sussex constabulary, mg bgt, bap 886k, In Restoration, preservation and service.

This 1971 Sussex Constabulary MG BGT had the call sign ‘tango 230’ and was based at Horsham (t2) traffic base. After service with Sussex police the car was retired and went through the hands of several owners before being discovered in Brighton by the current owner in 2003. Since then it has undergone a full bare metal restoration back to its original Sussex police spec. 

Original specification includes a genuine Sussex police roof box and blue light, rear stop box, Pye Whitehall radio set, two-tone horns, 6 traffic cones and accident signs, wide load boards, first aid kit, cut down broom, 2 bardic lamps and a host of smaller items to assist at any scene. Despite their size these MG BGT’s proved to be excellent traffic patrol cars. 

During its production, Sussex had 53 of these cars which were regarded as a reliable and effective tool in dealing with all forms of road traffic duties, as well as acting as a response vehicle. A few other  forces also used the MG BGT, including Edinburgh city, Lancashire, West Midlands and Thames Valley.

In 1966, Sir George Terry, the Chief Constable of the East Sussex Constabulary deemed the MG BGT as an ideal car for policing the county’s network of A and B class roads.

Tango 230 photographed by Bern Clapshoe on 7th November 1971 

WPC Joy Christian and her crew mate WPC Hazel Lane take a look at their MG BGT