HRG - The Sportsmans Ideal

There was a time when the British sports car was not expected to possess electric windows, heated seats or a dashboard resembling the flight deck of a commercial airliner. Instead, it required a willing engine, responsive handling, a long bonnet and sufficient character to convince its owner that being cold, wet and occasionally stranded beside the road was all part of the sporting experience. Few manufacturers embraced this philosophy quite so enthusiastically as HRG, a small British company that produced some of the most delightfully individual sports cars of the pre-war and post-war years.

In HRG – The Sportsman’s Ideal (1985), Ian Dussek celebrates the remarkable history of one of Britain’s lesser-known but most respected specialist sports car manufacturers. Published by Motor Racing Publications, this fascinating account explores the machines, personalities and sporting achievements of HRG, a company whose modest production figures were accompanied by an altogether more impressive reputation for engineering integrity and competition success.

Established in 1936 by E. A. Halford, G. H. Robins and H. R. Godfrey, HRG set out to produce a proper sporting motor car for the discerning enthusiast. The resulting machines combined lightweight construction, straightforward mechanical engineering and excellent handling with a distinctly traditional appearance. These were cars intended to be driven enthusiastically rather than merely polished outside country houses, although their handsome lines made them perfectly suitable for that occupation too.

HRG cars enjoyed considerable success in trials, rallies and endurance competitions, including notable achievements at Le Mans. Their performance demonstrated that an expertly engineered lightweight sports car could compete effectively against considerably more expensive machinery, provided its driver possessed sufficient determination and an appropriate disregard for personal comfort.

Dussek’s account recalls the wonderfully inventive world of small British sports car manufacturers, when a handful of talented individuals could establish a company, produce a genuinely competitive automobile and acquire a devoted following without the inconvenience of an international marketing department.

Naturally, HRG’s commitment to traditional construction and sporting purity was not necessarily the most straightforward route to commercial prosperity. While larger manufacturers embraced mass production and increasingly luxurious motoring, HRG continued producing machines for enthusiasts who believed that weather protection was optional and that a sports car should communicate every imperfection in the road directly to the driver’s spine.

Production eventually ceased in the 1950s, leaving behind a small but distinguished collection of cars whose rarity and sporting pedigree have ensured their continuing appeal among classic motoring enthusiasts.

Condition: Good. This is a previously owned copy dating from 1985, displaying ordinary signs of age and handling. Unlike a surviving HRG sports car, it should require no specialist restoration, replacement ash framing or prolonged negotiation with a supplier of obscure pre-war mechanical components.

Published by Motor Racing Publications in 1985. ISBN: 9780947981044.

Offered by Crappy Old Books, where we admire the magnificent British tradition of producing exceptional sports cars in quantities sufficiently small to ensure that locating spare parts becomes a lifelong intellectual pursuit.

An excellent addition to any collection of British sports car history, historic motorsport or specialist automotive literature. Particularly recommended for enthusiasts who appreciate that the ideal sports car need not possess enormous horsepower, extravagant luxury or even particularly effective weather protection, provided it delivers the essential satisfaction of proper motoring.

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