University Motors

Specialties

Repair and restoration of MG and other classic British cars.

History

Established in 1975.

John Twist opened University Motors as a full time business on Saturday, January 25^th, 1975, three years and two months after he had embarked on his path towards becoming an MG dealer. It was a premature step, but he had come a long way since the birth of his dream. He had only a clue of the events of the next 22 years.

John’s first MG experience was in high school in Marshall, Michigan. His best friend had received a 1957 MGA from his father, and it was in this MGA that John first rode, first opened a workshop manual, and first was towed by another car. While accompanying his friend to a foreign car workshop in Battle Creek to have the SU carburetters adjusted — a task no mere mortal would consider — John spied a gold MG TD in the corner of the workshop. Never especially interested in cars, certainly never a «gearhead,» this MG grabbed his attention — and kept it! He resolved to purchase a MG td at the earliest opportunity. This was 1964.

John attended Kalamazoo College and took

Meet the Business Owner

John T.

Business Owner

John attended Kalamazoo College and took a college job with the Lorain County Regional Planning Commission in Elyria, Ohio, correcting plat maps. Ohio has the largest number of MGs per capita in the nation (or did then), and, as he was making a little money, set out to find a TD he could use for daily transportation. He looked at six ranging from $ 500 to one which was more than perfect in every respect for $ 1800. Remember that you could buy a NEW VW as well as a number of American cars for that price. He finally settled on TD28822, owned by Scotty Haislett of Grafton, Ohio and paid the princely sum of $ 1050 for the car. It was the largest check he had written. He borrowed the money from his father after writing several letters describing his search, his findings, and the attributes of this specific MG Red roadster. Within the month he drove the MG home to display his new purchase. «This is not the car you described to me,» were his father’s first words. Love is blind. It was 1968.