MG

Belated news … On September 7, 2014, Milwaukee Midget Racing established a new Bonneville course record of 122.539 mph for the I/GT class. This was the oldest standing record in the GT category—it stood unbeaten for more than 22 years.The 1971 MG Midget, running a 999cc, 5-port A-series engine, and driven by owner Chris Conrad, ran a best speed of 126.684, with an average record speed of 122.539, during the 2014 Utah Salt Flat Racing Association’s World of Speed event. Through continued work and racing development, it is Milwaukee Midget Racing’s intent to keep and maintain class dominance in the one liter stock bodied sports car category, and maintain MG’s presence as both a historic and relevant marque in Land Speed Racing.

This Is Money states that iconic British car maker MG Motor UK will this week announce astonishing results, confirming its recovery from near collapse and providing yet another sign of Britain’s resurgent motor industry. The group, now Chinese owned, will proudly reveal that sales surged to a record high in the first quarter of 2015. At the same time the company is set to launch its new MG6 model and it is preparing to open a £30 million flagship showroom in Piccadilly in the heart of the capital. The news is a far cry from events ten years ago when manufacturer MG Rover was forced to call in the receivers after it catastrophically ran out of money as hopes of a £100 million bridging loan from the Government evaporated. MG Rover’s 26,000 workers found themselves instantly unemployed and the ramifications […]

Carroll Shelby‘s son Patrick and grandson Aaron made the winning $539,000 bid at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction in January to return Carroll’s first race car to the family home in Dallas, making the diminutive but singular 1949 MG TC the world’s most expensive MG for a long time to come. Per the description on the Barrett-Jackson website: The first car that Carroll Shelby drove in a road race. The car that started his racing career. In May of 1952, his good friend Ed Wilkins let Carroll Shelby drive this MG TC in a road race at Norman, Oklahoma. It was Shelby’s first sport car race. He won it, and the second race, too, easily outrunning the Jaguar XK120’s. That race and this car changed the course of his life as he went on to achieve immortality as creator of the Shelby […]

According to This Day Livee, Coscharis Motors, the authorised dealer of Morris Garages (MG) in Nigeria, has said it is well positioned to make MG the preferred car for the younger generation and to take the dream further by making MG one of the most popular brand in the country. A statement by Coscharis officials said, “MG is now 90 years since 1924, and no matter how the times change or how technologies move forward, MG 550, has remained the dream car of every younger generation. And yes, it takes you to the new age when the desktop of driving operation can be customised, when the perfect fusion of digital technology and fashion interface.” According to the General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Services, Mr. Babarinde Abiona, “Coscharis Motors, offers to customers unmistakably British standard vehicle (MG) with a unique combination of […]

The Amelia Island Concours D’Elegance, held March 12-15, once again presented an amazing collection of rare, exotic and highly-collectible cars.  There were a smattering of British marques represented at the Concours, with best in class winners of two pre-war Rolls-Royce, an Aston Martin DB4 and gorgeous 1947 Bentley coupe.   The real British-action, however, was experienced in the high-end auctions of Gooding’s and Bonham’s.  So while affordability is in the eye of the beholder, there were several tempting offerings, like a driver-quality 1968 jaguar XKE coupe for $44,000, and a pristine 1952 MG TD for $29,000.  After those, however, the appreciation curve shot upward, with an unbelievably original 1965 XKE Series 1 4.2 coupe going for $200,000 and a similarly original 1961 E-Type Roadster hitting $380,000.  And in the I’ve-never-seen-one-of-those-before, a 1951 Lotus, claimed to be the very first road-worthy […]

MG is launching an improved new MG6 which will further boost the brand’s remarkable revival. The new car, which will go on sale next month, comes as MG sales in the UK continue to increase rapidly, boosted by the opening of a wave of new dealerships across the country. Last year MG was the fastest growing automotive brand in Britain. MG launched the original MG6 in 2011 but the 2015 new MG6 offers major improvements in every area of the car. The 1.9-litre DTi-TECH diesel engine has been developed to give lower CO2 levels and improved mpg figures. Exact figures will be revealed at the car’s launch. Comprehensive updates have been made to the body styling of the car while it retains the driving dynamic qualities that won plaudits from drivers who voted the MG6 the Best Handling car in […]

An ex-London to Sydney marathon car abandoned in a scrap yard has been rescued by enthusiasts at one of the UK’s biggest MG clubs. The car, which took part in the 1968 event, has been dragged out of the Southampton scrappy and given a new home by the MG Car Club. Driven by Jean Denton, UMD534F was not a Works entry, but did receive significant support from the BMC Competitions Department. The car was prepared for racing by her husband, Tony Denton, and Tom Boyce – Jean’s navigator for the rally. That meant double-welded seams, uprated headlamps and a double fuel tank in the boot. The passenger seat could also be converted into a bed. After finishing in 42nd place, the sports car was put out to pasture and finally dry stored in the 1980s. Now the club’s MGB Register […]

MG is using Benedict Cumberbatch in a series of very ‘Sherlockian’ ads for their launch of the MG3 in Thailand. All those sightings of Benedict in London filming a few days ago can now be officially confirmed that he was indeed filming an advert for the 2015 MG GS crossover car. You can view some of the videos here with even the music echoing to the famous detective. More of these videos and Benedict in Thailand – http://events.youku.com/2015/mggs/

MG Motoring Memories is our video of the week this go round. Composed of current and old footage from MG’s heyday, this video from the Magnificent Motorcars series by Green HD Production really does bring back the memories. Part of the real interest in this video is that it documents not only MG’s history, but the brands history in the United States and how that affected cars in both America and Europe. The influence of MG on the Chevrolet Corvette is a primary focus. I also have to say, on a personal note, that the video mentions Clemson University, the college that my son is currently attending. How can a connection like that be resisted?

Thursday, May 7th- Sunday, May 10th– Texas MG Register 40th Annual Gathering of the Faithful, Salado, Texas. Great MGs, a car show and awards banquet, activities including a couple of driving events will be topped off with a tech session with the MG guru, John Twist, University Motors. For specific details, times and the host hotel go to www.TMGR.org. THURSDAY • 2:00 – 3:45 Registration at Room 115 Patio, near Pool • 4:00 – 6:00 Wine Tasting at Salado Winery, located at 841 N. Main Street. Hosted by Sheryl & Mike Mann & Randy Zimmerman. • 7:00 – 9:00 Dinner & Trivia/Quiz Night at Johnny’s Steak and Barbeque, 301 Thomas Arnold Road (walking distance from the Stagecoach) Organized by Cindy & Stu Bauman, dinner on your own dime. FRIDAY • 9:00 – 11:30 Registration at Room 115 Patio, near Pool […]

The Longbridge-based car-maker has identified 30 ‘hot spots’ which it is keen to fill as it expands its dealer network. MG is aiming to recruit 30 new dealers across the UK as it seeks to build on a year of sales success in 2014. The move comes on the back of a successful year for MG in 2014, which saw it lay claim to being the fastest-growing automotive brand in Britain. Its sales increased by 361 per cent from just 513 cars in 2013 to 2,326 in 2014 – a year which saw UK car sales return to pre-recession levels. Overall the UK market grew by 9.3 per cent over the previous year, with MG seeing its sales increase by 38 times that figure. A total of 2,476,435 new cars were registered in the UK in 2014 – the most […]

With all this talk of the Geneva Motor Show and all the focus on nice new shiny, not to mention expensive, cars, some of us may be feeling a little left out. What if you can’t afford to get on the waiting list for one of the new Morgans? Or what if you desire the Bentley EXP 10 Speed Six but just live a few too many miles away from the dealership to make those regularly scheduled oil changes convenient. Well then, do we have a solution for you. Not only will our proposed solution net you a car you can afford, but it is recyclable and can even be made from recycled materials itself. Of course, there is the problem of there being no engine and no way to actually use the car for any practical purpose, but at least […]

According to the New Orleans Picayune, while tailgating at a New Orleans Saints game, Kim and Matt Cole were introduced to veteran Robert Phillips. It was an auspicious meeting, as Kim Cole was looking for someone to fix a 1972 MG, originally a gift from her mother to her father, that she inherited. Matt was supposed to be the caretaker of the car, but due to injuries sustained in 2005 during a tour of duty as a Marine in Afghanistan, he is in a wheelchair, and could not keep up with it. Kim and Phillips said he would do it at no cost, as a thank-you for Matt’s service to our country. Soon, other members of the club found out and 20 volunteered to work on it, beginning on Jan. 3, 2015, at no cost to the Coles. What started […]

MG’s British Touring Car Championship team has signed youngster Jack Goff to partner 2013 champion Andrew Jordan. The 23-year-old, who won the 2012 Renault Clio Cup UK title, joins the Triple Eight-run operation for his third season in the BTCC. Goff earned a career-best finish of second in his debut season in 2013, narrowly missing out on winning the season finale at Brands Hatch behind Honda’s Gordon Shedden when driving a Team Hard-run Vauxhall Insignia. He switched to Team BMR for the 2014 campaign, sticking with the Insignia for the first half of the year before changing to one of the team’s Volkswagen CCs for the final five rounds. “Obviously as a kid growing up, driving for a works team is the pinnacle,” said Goff. “I probably began watching touring cars when Triple Eight were hugely dominant and to now […]

WH Brand, a family-run MG dealership in Lincolnshire threw a party for more than 250 guests at its premises in the village of Whaplode Drove, near Spalding. They held the event to celebrate being named the top-performing MG dealer of 2014 as well as being the top-selling MG3 dealer. In addition, the company was marking 90 years in business. The celebrations coincided with the 90th birthday of Fred Brand, the son of the firm’s founder, William Horace Brand. Fred showed off a classic 1949 speedway bike – he took up the sport to earn money to build a new garage for the business. While customers tucked into a fish and chip supper on a London double-decker bus parked outside the showrooms, sales manager Adam Brand – great grandson of the firm’s founder – enjoyed a bit of business success. He said: ‘I was […]

The Classic MG Club of Orlando invites MG lovers everywhere to Gathering of the Faithful South XLIX from April 17-19, 2015 at the historic Mission Inn in “Old Florida” Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida. Gear-heads of all brands are welcome to walk around and see over 100 MGs on display. “Gathering of the Faithful” (GoF) was coined in 1965 by the late Frank Churchill of the New England MG T Register as an event for MG owners to gather and meet other faithful MG owners. Now, GoFs are the premier MG events each year in four areas of the country: New England, Central, West, and South. The Classic MG Club is the host of this year’s GoF South. The club, founded in 1963, is one of the most active MG clubs in the U.S. The first GoF South was three years later in […]

The American MGB Association’s 38th Annual Meet – AMGBA MEET 2015 – for the MGB, MGB-GT & Midget – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – October 3, 2015 MG sports car production as we know it was discontinued in 1980 with the closing of the famed Abingdon-On-Thames works in the United Kingdom. But these modern day classics are being preserved forever here in North America by members of the American MGB Association which serves enthusiastic MGB, MGB-GT, and MG Midget owners throughout the USA, Canada and throughout the world. Each year, the AMGBA holds its National Meet. The 1978 initial gathering was held in Chicago. In 1979 and 1980 the AMGBA National Conventions were held in New York state, in Ithaca and Glens Falls. The organization’s success led to renting the world famous Indianapolis 500 Motor Speedway in 1981 for the […]

For our video this week we have the second installment in Michael Austin’s “Allegories In The Garage” series. I first stumbled on Michael and his videos via the forums over on The MG Experience. If you haven’t hit that site, and are a fan of MGs, you owe it to yourself to do so. The video itself is a wonderful exploration of relevance and why we might chose to drive an MGB in this modern world. What can an old car, of antiquated design, without computers, without GPS, with a need for personal maintenance, provide for us in this day and age of automation and hands-off motoring? To quote Michael on this, “This is a very personal and unusual series that I have decided to do. It is a reflection on life as viewed through the projects in my garage. […]