MG

It is with a heavy heart that I must let you know of another passing in our ranks. Dick Knudson, MG evangelist and recent inductee into the British Sports Car Hall of Fame, has passed away last Friday, September 1st. Services will be held Friday, September 8th, in Schenevus, New York. The Reverend Dr. Richard L. Knudson was a co-founded the New England MG ‘T’ Register in 1964 and has been the register’s backbone ever since, guiding the register and its many events over the years. He was editor of the Register’s “Sacred Octagon” magazine for many years. He became an “MG Expert”, even traveling to England to do MG research. He authored a number of books on MGs, including “MG – The Sports Car America Loved First”. Although I had been a fan of the man and his work for […]

Families in Cardiff, Wales, will soon be able to add a new car to their shopping list following the launch of MG’s second UK concept store. Based in St David’s Dewi Sant, which attracts more than 38 million visitors a year, MG’s first such store outside of London will offer a dynamic, immersive and modern retail experience for customers. The 1,610-square foot retail boutique has been designed to reinvent the car buying journey. The store features a video screen wall, interactive iPad stations and will also include a dedicated lifestyle space. A collection of vehicles will be on display, representing models in the MG3 and MG GS ranges, with the much-anticipated MG XS in store by early November.

MG Motor UK has entered in the top 25 in the UK Car Dealer Power Survey, the annual round-up of the top performing automotive manufacturers as ranked by their own dealer network. Outperforming significantly larger and more established brands, such as Jaguar and MINI, MG Motor UK scored particularly well in terms of new car supply, warranties, bonus structure and dealer requirements. The debut ranking in the survey is further affirmation that MG is now one of the UK’s fastest-growing car brands. With a program of inspiring new model launches, investment in state-of-the-art vehicle and powertrain technology, and global design capability based in the UK, it’s easy to see why dealers rank the brand so highly.

The most recent new car registration stats from the SMMT show a decline in passenger car registrations in July, but MG Motor UK is continuing to outperform the market. The Longbridge-based business not only registered a total of 305 new cars across July (an increase of more than 4% year-to-date compared to 2016), but an additional five new dealerships joined the network. The latest stats confirm MG’s strong year-to-date growth and can be attributed to network expansion and development. This stands in contrast to the subdued new-car market, which was down by over 2% in the first seven months of 2017 compared to 2016.

Outwoods Primary School year six pupil, Deya Kidder from Burton upon Trent, has been announced as the winner of MG dealership TL Darby’s ‘Up on the Roof’ competition. The contest, which received more than 80 entries from eight schools within the area, asked pupils to come up with a design that would be featured on the roof of the MG GS. Deya, who has just finished her final year at Outwoods Primary School, visited TL Darby to see her winning design in the flesh, adorning the roof of the car which now sits pride of place in the showroom. 

Our video of this week this time comes by way of Ohio. Well, it comes from the MG Cars Channel actually. The video is a wrap-up of the recent MG Gathering of the Faithful (GOF) that took place last week in Akron. Although the weather turned rainy, it sounds like a good time was had none-the-less. You can see more details of the event at the GOF Central website. Make sure to check out all of the cars winning awards on the awards page. The 2018 GoF Central will be held at Lake Delavan, Wisconsin, beginning on June 27th. More info is available at the official site.

Chinese auto maker SAIC Motor Corporation will enter the India market with its once British MG brand for which it plans to have its fully-owned car manufacturing plant in the country. The company expects to commence operations in the country by 2019 and is in the process of finalizing its manufacturing facility, SAIC Motor Corporation said in a statement. Besides, the company said, it is firming up product strategy for the market here, details of which will be announced later.

Over 90 years of the MG marque will be showcased at the MG Car Club’s annual celebration MGLive! at Silverstone Circuit on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th June, with models ranging from the 1920s to the latest launch from MG Motor UK. Around 3,000 MG models will be on display from the Club’s various registers, paying tribute to the manufacturer’s motoring heritage. There will be MGs from all eras in action on Silverstone’s Grand Prix Circuit as well as on static display on the showground, providing enthusiasts with a fantastic timeline. MG Motor UK will be previewing the new MG XS compact SUV at MGLive! 2017. Previously unveiled at the London Motor Show in May, MGLive! will offer MG fans the first real opportunity to get up close and personal with the latest car from MG. Due to launch in […]

MG has issued the following in regards to the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) … Following the statements from both Triple Eight Racing and Daniel Lloyd yesterday, MG UK would like to acknowledge the contribution that Daniel has made since joining that MG RCiB Insurance racing team this year and wish him all the best in his future endeavors. It has been clear that, so far in 2017, the on-track results have not reached the level to which MG or any of our partners aspire and we support the efforts that the Triple Eight team is making to remedy this situation, starting this weekend as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship heads to the Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire.

John Twist is the MG guru behind Michigan’s University Motors who has helped countless people maintain, restore, and understand their MGs. He has run a successful shop, has an informative video series, and now is an international speaker. Twist will be inducted into the British Sports Car Hall of Fame on Friday, June 2nd.  

Known as the Dalai Lama of the Sacred Octagon, Ken Smith is the Editor Emeritus of The MG Driver and was known for his numerous appearances at British car events across the country on behalf of Moss Motors. Ken will be inducted, along with 22 other worthy motorheads, into the British Sportscar Hall of Fame on June 2nd.

Our video this week is a bit different, a spot of fun, and a bit odd. The video is an advertisement for the new MG GS out of Australia. Fun, yes. But just how much bum slapping can go on in one commercial?

The name above the gate may say MGLive! but there’s plenty more to see than just MGs models when the MG Car Club‘s annual extravaganza returns to Silverstone on 17th and 18th June. The Club’s Racing division has developed a racing programme not to be missed on the GP Circuit, as it’s own MG championships are joined by the pre-1966 Touring cars from the Masters Series, giving visitors the chance to see BMW 2002s, Alfa Romeos, Lotus Cortinas, Ford Falcons and Mustangs battling it out against the ever competitive Mini Coopers.

Richard “Dick” Knudson is well known as the co-founder of the New England MG T-Register and one of the guiding lights in the British car hobby. Additionally, he has written prolifically about the Sacred Octagon and its many accomplishments. Knudson will be one of 23 deserving individuals inducted into the British Sports Car Hall of Fame on June 2, 2017.

To say that Cecil Kimber is famous for his role in the formation and growth of the MG Car Company would be a bit of an understatement. To title him as just an “automotive engineer” would be even more so. Cecil Kimber was the creator and driving force behind what would become one of the best-loved car brands of all time. Cecil Kimber will be inducted into the British Sports Car Hall of Fame this June. Cecil Kimber was born in South London on April 12, 1888.  At a young age, he became interested in vehicles and motorsport. He attention was originally drawn to motorcycles, but after an accident that badly damaged his right leg, Kimber made the switch from two wheels to four wheels.

MG Motor UK officially unveiled its all-new compact SUV – the MG XS – at the London Motor Show earlier today (4th May). Featuring the latest in driver technology, in-car infotainment and next-generation vehicle design, the new model offers a glimpse of the future for MG’s iconic model range. Expected to arrive in dealerships in late 2017, the MG XS will be available in two engine derivatives and either automatic or manual transmission. The manufacturer’s first car to be marketed under a different name in the UK than China, the MG XS has been specifically developed to suit market demand for a competitively-priced, family-friendly compact SUV. 

Jimmy Cox is a former engine guru and works mechanic at the MG Development Department responsible for many of the company’s racing and record-breaking successes. He was with the successful MG record breaking team at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1959 and was also part of the MG team who went to Le Mans in 1955. Jimmy Cox will be inducted into the British Sports Car Hall of Fame on June 2, 2017. In 1945, at the young age of just 14, Jimmy Cox started work at MG’s Abingdon factory as a mere messenger boy. That eventually led to work on the MG TC production line, but in 1949 Cox entered the military for his two-year duties. Upon returning to MG in 1951 he again was working on standard production cars but soon had the opportunity to take over responsibility […]

Well, it looks like the MG E-Motion concept we talked about last week is one step to making it into production as a rival to the Tesla Model S. Following the reveal of the concept car at the Shanghai Motor show, MG UK’s sales and marketing boss Matthew Cheyne confirmed that he expects the E-Motion to make production around 2020 and be priced from under £30,000. With a purported 250+ mile range on a charge and a zero to sixty time in the 4-second range, the E-Motion could be a very attractive package. Of course, this will probably be another MG model that will never reach US shores. Although, at least there would be little to know emissions regulations holding things back since this vehicle will be electric. Sadly, with SAIC looking to pull all manufacturing out of Britain, this […]