MG

According to Auto Express, after a lengthy absence and years of rumours, it appears MG will finally be returning to the sportscar market. Hazy teaser images of what looks to be a new concept car have appeared online, with reports suggesting the car could be called the MG E-Motion. As the name suggests it will be a pure electric sportscar, which could potentially preview a spiritual successor to the MG TF – axed from production in 2011.

MG Motor UK is celebrating continued success in 2017, after achieving record registrations for March. Figures released today by The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show a 30% rise compared to the same month in 2016. So far in 2017, MG has registered 1,065 vehicles, 8% higher than the same period in 2016, making it the best ever quarter for the Longbridge-based business. Alongside increasing brand awareness and excellent value for money, Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing at MG Motor UK, believes this continued success is down to its ongoing focus on dealer engagement and positive customer reception to its latest model range. MG’s strategy is to work with its dealer network using straightforward campaigns and a focus on getting actual drivers into the cars that they are selling, encouraging dealers to concentrate on delighting their customers, […]

Not to do two MG videos in a row, but this one is fun. And I like MGs, so there is that two. This week out Video of the Week is the second in a series called “The Wrenchmen” from Hagerty and features work on a 1970 MGB. Seems lots of good videos are coming out of Hagerty these days. Anyway, this series basically has a couple of professional mechanics going around to regular folks with classic cars and helping them over some rough spots to get them back on the road. The description of this video is… Three days, two Wrenchmen, one garaged MGB and a bunch of problems. Wrenchmen Davin and Matt roll through South Carolina to help David and Jocelyn get their 1970 MGB back on the road after being parked for far too long. The MGB’s […]

The Endurance Rally Association’s ninth Flying Scotsman Rally ended in a nail-biting finish as the winning crew of Paul Crosby and Ali Proctor suffered two breakdowns in their 1939 MG TB Supercharged on the final run for the chequered flag at Gleneagles, Scotland. The event started at Slaley Hall in Hexham, Northumberland, with over 750miles of rally ahead of the 103 crews.

A sad update to the tale we told you last week of our contributor Robert Morey running in the Flying Scotsman Rally with John Scott. We heard from Robert this weekend, and unfortunately, the 1937 MG VA they were driving broke down after “an amazing dice at breakneck speed with a pre-war BMW sports car. He could pull away on the straights a bit but John was on him in the corners!”

Featuring a video from the talented folks at Petrolicious, this week we take a ride in Bjartur Gudmundsson’s Pininfarina-styled MGB GT track car, gravel road slinger, and daily driver through some of Iceland’s most stunning back roads. “It’s loud, it smells of gasoline and fumes, but that’s part of the car. It is loud so you’re not allowed to think. You can’t. You just have to drive,” chuckles Bjartur as he revs the stylish British coupe before sidestepping the clutch. It’s evident this petrolhead has mastered the “it’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow” mindset, as he’s caught sliding the flickable classic sports car down wet tarmac and fearlessly flogging over narrow muddy gravel paths.

A note of good luck to our friend and occasional contributor Robert Morey as he and John Scott take on the 9th annual Flying Scotsman Rally going from Slaley Hall to Gleneagles. They will be at the wheel of this beautiful 1937 MG VA. Departing from Slaley Hall on Friday 31st of March the 9th running of the iconic Flying Scotsman,  Britain’s Premier competitive Vintage car rally will be another epic adventure set in the glorious and big sky countryside of Northern England and Scotland. The schedule is … Day 1 – Slaley Hall to Edinburgh – Friday, March 31 Day 2 – Edinburgh to Aviemore – Saturday, April 1 Day 3 – Aviemore to Gleneagles – Sunday, April 2 A list of the participants’ vehicles includes some astounding cars, for the record Robert and John are in car #96. The parade of cars […]

NEO, a maker of high-quality 43rd scale models produces an extensive range of car models from foreign manufacturers as well as US car makers. They have added another MG to their range which previously included the MGTD and Arnolt MG coupe. Their latest is a 1933 MG F1 Magna Salonette a small four passenger two door closed car. There were MG Magna roadsters produced as well but no scale models as of yet. These Magnas made use of a small 1271cc overhead cam engine which William Morris had acquired after he purchased Wolseley and added it to the Nuffield group.

Belmont Garage, an MG Motor UK car dealership based in Epsom Downs, has transformed its showroom into an African sunset silhouette, thanks to a little help from children in the local community. More than 70 colorful canvasses, designed by budding ‘Picassos’ from Shawley Primary School, will be displayed at the dealership until the end of April. Organized in partnership with Tattenham Corner Community Events, the initiative aims to bring local businesses and schoolchildren together to celebrate the region’s talent and creativity.

SAIC Motor Technical Centre (SMTC UK), the sister company to MG Motor, has adopted Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), at its Longbridge facility in Birmingham, confirming its commitment to a continuous quality improvement philosophy. The automotive industry has seen huge benefits through Six Sigma over many years and it continues to play a key role in the continuous improvement strategy for many OEMs and those working in the supply chain.

Aron Taylor-Smith and Dan Lloyd will race for the MG British Touring Car Championship team in 2017. The duo replaces last year’s rookie pairing of race winner Ashley Sutton and Josh Cook with the British manufacturer. Taylor-Smith, who used to race under his unmarried name Smith, will step across from the Team BKR VW CC. His Rockingham win last year was his fourth victory in the category since he joined the category in 2011. It will be the first time that Taylor-Smith, 27, has driven for a factory team. “It’s a real shame in one way to leave BKR who did such an amazing job last year in their first season, but now I am fully focused on the 2017 season and excited to ensure I deliver the results that MG not only deserve but are capable of,” said the […]

Some may not realize that the MG brand and logo are now in the hands of a Chinese firm, SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, a state-owned firm based in Shanghai. They are the largest Chinese automaker by sales with over 5 million units sold in 2014.

Our Video of the Week for the last week of January (wow, 2017 is roaring by!) is a sponsored documentary showing the manufacture of MG cars at Abingdon. This video comes by way of folks at British Pathé. One of the interesting thing to me about this video is that it is from 1931 – long before the MGB or even the MGA, entered the picture. The cars being made here are the ones that really laid the groundwork of the legend that would be MG.

Few would argue that the MGB remains Britain’s favourite classic sports car or that it is almost as at home in modern traffic as it was in that of the ‘60s/‘70s. However, it can nevertheless be updated to advantage and British Motor Heritage (BMH) is now stocking the superb Vitesse Global 5-speed manual gearbox conversion for the model. Based on the renowned transmission of the Mazda MX5 MK3, the replacement gearbox comes fully assembled and complete with clutch friction plate, slave cylinder, braided clutch pipe, speedometer cable, prop shaft and fixing kit. No modifications are required to the bodyshell and fitting is therefore quick and well within the scope of any competent home mechanic.

MG Motor UK has announced the winners of its 2017 Annual Dealer Awards. The event, which took place on 12 January as part of the company’s national conference, celebrated outstanding achievement from across the network. Nathaniel MG took home the prestigious Dealer of the Year accolade, alongside being named Top MG3 Selling Dealer. Part of the network since 2015, the Bridgend-based business was recognised for delivering exceptional service for customers across South Wales. 

MG Motor UK has been named as one of the fastest-growing automotive brands in the UK*. Figures released earlier this week by the SMMT** reveal that the company registered 4,192 vehicles in 2016 – 1,040 more than last year. Sales have grown by 33% year-on-year, with MG’s family-friendly SUV – the MG GS – a key driver of this success. In November, the new model reached its 500 unit sales milestone, just 176 days after being unveiled at The London Motor Show in May.

Something a bit different this week for our video. This time round we are featuring “HBTV: Depth of Speed – British Mania”. The series “Depth of Speed” … ‘was born from a desire of story, travel and a love of anything automotive related. Next year my wife and I will be taking to the streets to uncover and document the greatest stories from the automotive world. From coast-to-coast and from top to bottom, finding the best stories will take the highest priority. Every time I meet someone new or attend an event I’m amazed at the depth, passion and love that the automotive world brings. Depth of Speed is just that – an in-depth look at these stories. There is something about motors and machines, that to an outsider looking in, would make us seem plain crazy.‘ This episode, British […]

Engineers from SAIC Motor Technical Centre, the company behind MG Motor, co-hosted a global gathering of top automotive aerodynamicists in Leamington Spa, UK, in November. Recognizing the key role vehicle design plays in fuel economy, the EADE (European Aerodynamic Data Exchange) annual meeting welcomed 44 delegates from over 20 global vehicle manufacturers and two wind tunnel facilities. Held at the Engineering Employers’ Federation (EEF) conference center in Warwickshire, the annual event gives engineers involved in reducing the drag coefficient of cars the opportunity to share new developments and data relating to wind tunnel testing. These tests are used to understand how well a car travels through the air, producing a set of figures to describe a vehicle’s relative aerodynamic performance.