Car Research - 56 100M

[MikeAH100M]

Trying to dig up some history on my 1956 100M. I was only able to go back two owners and the last owner's health kept him from remembering much about the car - except that it was the pace car at the first Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix in 1982! I checked with the Registries and the car had not been registered before. So . . I noticed that the BMHIT Certificate indicated that the shipping destination dealer in the US was Hambro Trading Inc., San Francisco. Anyone know if there are any Hambro records in existence? Car is now if Pennsylvania so it will be interesting to see how it got from CA to here.

 

[59diamond]

My heritage says Hambro Trading Inc. , San Francisco for my 1960 sprite so I am guessing that a lot of British cars were shipped to that spot as there first port of entry to the US. I see a bugeye in the picture of your cars. Does it have a British Heritage Certificate and if so where was it shipped to.

 

[59diamond]

This an interesting story I found which talks about British cars going to San Francisco, but also going to the Hasbro Trading Co. in New York. I wonder if it is possible that your car really went to New York and the San francisco part is in error.

autotraderclassics.com/car-article/MG+At+75-81971.xhtml

 

[MikeAH100M]

Thanks for the comments. I'll see what I can find about Hambro NY. The Bugeye's original destination in 1960 is listed as Fort Worth, Texas and I bought it in Cleveland.

 

[HealeyRick]

Hambros was the American Importer for MG, Austin and later BMC. Their main office was in New York, but they did have offices in other cities, including San Francisco. They were responsible for bringing the cars into the U.S. and clearing them through customs. They did not do direct sales to retail customers but funneled them through distributors and eventually to local dealers. I don't know if the distributor network had been set up in the early '50s and whether cars at that time went directly to dealers. Here's some more background: https://www.mg-cars.org.uk/mgtd/mgtd_america.htm#Importers I've never heard of anyone finding any Hambros records that would allow them to track their car.

 

[HealeyRick]

This an interesting story I found which talks about British cars going to San Francisco, but also going to the Hasbro Trading Co. in New York. l

Go Joes!