MG

An unregistered 1980 MG Midget with just 162 miles on the clock, fetched over £11,000 when it went under the hammer at Anglia Car Auctions on Saturday. The Vermillion red car sold for £11,025 well ahead of expectations that it might fetch between £7,000 to £9,000. “It was a very good sale – an exceptional price,” said Simon Whitmore, of Anglia Car Auctions (ACA), based at Beveridge Way, Hardwick Narrows Estate. “It had no reserve on it and the vehicle has never been registered.” Also up for auction the same day, but which failed to sell, was a 2001 Mercedes Benz S500L, purchased new by former England captain David Beckham and originally registered as Y3 DVB in June 2001. The car was up for sale with all manuals, service book and the original V5 bearing David Beckham’s name, with 117,000 […]

Set to celebrate its 90th birthday annivarsary, The MG Car Company was founded in 1924 and got its name from Morris Garages, a dealer of Morris cars in Oxford which began producing its own customised versions to the designs of Cecil Kimber. The first cars, re-bodied Morris models, used coachwork from Carbodies of Coventry and were built in premises in Alfred Lane, Oxford. On May 1, 1924, the Octagon was registered as an MG trademark. The marque has come a long way since those early days, with the famous octagonal emblem recognised and celebrated around the globe. After several moves in Oxford, due to a growing demand for more cars to be produced, the MG moved to Abingdon and ever since the town has been the home of the MG. Arguably Britain’s favourite classic sports car reaches its 90th anniversary […]

A nearly new MG Midget that has never even been registered is set to go under the hammer this month. With just 162 miles under its wheels, this 1980 Midget’s odometer actually reads 19 after the original faulty instrument cluster was replaced at its first service, which took place 11 months after the car was bought. The car has never changed hands and the current seller bought it new after hearing about the imminent demise of MG. He intended to give it to one of his children after they passed their driving test, but for unknown reasons never did. Anglia Car Auctions (ACA) will carry out the sale on Saturday June 14. ACA’s owner, Lyn George explains: “After 11 months, the car was despatched to Holland Brothers in Sleaford, in a horsebox of all things, for its first annual service. […]

The MG Dynamo, a new and all-electric city car concept, was unveiled today. The MG Dynamo is based on parent company SAIC’s Roewe E50 city car sold in China. The car was on display at an exhibit of current and future tech at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The display has been timed to coincide with the Beijing motor show where the marque is celebrating its 90th anniversary. The Dynamo concept is said to encompass “the latest in design and engineering technology”. The car has been developed to assess demand for a small, electric MG in Europe. The concept was created by SAIC’s (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) design and technical centre at Longbridge. MG Motor UK hasn’t revealed any details about the drivetrain, but conjecture is that it is likely to be similar to Rowe E50’s. Launched in China in January 2013, this […]

They don’t sell any MG in America, but some companies like to take their cars to Colorado anyway, to ensure they can handle high altitude conditions. Roman Mica from TFL Car is off doing what he calls “prototype fishing” again. This time, his catch and release program resulted in two MG5 hatchbacks spotted in Colorado. The MG5 Hatchback sounds like a nice British car, but it’s actually a Chinese car. It arrived in concept form in early 2011 and already has a mild facelift. We believe this particular prototype uses a turbo 1.5-liter engine rated at around 130 hp and 200 Nm of torque. The MG3 supermini and larger MG6 are sold in Europe, being assembled in Britain by very few employees, from complete kits made in China. What’s really funny about the video is that a single well spoken […]

MG is performing well in China but it is missing an SUV, Roewe added an old Ssangyong based vehicle to its line up but the car failed to live up to expectations, the new MG SUV is expected to hit the market by the years end. MG revealed the MG CS concept at the Shanghai Auto Show this year where it was revealed the new car would have a 2.0T powerplant and a slightly redesigned face which is mostly inline with the current MG5. The new SUV will launch in late 2014, a little late to the party considering that international and domestic rivals have already launched SUV offerings. In addition to the new SUV, MG are also planning to give their other product offerings a major overhaul of the MG-Roewe line up. Later this year the MG5 1.5T will […]

Accountants Deloitte were today punished with a record £14 million fine for failing to manage conflicts of interest over their advice to collapsed car maker MG Rover. The Financial Reporting Council also severely reprimanded the firm for its conduct over MG Rover, which crashed into administration in 2005 with debts of £1.4 billion and 6,000 job losses. Its damning report said: “These are all very serious matters. The public must be protected from misconduct of this nature.” Four MG Rover directors — the “Phoenix Four” — set up the Phoenix company to buy the loss-making British carmaker for a token £10 five years earlier. But Deloitte and its partner and corporate finance expert Maghsoud Einollahi — personally fined £250,000 and banned from the profession for three years — both failed to properly manage conflicts of interest, the FRC said. Einollahi […]

MG Enthusiast, September 2013 Features in this Issue Barmy to Barcelona – Four mates, two MGFs and a fetish for 1970s Martini Racing – did the reality live up to the dream? MGB Trip Preparation – Iain Ayre suggests a sensible plan of action to prepare your classic MG for an extended mountain tour Brian Moylan Interview – Brian recalls his days working at Abingdon, from the Service Department to Competitions Modified RV8 – One owner who felt that he could – and should – get more from his RV8. Quite a lot more, in fact! PA to the Lebanon in 1966 – Last month MGE introduced a nicely patinated PA; this month they go back to the 1960s and explain how some of that patina came about KV6 Transplants – Making the cars MG-Rover didn’t: a ZR and an MGF with KV6 power MG Enthusiast […]

The MG6 was supposed to signal the brand’s return to the UK, but it’s fair to say that car hasn’t quite had the desired effect. So now we have the MG3: a Ford Fiesta rival the company hopes will kick-start its fortunes. The most striking thing about the new car is its low price. AutoXpress drove the top-of-the-range Style model, which comes in at less than £10,000. For that money, you get Bluetooth connectivity, air-conditioning, a DAB radio, 16-inch alloy wheels and cruise control all fitted as standard. A Fiesta or Skoda Fabia kitted out with that much equipment would cost nearly £13,000. But price isn’t everything: the MG3 has to deliver on the road. And in some key respects, it does. The car feels quite sporty, with an impressive amount of grip that allows you to tackle twisty back […]

The MG 3 is set to cost less than £10,000 and will be offered with “hundreds” of different styling and customisation options. The MG 3, showcased in the UK for the first time at an event at MG’s Longbridge plant in Birmingham today, will go on sale in the UK this autumn. Initially, three trim levels and 10 exterior colours – with names such as ‘Hello Yellow’ – will be offered. The top two trim levels will come as standard with equipment that includes Bluetooth connectivity, air-con and DAB digital radio. Hill-start assist will be optional. MG’s new hatchback will also launch with the ‘MG 3 Collection’ offer. It allows buyers to personalise the car’s bodywork with various patterns, decals and stripes, including large RAF roundels. The European version of the MG 3 was first seen at the Shanghai motor […]

The first pictures of the MG CS concept have leaked to the web, ahead of a possible debut at the Shanghai Motor Show. Designed to preview the company’s upcoming crossover, the model eschews the retro styling of last year’s Icon concept. As a result, it echoes the rest of the MG lineup with angular lines and a familiar grille. We can also see front fender vents, an upward sweeping beltline and blacked out A-pillars. There’s also a sporty rear bumper, a tailgate-mounted spoiler and a center-mounted dual exhaust system. Speculation suggests the CS concept is based on the MG5 and could use a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with 135 bhp (101 kW). Nothing is official as of yet, but we should learn more later this month.

Birmingham car maker MG UK is taking to two wheels – by launching a professional cycling team. The newly-branded MG Maxifuel Pro Cycling Team will compete in nearly 100 of the UK’s top events this year. Its riders will include Hannah Barnes, a 21-time national champion at various events and Sweden’s Magnus Backstedt, a Tour de France stage winner. The team will be officially launched next Tuesday at an event at the MG Sales Centre at the MG Birmingham site at Longbridge. MG spokesman Doug Wallace said: “This is a great opportunity to do some further marketing for MG, to spread the name of the brand. It is initially for a year to see how things go, and then we will see what the future holds.” Backstedt said: “I’m really happy to be racing with MG Maxifuel, it’s a real feel good factor […]

MG is launching a special MG6 BTCC Edition to celebrate its hugely successful return to Britain’s favourite saloon car racing series. The MG6 GT BTCC Edition was previewed at the final round of the 2012 MSA Dunlop British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch where MG’s Jason Plato clinched an amazing third place in the championship after taking the chequered flag six times in the season. The road-going MG6 BTCC Edition is on sale for just £16,995.

A great article in the Southern Daily Echo on a rare 1937 MG SA drophead coupe. It was brought as a “cheap run around” by a Southampton student for just £30 back in 1966. This vintage 1937 MG was snapped up by a young Lob Vinycomb from a Hampshire garage almost half a century ago. Now, 46 years later, the same car has been sold by the same garage – for more than £60,000. But Isle of Wight man Lob was briefly reunited with the prized vehicle, before it is handed over to its new owners. Philip Scott, owner of Beaulieu Garage in the New Forest, was contacted by the car’s latest owner, who lived in Cornwall, asking if he would interested in selling the collectable SA Drophead Coupe. Read the full article on the beautiful MG at the Southern Daily […]

Iconic and now wholly Chinese-owned car maker MG is the fastest-growing British brand in the UK, according to official industry data. Figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reveal MG sales grew by 117 per cent in 2012, boosted by the opening of eight new dealerships. The famous MG octagon enjoyed its best sales year in the UK since 2006, with more cars sold last year than in 2010 and 2011 combined. That success was mirrored in China where SAIC Motor, MG’s parent company, sold over 200,000 units across its MG and (China-only) Roewe brands – a 23 per cent increase over 2011 – representing the biggest growth within the SAIC group’s automotive divisions. Worldwide growth for the brand is equally encouraging with MG growing at a faster rate than any time in the marque’s 89-year history. […]

MG has launched a new deal where almost any old banger attracts a trade-in value of £3,000. The company claims the deal is probably the most generous on the market at the moment, with any roadworthy car with at least 14 days’ MOT remaining qualifying for the generous valuation. The offer, which evokes memories of the ’scrappage’ incentive scheme of several years ago, is redeemable against either of the two MG6 models in the range; the Magnette and the GT fastback. Meanwhile, another offer on the two cars entices buyers with a fuel card pre-loaded to the value of £2,400 and usable at Tesco and Morrisons’ supermarket filling stations. This is a separate deal that cannot be taken in conjunction with the £3,000 used-car valuation. Clint Cordle, MG Motor UK’s marketing manager, says: “These are both exceptionally good deals on […]

The Peachtree MG Registry of Atlanta completed their hosting of the North American MGB Register (NAMGBR) National Convention this past Sunday in Dillard, GA at the Dillard House Inn & Resort (www.dillardhouse.com). The event showed a record attendance with nearly 300 cars registered and over 230 cars making it to the show field on Saturday. Both numbers are records for NAMGBR National Convention shows. In addition to the Saturday car show, attendees were also treated to multiple events throughout the week. Tech sessions were held at the Dillard House Convention Center on multiple topics Wednesday through Saturday, including a “rolling tech session” by John Twist of University Motors in Michigan. Event participants could roll their car through a tech station and have any problems with their cars diagnosed. MG 2012 also featured touring events to The Tail of the Dragon […]

The MG Icon has been awarded the ‘Best Concept’ title at the Beijing Motor Show, following its world debut in China. The MG Icon beat the Lamborghini Urus, Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupe and Honda Concept C in scooping the award. The MG Icon is the first SUV concept car from the company and was created by the MG global design team headed by British director Anthony Williams-Kenny. The designers are said by the company to have taken inspiration from some of the brand’s most famous sports cars including the MGA and MGB GT. Williams-Kenny said: “The MG brand has a unique set of values and heritage and allows us to offer individual design values to our products. The MG Icon represents our vision of a modern MG and we feel that the small SUV canvas demonstrates MG’s capacity for progressive […]