Crunch time
Simon Melton was just 19 years old when he bought Colin the MGB Roadster, in 1978. It was his second ever car but, like any young lad worth his salt, he had wanted a sports car. This one belonged to a friend and he’d always lusted after it so, when that friend announced he was selling, Simon pounced. He agreed to buy the MGB even though there were a couple of minor obstacles to be overcome: firstly he couldn’t afford it; secondly he didn’t know where he was going to get the money from. In the end a large bank loan secured the purchase.
Early on in the relationship the MGB hadn’t acquired a name but it didn’t take long for the misadventures to begin. A Land Rover driving over the bonnet gave everybody a taste of things to come, though. That happened on Boxing Day 1981 at a mini-roundabout. Simon had poked his nose out just as the Land Rover, with a drunk driver at the wheel, shot straight
