Straight Talk March/April 2026

Straight Talk from the “Mann” Cave
Bruce Mann

Spring is just around the corner, although looking outside today you wouldn’t know it as snow is falling in Michigan, and the temperatures remain bitterly cold. This has been one of the harshest winters we have experienced in many years. On the bright side, by the time you receive this issue of MGA! spring will be close at hand. Hopefully, all your maintenance projects on your MGA or Magnette will be complete, and you’ll be ready to welcome an early spring driving season.

So, what’s new with NAMGAR? Just a few updates. We recently held a very productive board meeting in Sandusky, Ohio, at the Kalahari Resort, the home of MG International 2026. It is an outstanding venue for our upcoming event, GT-51. I will share more details and outcomes from the board meeting in the next issue of MGA!.
By now, most of you have likely read that registration for GT-51 and MG International 2026 is officially open. If you have not yet registered, you can do so through our website at namgar.com. Several aspects of the event are particularly important to MGA members. We will be offering hospitality like what NAMGAR traditionally provides at its annual GTs. The hospitality suite will be shared among all four registers, encouraging greater interaction and camaraderie. These evening suites will feature a bartender and will be well equipped to meet your refreshment needs. They will operate as cash bars, and we are hoping for some lively member-provided entertainment with singing, guitars, and other musical talents.

I encourage you to look at the registration form. While it is quite comprehensive, it highlights the many opportunities to enjoy water, beaches, sand, islands, sunshine, and MGs. It promises to be a relaxing and enjoyable experience; all set in Ohio with excellent driving roads. On Tuesday evening, each register including ours will host its own banquet. Wednesday will feature the car show, following the long-standing NAMGAR tradition. On Thursday evening, all registers will come together for the awards banquet, featuring a fine meal, entertainment, and the presentation of car awards.

Shifting gears, we hope you enjoyed the last issue of MGA!. It marked our first production without a formal editor. For many years, the magazine benefited from dedicated editorial leadership, but despite our efforts, we have not yet been able to fill that role. I would personally like to thank Dan Suter, Bill Marshall, and Chaz de Bourbon for working alongside me to continue delivering MGA! the heartbeat of NAMGAR and our primary connection to the membership. We welcome your feedback and encourage you to share your thoughts in a letter to the editor even though we do not have an editor. While we may have made a few missteps along the way, we are committed to improving with each issue.

We look forward to seeing you in Sandusky later this summer. Don’t forget to register!

News Flash from our advertising base: Many of you are already aware that Moss Motors, a longtime major supplier of British car parts, was acquired earlier this year by a New York–based private equity firm. Following a merger with Rimmer Bros and a partnership with SNG Barratt, the companies now operate as a global British vehicle parts distributor. These changes have led to significant reductions in Moss’s advertising budget, and a new advertising theme will be prevalent down the road once the new artwork is received.

Hope to see many members in Sandusky in August.

Remember the Road to Success is always under construction