HRG: Still The Sportsman's Ideal

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When Ron Godfrey, Major Ted Halford and Guy Robins first started building cars under the HRG banner in 1935, it was with a firm commitment to sporting achievement. The cars were put through their paces at Brooklands and in hill climbs and trials seemingly without a break, with both the works and privateer entrants looking to outperform the best MG and Aston Martin could offer.

The first 16 HRGs were built to ‘A’ series specification, with narrow chassis and the 1497cc Meadows 4ED Brooklands ‘big crank’ engine. One of the most important was the fifth car built, the ‘Red Demonstrator’, which featured in the 1937 brochure, was loaned to the press for road tests and was campaigned by the works throughout the 1937 and ’38 seasons. Guy Robins and Anthony Curtis were the lucky employees tasked with driving it, starting with an entry in the 1937 Exeter Trial. It also ran in two RAC Rallies, the Donington 12 Hour Sports Car race and numerous speed trials and driving tests.

In recent years, the Red Demonstrator found its way into the hands of a family of lifelong HRG enthusiasts, who went to great pains to restore it to its authentic 1930s appearance. Now fresh from its restoration, Mick Walsh gets behind the wheel of ‘The Sportsman’s Ideal’ in the September issue of The Automobile, on sale now.

Words by Zack Stiling. Photographs by Tony Baker.

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