Vintage Thing No.111 - the Kayne Special

The Kayne Special III finds grip from the line at Werrington

This machine caught my eye at Werrington Hillclimb. It's the Kayne Special, actually the last of a series of 3 built by John Cooper (not the one who did the Minis but another John Cooper whose world famous among MG owners)  using MGB components and this one had a Rover V8. It was originally built in 1983 as a tow car with a slushbox for the other Kayne Specials but when drivers were allowed to drive more than one car at meetings John changed to a manual box and got serious with it.

Looking and sounding good, this Kayne Special has MGB IFS and semi-elliptic leaf springs

It's been sold on now and sports a comprehensive roll cage which spoils its clean lines for me.

So who ever heard of a hillclimb car rolling? Remember that Renault 5 Turbo in an earlier post about a meeting at Werrington?

As I see more and more Locost Caterfields with cages like this, my eyes are becoming used to them but a traditionally styled car just looks so sleek. However, cars like this were not meant to be just looked at, they belong on the hills and if a full cage like this means you're more comfortable to give it beans then so be it.

The engine room is brutal, simple and effective. Note how close the steering column runs to the top chassis rail and the boxy box with the MG logo on it.

The steering column is a finely judged fit between the chassis and the heads. There's also a box on the side of the scuttle to improve not legroom but footroom - "a major improvement in road safety."

The Kayne Special III's advantage over an MGB is weight. That monocogue roadster shell was a lump - lumpier than the Morris Marina 2 door shell that often had the same spec B series engine. It's cobbier and squarer than a "B", too, and with the recently fitted cycle wings the driver can easily see where the front wheels are pointing, which improves the "born with wheels" sensation even more.