History
TC Motoring Guild was formed in 1954 in the Glendale, California offices of Road & Track Magazine. One of the few one make, one model clubs of the day, it is perhaps the only one to not only survive, but thrive across the decades.
Our story is too long to put into a simple paragraph like this, but the articles and other items on this page will should give you an idea of what we’re about, where we came from and what we hope the future will hold. From international registers, monthly meetings and tech bulletins to driving tours, concourse shows and repair clinics, TC Motoring Guild has been involved in every aspect of the hobby since these cars were almost new!
For a simplified overview of how it all began, check out the video here showing our 70th Anniversary Exhibit in 2024. Presented by Steve Simmons, it chronicles the history of our club from its formation through the first couple decades.
Historian’s Reports by Steve Simmons
- Unearthing the Archives – How seven decades of archives were rescued.
- TCMG History Part One: How It REALLY All Began
- TCMG History Part Two: Pulling It All Together
- TCMG History Part Three: 1956 – The Dark Days
- Queens of the Club
- TCMG History Part Four: 1957 – A Banner Year (Coming soon!)
Recollections
Our early history, told by those who were there.
- “A General History of the TC Motoring Guild” by Stan Belland
- “In The Beginning” by Earl Sargent
- “The TC of Dorian Gray” by Ron Simon
- “How The Kup Got Its Name” by Stan Belland
- “Reflections on the Conclaves” by Dwane Carlson
Period Pieces
Articles written by, or about, TCMG members in the early days of the club, that you won’t find in our newsletters.
- “The Baby Hasn’t Been Named Yet” by Frank Mason, 1954
- “TC – The Classic Anachronism” by Jim Crandall, 1963
- “Of Men and Cars – Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance” by Frank Mason, 1967
- “MG TC – First Model In California” by Frank Mason, 1962
- “Sudden Conversions” by Peter Egan, 1989
- TCMG Big Bear Weekend Newspaper Article by Bill Bitters, 1959
Annual Conclave
Visual and written records of our annual conclave with the Abingdon Rough Riders, held every year since 1957.
- Conclave Timeline – A concise history of our annual Conclaves
Historical Photo Galleries
Photos of various TCMG event and activities from the early days forward.
- Events Gallery – Get a taste of what we do in this gallery of photos from more recent TCMG activities.
- Early Photos – Various historical photographs of club events and members.
- Snow Snafu to Big Bear Lake 1959 – A weekend outing to Big Bear in march, 1959.
- Frank Mason – Photos of Frank Mason, a founding member of the club, and his unusual TC.
- Annual Conclave – A concise history of our annual Conclaves.
Other Nostalgia
Items of interest chronicling the history of our club.
- Documents and Plaques – Documents, forms, plaques and other items from the club’s early days
- The Montrose Meeting Room – Our club’s meeting room for 59 years remembered
- Clarence Weiss Artwork – A gallery of TCMG newsletter cover art by Clarence Weiss
- TC Motoring Guild at the 1968 Times Grand Prix – Articles and photos from TCMG’s participation in Times Grand Prix festivities
The Stories We Tell
More recent stories of TCMG-related matter, written by our members.
- The Breakdown That Never Happened – An account of minor caravan chaos, by Steve Simmons
Club Awards
A history of the various annual club awards and lists of past winners.
- Frank Mason Award
- Earl Sargent Memorial Trophy
- The Breakdown Award (aka The Harvey)
- Iron Bottom Award
- The Lame Duck Kup
- Annual Conclave Award
Regalia Items
International MG TC Register
Historical items pertaining to the International MG TC Register run by TCMG in the 1960’s.
Multimedia
Video Vault – A collection of videos from the site in one convenient location.
Not TCMG-Specific History
- The TC Motoring Guild Provenance List
A searchable database of MG history! Currently focused on MG TC but expanding to other early M.G. models soon. Searchable by car number, location and other keywords.
If you have information to add about any TC whether on this list or not, please contact the club Historian. - Jouncing Toward Abingdon – A Road & Track article from 1972.