CIRCUIT OF NEW ZEALAND’S NORTH AND SOUTH ISLANDS, THEN HEADED OFF TO SOUTHERN AFRICA TO ENTER THE MG INDABA IN SOUTH AFRICA
BEFORE TRAVELLING UP THROUGH SWAZILAND, MOZAMBIQUE, MALAWI, TANZANIA AND KENYA TO THE EQUATOR. ON HER RETURN, SHE TRAVELLED THROUGH ZAMBIA,
ZIMBABWE AND BOTSWANA BACK TO SOUTH AFRICA, COMPLETING A 17000KM ROUND TRIP.
HER NEXT BIG ADVENTURE WAS IN 2010 WHEN SHE BECAME THE FIRST MGA TO EVER TRAVEL FROM THE NEW MG FACTORY IN SHANGHAI, CHINA, TO THE OLD MG
FACTORY IN BIRMINGHAM, UK. THIS TOOK 94 DAYS AND 21000KM AND WAS TRULY A TRIP OF A LIFE TIME, TRAVELLING THROUGH COUNTRIES SUCH AS CHINA
(31 DAYS), KAZAKHSTAN, KYRGYZSTAN, UZBEKISTAN, TURKMENISTAN, IRAN, TURKEY, GREECE, ALBANIA, MONTENEGRO, CROATIA, SLOVENIA, ITALY, SWITZERLAND
AND FRANCE ON THE WAY TO THE UK.
2012 SAW RIP BACK IN SOUTH AFRICA AGAIN; READY TO TACKLE THE FAMOUS CAPE TO CAIRO ROUTE – WITH 10 OTHER CLASSIC MG’S. SHE FIRST TOURED THE
GARDEN ROUTE EAST OF CAPE TOWN, BEFORE HEADING THROUGH NAMIBIA, BOTSWANA, ZIMBABWE, ZAMBIA AND TANZANIA EN ROUTE TO THE CONCOURS IN KENYA.
AFTER A WEEK’S HOLIDAY AT A GAME PARK, RIP WAS BACK INTO IT – DRIVINIG THE “ROAD FROM HELL” IN NORTHERN KENYA, THEN THROUGH ETHIOPIA,
SUDAN AND CAIRO, EGYPT, BEFORE BEING FERRIED OVER THE MED SEA TO TURKEY AND ON THROUGH BULGARIA, SERBIA, BOSNIA, CROATIA, SLOVENIA AND
WESTERN EUROPE TO ABINGDON , UK.
AS RIP WAS STILL IN THE UK IN 2013, SHE DECIDED THAT A TRIP ALONG THE ARTIC HIGHWAY TO NOORDKAPP, NORWAY, THE NORTHERN-MOST TOWN IN EUROPE,
WAS A SUITABLE DESTINATION. ON LEAVING SCANDINAVIA, RIP TRAVELLED DOWN THROUGH “OLD” EASTERN GERMANY, THE CZECH REPUBLIC, AUSTRIA AND ITALY
TO THE AMALFI COAST, BEFORE RETURNING TO THE UK THROUGH FRANCE, THEN BACK TO AUSTRALIA.
OVER THE YEARS, “RIP’ HAS BEEN CONVERTED INTO A SAFE AND COMFORTABLE TOURER: MGB 5-BEARING MOTOR, 5 SPEED GEARBOX, LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL,
STEEL-BELT UTILITY TYRES ON 72 SPOKE RIMS, HIGH-BACKED SEATS, 3-POINT SEAT BELTS, ALTERNATOR, ELECTRONIC IGNITION, ELECTRIC RADIATOR FAN –
THE LIST GOES ON! HER ORIGINAL 1600CC MOTOR, GEARBOX AND SEATS HAVE BEEN REFURBUSHED AND ARE STORED, READY TO GO BACK IN WHEN SHE FINDS A
NEW KEEPER ONE DAY.
AT THE TIME OF ACQUSITION, “RIP” STOOD FOR “REST IN PEACE”. NOT LIKING THE CONNOTATION ASSOCIATED WITH “RIP”, MY SON CHANGED “RIP” TO
“RETIRE IN PARADISE”. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WOULDN’T WANT TO “REST IN HELL” SO “REST IN PEACE” WILL DO ME…
WHERE TO NEXT?
YOU’VE GOT IT! THE PAN-AMERICA HIGHWAY FROM USHUAIA, ARGENTINA TO VANCOUVER, CANADA, THROUGH SUCH LOVELY COUNTRIES AS CHILE, BOLIVIA,
PERU, ECUADOR, COLOMBIA, PANAMA, COSTA RICA, NICARAGUA, HONDURAS, GUATEMALA, MEXICO AND CENTRAL AND EASTERN USA IN 2015.
AND AFTER THAT?
WHY NOT LEAVE RIP IN VANCOUVER FOR THE WINTER AND RETURN IN THE SPRING OF 2016 TO DRIVE THE TRANS-CANADA HIGHWAY TO NOVASCOTIA AND BACK
THROUGH THE BLUE RIDGE HIGHWAY, TEXAS, NEW ORLEANS AND ROUITE 66 TO LOS ANGELES? SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN TO ME!
AT THIS POINT, RIP WOULD HAVE TRAVELED AROUND THE WORLD, BOTH LONGITUDINALLY AND LATITUDINALLY – EXCEPT FOR THE NORTH AND SOUTH POLES.
MAYBE IT WILL BE TIME TO HANG UP THE KEYS? OR MAYBE NOT! WHAT ABOUT ASIA, TIBET AND INDIA???
TIME WILL TELL!
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