The BritishV8 Pub

The man is an icon for we MGV8 enthusiasts.

Our paths first crossed in 1993...and our friendship blossomed from that initial meeting.

Ken had a great sense of humour...(It was at Twist's in '96 that we found out Ken didn't care for public speaking and would just tell raunchy jokes like "I was in my hotel and called the desk for a meat sandwich and they sent up two hookers!". The look of amazement on Twist's face during this performance was priceless. "Imagine my surprise, I thought he was going to talk about V8s" said Twist.)....and was always willing to share his knowledge.

Ken was our guest at MG93 (Saint Louis), MG94 (Washington, DC), BritishV8 2005 (Terre Haute), BritishV8 2006 (Townsend), and MG2006 (Gatlinburg).

Rest in peace, Ken.

Thanks, Rick.

Quote:

Rick Ingram

Ken Costello, the man whose MGB V8 conversions persuaded BL to build the MGB GT V8, has died aged 88. Founder of engineering firm MG Costello, Ken was a hero in MG circles as well as a racer, flyer and automotive designer. He even drove a Brabham BT19 in the film Grand Prix. His dedication to refining and re-engineering MGBs and Cs ensured Costello MGs are recognised classics today, and that his name resonates as one of the most valued in the British motor industry.

Article by Robin Weatherall

[www.britishv8.org]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2015 12:51PM by MGBV8.

Ken Costello & his V8 MGs

[www.mgcostello.com]

I have been lucky enough to be the guy who has been responsible for the annual maintenance and repairs of an original Costello V8 for about 7-8 years now. The car was owned by an MG mate of mine who has now retired and sold it to another MG mate of mine. The previous owner has met Ken several times and became a friend. I was happy to get involved with working on the car as I was able to see the differences between my Factory MGBV8 and the Costello V8. I still wonder why the Factory car did not get made with at least the front suspension conversion or something similar ? Ken put a lot of effort into the Rover V8 conversion back in the day. I did some engine tweaks on the stock Rover in the Costello and got it up to !90hp on the dyno. And to this day I am still surprised that the stock gearbox has not let go.
So RIP Ken Costello. You were a true visionary who will be missed.

Perry

From Classic & Sportscar....my photos, used with permission..

[www.classicandsportscar.com]