Watkins Glen - MGTCs

Photo: Automobile Magazine

The Cornett MGTC crossing the stone bridge at the top of the street race course recreates a racing moment from 1948, but not completely recreating that event.

When we first became owners of the duo red MGTC, one set up for racing, we were interested in learning more about the car and its racing history.  One document found through a search of the internet was "Four Harps and a Coffin," a magazine article in Automobile Magazine written by Sam Smith (link to article).  He drew his title from a description by Karl Ludvigsen, an automotive engineer and prolific automotive writer, that the MGTC's 4 wire wheels and the shape of the body were like four harps and a coffin. The car featured in the article was raced in the very first Watkins Glen Grand Prix in 1948 and became famous in that race.

Photo: Automobile Magazine

At that first race, Denver Cornett drove this MGTC across the stone bridge and into the tight right-hand corner too fast.  He slid off the road surface, the tires dug into the soft earth, and the car rolled down the hill into a creek landing upside down.  Spectators ran to the car.  One stated, "I wonder if he is dead?"  Denver yelled, "Why don't you turn the damn thing over and find out!"  The car was flipped upright, restarted, and Denver Cornett finished the race.  The big race was later that day and the MG had a bent wheel.  Briggs Cunnigham, a famous racer and car builder, loaned Denver two wheels from his wife's street car and Denver ran the second race, the Grand Prix.  He finished 7th in the Grand Prix, 2nd in his class.  Smith summarized in his article: "(The Watkins Glen Grand Prix) would likely not have been possible - or, at the very least, it would have been far less successful - without the MGTC".  There were eleven MGTCs entered in the 1948 Grand Prix, eight finished in the top ten.

Denver Cornett's history lives on 70 years later.  The old stone bridge is still there and the historic road course sign notes that it has been known a Cornett's Stone Bridge since that race in 1948.

The roads that made up the street race course remain and can be explored in your daily driver during a visit to the Village of Watkins Glen.  An earlier post documented some aspects of the road course and can be seen by clicking here.

There is a Concours show at the Watkins Glen Festival.  In that show was the original Denver Cornett MGTC.  After learning some MG racing history, we come face-to-face with it.

Denver Cornett continued racing the car for a few more years then retired it to storage as he moved on to race many marques.  He never sold it.  It only has 12,000 miles.  The car was brought out of storage a couple decades ago, was restored and has raced in some vintage races.  Denver Cornett II past away in 2006, but his son, Denver Cornett III, proudly shares this historic MG race car with others at events.

A second MGTC was in the Concours, another racer that raced on the old street course.  This car is original and presented as raced with no modifications.  All one needed to do to go road racing at the time was to buy an MG from the dealer and drive to the track.

The only item that is not original to the car as delivered new is that the tires have been replaced.  The white wall tire mounted on the spare is one of the original tires on which the car raced.  All MGTCs left the factory painted one color, but US dealers sometime repainted the cars when new to create the two-tone look in vogue.  This car began life in England yellow, but gained some British Racing Green wings.

All MGTCs were right-hand drive as in their native England, even those sent to the US.  The green leather is in great condition, considering that is is 70 years old.  The car has only 8800 miles.

The engine is stock, exactly the way it left the factory.  These cars moved from the showroom floor to the race track with no required changes.

The provenance (history and records) of a car can add a lot to its value.  This owner has a display of records of the car in races, including photographs.  This image captures the car, known as "Sweat Pea" making the corner onto the stone bridge in the 1951 Watkins Glen Grand Prix.

And, at Sebring, Florida, in 1950.  Note the white wall tire.

To Denny and David: Thanks for bringing these two MGTCs to Watkins Glen to share and for Maintaining the Breed.



A view of the old race track and the story of the Cornett Bridge is well documented on YouTube, narrated by Denny Cornett III.  Click on the link below.

YouTube Video