Just Cool Cars: '46 MG TC attracts stares

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. -- You can't beat the reaction that Phil Hammel gets to driving his unique 1946 MG TC around town. "Lots of honks and thumbs-up," he says.

The Mission Viejo car fancier has the kind of MG that can only draw stares. It's a roadster on the front and a wagon in back. Hammel explains that it was used as a "pit car" at races, hauling around tires, batties or whatever else the crew needed on race day.

That roof rack comes in handy in a place like Huntington Beach, where we found him at a car show recently. Hammel says he uses it to carry his surfboard.

Inspecting the car ourselves, we could certainly see how people might be left scratching their heads. Front sports car, back wagon. Then throw in a surfboard. The combinations amount to something new and something old, but all of it entirely wonderful..