MG

MG Motor UK has once again proven its place on the road after motorists ranked both the MG3 and MG6 within the top five in their respective vehicle segments in this year’s Auto Express Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. Drivers’ voting placed the super-fun MG3 fifth in the supermini segment, demonstrating that this fantastic car is deservedly up there with others in its class. The MG6 swept up a bronze award in the family car segment for a second year in a row. Retaining its reputation for road handling, the medium-sized fastback also moved up two places from last year to finish second amongst all models in the road handling judging category. In both 2014 and 2015, the MG3, MG6 and MG as a whole scooped awards for best handling, third best manufacturer, tenth best car to own and this […]

MG Motor UK is thrilled to become part of the family-favourite card game, Top Trumps, where 30 cards will showcase vintage models through to the current range. Top Trumps, a popular card game loved by children and adults worldwide, will be adding the new and exciting MG pack to its existing range in June; when it will be launched at the MG Car Club’s annual MGLive! event. The 30 cards will include the MG3, MG6 and new MG GS, as well as vintage models and classics like the MGA and MGB. Over the course of the next few weeks, the MG Car Club will be revealing which other models can be found in the pack. Those interested in picking up a pack can do so at MGLive! on 4 June at Silverstone. The annual event sees thousands of MG enthusiasts […]

Whilst waiting to go into the Royal Academy of Arts, in London’s Piccadilly, Martyn Watchurst stumbled upon MG’s flagship showroom and it proved to be a great use of his spare time. Once Martyn walked into the showroom, he was immediately taken with the MG3. He said: “I hadn’t seen the new models, so when I spotted the MG3 I thought it looked great and the price was right.” Martyn was so impressed with the MG3, he dropped in at Roadworthy in Bristol to take a closer look. Richard Onslow-Carey, a new salesman to the dealership, offered Martyn a test drive. It wasn’t long before he had picked out his MG3, which happened to be the 5,000th registered MG3 and Richard’s first sale. Martyn said: “I’m so happy with the car; it’s designed really well and comes with a large […]

Bob Frampton, who lives in Abingdon, is fishing for memories from past workers at the town’s historic MG manufacturer. Frampton has dedicated his retirement to his town’s history is tracking down anecdotes about an iconic car plant. The Oxford Mail has published this story about Bob Frampton and the book he hopes to write. Peachcroft resident Mr Frampton, 69, said: “I wanted to capture the memories that are not recorded. What people recall.”

In a first for MG Motor UK, the manufacturer is making advances in technology by giving consumers the opportunity to see its highly anticipated SUV using augmented reality. For those who aren’t familiar with this term, augmented reality is a way of superimposing virtual content into our everyday surroundings. This can be achieved with any electronic device that has a screen and a camera. Through clever technology, the device takes a photo of whatever you’re looking at and superimposes a 3D image onto it. You could be looking at a box that turns into a house or a new pair of shoes. In this instance, and more simply put, you can interact with the MG GS. This weekend (Friday 1st April to Sunday 3rd April), at the Gadget Show in Birmingham and the first race in the Dunlop MSA British […]

Abingdon Spares, L.L.C., the World’s Largest MG TC-TD-TF Parts Specialist has recently relocated to Deep River, Connecticut from its former Walpole, New Hampshire location. The new owners  purchased the entire inventory of new and used parts, tools, manuals, posters, assorted automobilia, even the shelving, basically recreating the former New Hampshire (MG) landmark in southern New England. “We moved all that was movable, quite a collection of rare and hard to find parts assembled by former owners”. Abingdon Spares carries everything that you would need to restore a  T-series MG, from engine parts, carburetor sets and parts, complete brake systems, suspension, wood framing, interiors and tops, and chrome parts. They also provide manuals, tools, specialty lubricants as well as the hundreds of small hard to find fittings, knobs, handles, etc. that go into one of these cars. They  source many of […]

The cars are on the grid and engines are revving in anticipation for the moment the lights change. When the green light appears, the adrenaline-rush ramps up to the next level as the drivers in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) speed off to battle it out for that race win. Next week, the BTCC season gets underway at the annual series media day. With new drivers in the MG Triple Eight team, MG decided to have a chat to them both about their hunger to win, pre-race rituals and what is already a budding ‘bromance’. BTCC newcomer and Clio Cup Champion, Ashley Sutton, has a real go-getting attitude. Everything he puts his mind to is done with 110% and a goal is always in place. “I aim high, sometimes higher than I think is possible, so that […]

Our video this week takes you back, way back. Back to the 1930s when MGs were fierce competitors in racing around Europe and the world, and the Midget, the original Midget, was the car to beat. This film, titled “The Magic Midget” was produced by British Leyland to celebrate the racing pedigree of the MG and possibly transfer some of that aura of speed and success to the more modern incarnation of the MG Midget. From its earliest days MGs have been used in competition and from the early 1930s a series of dedicated racing cars such as the 1931 C-Type and 1934 Q-type were made and sold to enthusiasts who received considerable company assistance. This stopped in 1935 when MG was formally merged with Morris Motors and the Competition Department closed down. A series of experimental cars had also […]

MG Triple Eight Racing has signed Josh Cook and Ashley Sutton for the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), each driving a works-supported MG6. Cook, 2014 Renault UK Clio Cup runner-up, made his debut in the BTCC last year with Power Maxed Racing. Cook caught the eye at both Donington Park and Rockingham as he duelled for the lead, reached the podium and posted a fastest race lap – he carried on this form and went on to clinch victory in the Jack Sears Trophy come season’s end. “I’m over the moon to be working with a team and manufacturer that has such heritage,” said Cook. “I have worked extremely hard since the end of last season to get back on the grid – it was the only place I wanted to be. I now have an important job […]

Automotive News is reporting that one of the crop of new non-US-Legal MG GS SUVs was recently spotted up in the northlands. Is MG edging closer to a return to North America? An MG GS crossover wearing Michigan manufacturer’s tags was spotted recently undergoing winter testing in Brighton, Mich., outside Detroit. The vehicle wore no camouflage, and the famous MG octagon badges were in plain view. Not long after a photo appeared on Facebook, the comments started rolling in, and they were stinging. Two examples: “homely” and “ugly.” Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp., the Chinese automaker that owns the brand, is preparing to launch the Ford Escape-size GS in the U.K. in early May. If there are plans for sales in North America, the company is not saying. A call to SAIC’s U.S. office was not returned. The MG is powered […]

A fine example of a police used 1983 MG TA comes to sale at Historics at Brooklands major Spring sale on Saturday March 12th, at an estimate of £24,000-£28,000.

Our Video of the Week this week is not just a single video but an entire channel. The MG Cars Channel was created by of David Shelburne of Shelburn Films. In David’s words, “there are lots of individual MG videos out there, on YouTube and others. But it’s not easy to find the specific videos you are interested in. What I am trying to do is create one place where people can go and find a large variety of MG videos to choose from.” This is the place to find videos about all things MG.  You can become familiar with the history of MG by learning about the various models produced through the years; start with “The First MG,” to learn that it was not the car we call “Old Number One.”  Follow the link at the end of each video to find […]

A Northern Ireland car dealer with over 100 year’s history is the latest to join the MG Motor UK franchise. T.M. Martin & Son is a well-known dealership in Killyleagh, County Down with years of history. Back in 1907, the family-run business was first established as a cycle manufacturer. Since then, the business has been loyal to selling Longbridge-built vehicles; so it seemed fitting for the family to bring in the latest range of MGs. John Martin, Dealer Principal of T.M. Martin & Son, said: “We’ve had an association with cars built in Longbridge for many years, so to keep the tradition going we wanted to get MG into our showroom again after all this time. “I’ve been working for the family business since 1961; which at the time made up three generations in the business. We have always prided […]

MG Motor UK is celebrating a great start to 2016 with a 132% increase on January sales after 313 vehicles were registered last month. Figures released today from The Society of Motoring Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows that last year MG sold 135 cars in January. This year, due to growing awareness in the brand and a range of great deals, the manufacturer has seen a percentage change of 131.85%. In December, popular offers such as the £2,000 minimum part-exchange contributed to MG finishing the year with a surge in sales. The offer was continued for another month and finished on 31st January. Matthew Cheyne, MG’s Head of Sales and Marketing said, “We are thrilled to see that our great offers have contributed to so many more people choosing an MG. We hope that through raising awareness of the new […]

Our video this week is humbly titled “MGB Movie” and traces the development of the MGB from its replacement of the venerable MGA in 1962 all the way through MGs decline and the resurgence with the MG RV8 in 1993. It is easy to forget today how important the MGB was during its time. If you go to a British car show this weekend, who can blame you for getting a bit tired of the rows on rows of Bs? Hey, don’t blame the messenger.  I have a 1977 B roadster now, have had numerous models and vintages of convertibles and GTs, and absolutely love them. But, even I can get a bit tired of the umpteenth over “restored” B with a Weber carb, headers, electronic fuel pump, alloy valve cover, stone-guard headlight covers, and modern digital radio. We are justified […]

The British Motor Corporation’s (BMC) 1100 and 1300 model range was amongst the most successful in the Corporation’s history, selling more than 2.1 million of all types between its introduction in 1962 and its demise in 1974. Worldwide, the BMC 1100 was sold under eight different marque names and in two-door saloon, four-door saloon, two-door estate, and five-door hatchback forms – and very nearly as a van as well. In Britain, it was the country’s best-selling car between 1962 and 1971, being beaten just once (in 1967) by the Ford Cortina. The BMC 1100 and 1300: An Enthusiasts Guide by James Taylor looks at the design and development of a model range that at the time confirmed BMC as a pioneer of new automotive ideas and had a profound impact on other manufacturers. It covers not only the full standard […]

MG will enter the highly competitive compact SUV segment in Europe with the new GS in June, 2016. Originally unveiled last year in Shanghai, the vehicle will be ready, in its final form, for the 2016 London Motor Show, where it premiere on May 6.   Dynamic. Sporty. Modern. Three words given to the MG car designers before putting pen to paper. From those first sketches, which were pinned to the wall of the Birmingham based design centre, the MG GS was born and this June it launches in the UK.

Our Video of the Week (VotW) this go round purports to be from 1948, but is probably actually from a slightly later date. “Safety Fast” is a look back at the cars of MG produced by British-Pathe in association with the Nuffield Organization. The Nuffield Organization was the unincorporated umbrella-name or promotional name used for the charitable and commercial interests of owner and donor, William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield. The name was assumed following Nuffield’s gift made to form his Nuffield Foundation in 1943, it linked his business interests to his existing very generous philanthropy. The same enterprises had previously been referred to as the Morris Organizations and, at first, described itself as The Nuffield Organization, A Cornerstone of Britain’s Industrial Structure. This video contains some fantastic scenes not often seen of the MG factory and delivery system at work. We often […]