The Ethanol Papers - Paperturn manuscript - Flipbook - Page 549
fuels (power alcohol is what they called ethanol-gasoline blends). I tried doing
an Internet search for any literature from those early days to see if the respective manufacturers restricted their vehicles from using power alcohol fuels, but
I couldn't find any (if any reader has such documentation, please send me a
copy). The big question, then, is if the Minor and the MGB were able to run on
E10 to E30 when they were built, why would they be unable to run on E10 now?
There are very few Morris Minors and MGBs in
America today, but my guess is that many... most...
nearly all(?) are running on our standard E10 fuel.
In fact, I found an original 1967 Morris Minor woody
wagon in the Los Angeles area that is advertised for
1967 Morris Minor for sale sale. I spoke with the car's owner. The right-hand
in Los Angeles
drive car looks to be in very good condition and was
imported from England 12 years ago. The engine
has original parts. I asked the gentleman what type of fuel does the car use?
He said, "regular gas." I asked if he meant regular E10 gasoline, and he said,
"Yes, just regular gas that you find anywhere." So, if a 1967 Morris Minor is able
to run on E10 in Los Angeles and it gets about 40 miles to the gallon (according
to the owner), why would it be unable to run on E10 in Manchester or Liverpool
or Cornwall or Edinburgh?
I couldn't find any Morris Minors for sale in Brazil,
but a quick search netted two MG MGBs for sale in
Brazil. One is a 1973 model, another was a 1974.
The regular fuel in Brazil is E27. So if an MGB can
run on E27 in Sao Paulo and Bahia, why is it unable
to run on E10 in London or Bath or Glasgow?
I think I've made my point; time to move on.
1967 MG MGB for sale in
Brazil
The Auto Express article states, "The higher bioethanol content of E10 can dislodge deposits in older engines and fuel systems,
causing blockages. It can also cause some seals, gaskets, metals, and plastics
to corrode in unsuitable vehicles."
Deposits? What kind of deposits? Oh, you mean like the built-up gunk that
forms from burnt gasoline! The deposits don't come from ethanol, because ethanol burns very, very clean. They come from GASOLINE...PETROL. In other
