This is the Devin MG TD which Art Evans raced throughout Southern California in the 1950’s. Here’s its history…
- 1951: raced in production class by original owner Frank Aldhous
- 1952: built as an aluminum bodied “Special” and raced at various Southern California tracks
- 1954: purchased by Art Evans
- 1954-55: Raced by Art Evans at Torrey Pines, Hansen Dam, Glendale Airport, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs
- 1956: converted to Devin body
- 1956-57: Raced by Art Evans at Santa Barbara, Hourglass Field, Del Mar Fairgrounds, Palm Springs
- 1990-93: Restored by Mike Goodman(x Moss Motors)
- 1993: June 27, second in Class, 26th Invitational Le Cercle Concours d’Elegance at Brentwood VA.
- 1994: Entered in Monterey Historics driven by Jack McAfee
- 1997-98: Entered in Monterey Historics
- 2000-2003: owned by Admiral Hank Giffin
- 2008: Awarded “Best Presentation and Performance” by Steve Earl and LRP Historics
- 2003-present: raced across the U.S. from Lime Rock to Laguna Seca. The most recent races are listed below:
2016 Races
Sebring, March
Amelia Island, March
Fontana, April
Road America, May
Mid Ohio, June
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, June
Coronado, September
VIR, September
NOLA, October
COTA, November
In 2016 the Devin won the SVRA Group 4 points championship, and was awarded Gold Medallion Certification
2017: No races entered
2018:
Laguna Seca, March
Laguna Seca, May
Sears Point/Sonoma Raceway
Laguna Seca, August
Michael Helgren purchased the car in 2023 “Because it had not been raced since 2018/19, I have had the car updated to make it race worthy.” He has the car at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion in August 2024 for SamMcCord to race on track.
This MG TD is fitted with an aluminum body and raced by Frank Aldhous and Art Evans throughout the early 1950s before being re-bodied with fiberglass Devin bodywork around 1956, reportedly by racer Art Evans. A refurbishment was carried out in the early 1990s, and the car has since competed in races throughout the US, including multiple appearances at the Monterey Historics and victory in the SVRA Group 4 Points Championship in 2016. The car is finished in metallic blue with white and red stripes and is powered by a 1,445cc MG inline-four paired with a Ford T9 five-speed manual transmission. Features include a roll bar, a side exhaust pipe, dual SU carburetors and knock-off wire wheels.
The fiberglass body was built by California-based Devin Enterprises, which offered its roadster-style design in several size configurations to fit various chassis. This example has been repainted in metallic blue with white and red stripes, Exterior details include #405 race number roundels on the doors, a Lexan windscreen, hood and deck-lid pins, a side exhaust pipe, LED brake lights, and headlight covers with stickers emulating the look of Lucas headlights.
The 15” Dayton wire wheels are secured by two-eared knock-off spinners and mounted with Dunlop Racing tires. Braking is through four-wheel drums with Performance Friction linings. The cockpit houses bucket seats upholstered in quilted black leather with white stitching. Side bolsters and Schroth multi-point harnesses are present for the driver, and additional details include metal door panels and floor covers, a fire suppression system, a dash-mounted rear-view mirror, and a roll bar. A MOMO steering wheel sits ahead of an 8k-rpm tachometer and auxiliary gauges. The 1,445cc MG inline-four was built by Huffaker Motorsports of Sonoma, California in December 2018, at which time the aluminum cylinder head was ported, the water passages were plugged and re-drilled, and Carrillo piston rods fitted. Upgraded valves have also been installed, along with a ceramic-coated exhaust system that terminates into a Supertrapp muffler, a replacement wiring harness, and a fuel cell. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a Ford T9 five-speed manual transmission that was sourced from Moss Motors.
Posted by Marcus Bicknell in August 2024 and further edited by owner Mike Helgren.