112 Classic& SportsCarDecember 2015E
arl Howemay have beenamature
44 whenhe firststartedout in
motorsport,but few weremore
enthusiasticthanthe popular,
dapperaristocrat.His familyquite
possiblyhad conflictingviewsto
thoseof his wealthyracingchums,
though,sinceHowehad a habitof discreetly
sellingoff valuableheirloomsto funda new
racingcar, sponsora team,or tarmaca dramatic
drivewaythroughhis Buckinghamshireestate.
The peer evenhad the porticoof the frontdoor
extendedso thathe couldparkan opencar
underneathto shelterit fromthe elements.
Throughout the 1930s, Howe was often criti-
cisedfor his preferencefor exoticEuropean
machinery, but his acquisitionof modelsfrom
Alfa, Mercedes,Delageand Bugattiwas downto
the lack of competitivehome-builtmachinery.
Agreatadmirerof the MilleMiglia–“It’svery
much in thecharacterof thegr eatmotorracesof
days goneby betweenParis-Viennaand Paris-
Berlin,”he onceenthused– Howelongedto
breakItaliandominationwith aBritishteam.At a
partyafterthe 1930DoubleTw elve at Brook-
lands,the Earl met a dashing25-year-old Italian
count,Giovanni‘Johnny’Lurani,and a lifelong
friendshipbegan.Conversationsoonturnedto
the MilleMigliaand a plan was hatchedto enter
the 1931race with a Bentley, but the collapse of
the greatCricklewoodconcerncurtailedthe idea.
Howewas an outspokencriticof Britishsports
car manufacturers and regardedBrooklandsas a
lim iti ng fac tor to develo pment. The rea l rac ing ,
he considered,tookplaceon the continent.He
applaudedTa lbot’soverseasefforts,but, no doubtinfluencedby his dashingfriend‘Tim’ Birkin,
maintainedthat superchargingwas the way to go.
With the demiseof the IrishGP, MG started
lookingfor a high-profilerace withwhichto
promoteits cars,and whenHoweapproached
CecilKimberhis enthusiasmwas reciprocated.
Themainproblemwas Sir WilliamMorris’
negativeviewsaboutthe expenseand perilsof
motorsport,but eventuallya dealwas done
wherebyHowewouldfundtheteamif MG
couldprovidea suitablecar. Rumourhas it that
the peersold a paintingby FranzHalsto help
coverthe considerablecosts,with GeorgeEyston
and Birkinimmediatelyenlistedfor the team.
The 1932 LondonMotorShowlaunchof
MG’s new Magnetteserieswith its short-stroke,
1087cc‘six’ and Wilson pre-selectorgearbox
was the catalystfor a high-performanceK3
prototypefor the 1933season.Fitted– at the
instigationof Eyston– with a Powerplussuper-
charge r, the new MG lookedto be thevoiturette
challengerwithwhichBritaincouldtakeon
Maseratiin the 1100ccclass of the MilleMiglia.
Kimberput the pressureon his designteam,
led by talentedchiefengineerHubertNoel
Charles,and the prototypesportscar was devel-
opedin just 20 weeks.The first chassis,K3751,
was fittedwithmodifiedC-typebodyworkand
optimisticallyenteredfor the RallyeMonte-
Carlo.Thecar struggled in the winter
conditions, but survivedto enterthe Montdes
Muleshillclimbfourdaysafterthe Monaco
finish,GWWright settingthe fastesttime.
Howe,meanwhile,was alreadyplanninghis
practicesortiewith the secondK3, K3752,which
featureda distinctiveslopingradiator.‘RUMOURHAS ITTHAT
THEPEERSOLDA
PAINTINGBY FRANZ
HALSTO COVERTHE
CONSIDERABLECOSTS’