Maggie: A Lifelong MG Love Affair

Maggie wasn’t much to look at. In

need of love and attention, yes. But to

young Tom McCooey, strapped in the

driver’s seat, smelling brittle leather

and gripping the huge steering wheel,

the old MG Magnette in the garage

was more than just his dad’s old motor.

Tom had never seen Maggie move

or heard her engine roar, but the fact

dad Will wouldn’t let the car go added

to the magic and mystique. Aged 14,

Tom embarked on reviving her, but life threw many diversions in front of

Maggie’s journey back to the road.

Sharing the view from vehicles

throughout Tom’s life, this love affair

has not always been smooth, as every

small victory uncovered yet another

seemingly insurmountable problem.

For Tom it was never about the

car’s financial worth, but preserving

something central to family history.

All of it driving a tale of restoration

from love to grief and back again.