This is the last MG speed record car built by engineers at MG’s Abingdon factory. It broke the land speed record for its class twice, smashing the record set by Goldie Gardner in EX135.

With a supercharged 1500cc engine installed, Formula One driver Stirling Moss achieved a record speed of 245.6 mph in EX181 on the Utah salt flats in 1957. To help keep Moss on course on the white salt flats, a black line of old engine oil was drawn for several miles, which had to be renewed for each run.

The car’s nickname, ‘The Roaring Raindrop’, is inspired by its aerodynamic teardrop-shaped design which was created for straight-line speed and honed by extensive wind-tunnel testing. The claustrophobic driving position is unique as it sits the pilot ahead of the engine with their feet in front of the wheels.

Two years later, with the engine slightly enlarged to 1506cc, the American driver Phil Hill recorded a speed of 254.9 mph. This was despite him being almost suffocated by fuel fumes which had been sucked into the confined cockpit. This run by EX181 was the last successful MG speed record attempt and has not yet been beaten in terms of speed for the amount of power produced.