MG

For students of the history of Jaguar Cars, a book written by Chris Cowin, first 2012 and republished 2014 may be of interest. The book, British Leyland: Chronicle of a Car Crash 1968-1978 is simply packed with interesting history. This is the comprehensive story of a collection of once great and diverse British industries, primarily automotive, and their slow but relentless move toward destruction with only a few surviving pieces, Jaguar and Land Rover. For Jaguar only followers much of this book may be irrelevant as it deals in great detail about the downward spiral of the largest indigenous British car companies beginning about 1968 but this date is approximate.

Our Thanksgiving Video of the Week (VotW) comes to us by way of the fine Canadian folks of Men & Motors. Titled “Classic British Cars in America”, this is obviously a subject we can all be thankful for. In this video from just over three years ago,  the M&M folks make their way to English Motors in Macomb, Michigan, which I believe is now closed, to look at some great British cars and talk about the fascination Americans have with them. Adrian Bell is in Detroit, Michigan talking about classic British cars. He meets British car enthusiast Sue Snyder who shows him her 1980 MG MGB which she has owned since it was new, plus Don Ensloe shows Adrian around his car garage which specialises in maintaining and restoring British cars for their American owners.

MG Car Club in Abingdon has brought out its very own breakfast blend tea in time for Christmas, sporting an image of the town’s old MG factory where generations of Oxfordshire families once worked.   General manager Adam Sloman said: “We want to offer MG fans something different through our merchandise range and we thought what better than a proper cuppa, blended just up the road from Abingdon. “The tea tastes fantastic. It’s something special and unique, it’s fun and will make a brilliant gift too.”

After handing down a stylised sketch earlier this month, Chinese-owned British brand MG has now released two revealing previews of its upcoming compact SUV, reportedly set to wear the badge ZS. Destined for the Guangzhou motor show on November 18, the new compact offering is being reported overseas as a rival to the Nissan Juke – which, although an aging offering, remains the compact SUV to beat in the European market.

Chinese-Thai joint venture SAIC Motor-CP, which produces and markets MG cars in Thailand, has broken ground on its second assembly plant in the Kingdom, the Bangkok Post reports. The factory is located at the Hemaraj Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate 2 in Chon Buri province. In May, the company announced plans to build a second 700,000 sqm plant that will handle MG vehicle production processes such as body assembly, vehicle assembly, and painting under one roof. The total investment in this second plant was not disclosed, but the report estimates around 30 to 40 billion baht.

The MG Vintage Racers Newsletter is celebrating its 35th anniversary this December 2016. It has been around longer than many vintage racing organizations! The newsletter was founded in December 1981 by MGTD racer Greg Prehodka, with 40 MG vintage racers, as a way for them to stay in touch with each other and to share information. Today its ranks include over 250 MG racers in North America. It is a grassroots newsletter, sans advertising, just for MG racers. It was awarded Moss Motors “Journalism Award” in 1995. In July of this year, MGVR celebrated its 35th anniversary at the Waterford Hills Historic Races in Michigan, where MGVR also celebrated its 20th anniversary “Focus Event”.

Plans to demolish warehouses once used by the Abingdon factory to manufacture MG cars have been defended for plans to build almost 100 homes on the site. Tony Lawson, of XLB Property, said companies using the units would have the option of moving to neighboring Abingdon Business Park after concerns were raised that jobs could be lost. And he added that he was “happy to consider” incorporating a memorial to the MG car company in the plans for the 93 flats and houses on the site of the eight warehouses off Colwell Drive – behind a McDonald’s restaurant on Marcham Road.

MG is getting ready to officially launch the MG ZS at the Guangzhou motor show in China next month. With just a few more weeks to go, spy shots of the car have leaked online giving the world a glimpse of what will be seen at the auto expo. The images give us a complete overview of how the upcoming baby SUV would look like. The ZS will be officially available at the expo on November 18th. The version that is spotted in the spy shots are camouflaged and doesn’t show the best design elements of the car.

Over the weekend the MG Owners’ Club has been delighted and privileged to host two exclusive MG maintenance seminars for Club members hosted by John Twist the renowned MG expert from the United States. Anyone who has ever Googled an MG problem will be familiar with the over 300 YouTube videos on just about every aspect of classic MG tuning and maintenance presented by the charismatic John Twist the extremely knowledgeable engineer. Participants travelled from all over the country to the MGOC HQ in Swavesey near Cambridge, with one member even flying down from Scotland. John took the groups through the basic sequence of tuning an MGB with his tremendous enthusiasm, incredible detail and with his trademark humour. The programme for each day was a presentation in the boardroom and then down the fully equipped modern MGOC Workshop for a […]

The region’s next generation of engineers are set to benefit from an educational partnership between MG Motor UK, South and City College Birmingham and neighbouring Bournville College. The agreement will see the organisations work in close collaboration to inspire talent and deliver practical learning opportunities. Alongside providing four branded MG3 3Form Sport models for the Colleges’ use, MG will supply a number of surplus models for students studying motorsport and engineering qualifications. These cars will enable pupils to practice new skills learned in the classroom and improve their practical automotive knowledge. Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing for MG Motor UK, commented: “Partnering with two local colleges provides an excellent opportunity to identify and develop talented individuals and inspire them to consider a career in engineering.” Steve Dourass, Business and Community Manager for South and City College Birmingham, added: […]

Staff at MG Motor are celebrating this week, after British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) driver Ashley Sutton took home the coveted Jack Sears Trophy in his MG6 at Brands Hatch (Sunday 2 October 2016). The award, which recognises the highest scoring rookie driver in the championship, was especially poignant this year given the fact that Sears, who was the first ever winner of the BTCC Trophy, died in August aged 86. The battle for the Jack Sears Trophy went down to the wire this year, with the Essex-born racer still unsure of clinching the title until the finish line. While he just had to complete the final race of the season to secure the title, with three laps to go Sutton experienced unexpected vibration issues. Taking no chances, the Triple Eight Racing team called the Number 116 MG6 back to […]

In very sad news, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation confirmed it was stopping the assembly of cars at Birmingham’s famous Longbridge plant. The owner of MG cars has been slammed for moving production to China – ending nearly 100 years of history. Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, which bought crippled MG Rover in 2005, confirmed it was stopping the assembly of cars at Birmingham’s famous Longbridge plant. The company insisted it was a “necessary business decision.” Yet it came as the day MG announced a 130% surge UK sales.

Staff from MG’s Technical Centre, SMTC, which is based at the company’s Longbridge site in Birmingham, recently hosted a vehicle showcase event to profile the team’s engineering expertise and show off their ‘pet projects’, all in aid of charity and having a good time! “Their love of the job doesn’t just stop at the end of the day.” From classic cars and hot rods to a variety of motorbikes, the Vehicles of Interest Day saw a number of projects displayed – each lovingly customised and restored by staff at the SMTC in their spare time. Each owner completed an overview fact sheet to share key details about their beloved vehicle, as well as explaining engineering modifications and performance upgrades. Following the showcase, vehicles were taken to the Curborough Sprint Course in Lichfield for an ‘out-of-hours’ race club. As well as taking […]

It’s back to the future as the latest MG dealership opens in the brand’s historic birthplace. Lodge Hill Garage in Abingdon is just a stone’s throw away from the site of the original MG factory where cars were built from 1929 to 1980. Now the latest MG3 and MG GS models are proudly displayed in the showroom of the UK’s latest MG dealership. The Abingdon dealership joins one of the fastest growing brands in Britain and new MGs in the Oxford and Abingdon area have created a wave of interest. Lodge Hill’s Principal, Nigel Murrin, said: “We’ve had a huge response from people wishing us well and saying how glad they are to see the MG name back. It’s just a reminder how much passion there is for the brand.

Our Video of the Week this go-round comes from the vintage racing circuit. Vintage racing is great, and classic British sportscar racing is even better. So take a look at the new racing course in Palmer, Massachusetts, from the view of George Pardee racing his MGTF there. For a brief overview of historic MG racing, make sure to check out the MG Vintage Racers website. We were unable to get to Waterford Hills, but did try out the spectacular new course at Palmer, MA with VSCCA/VRG. The video from our street equipped TF1250 stars Peter Ross and Jim Warren (MGA) two true gentleman drivers, and features a brilliant start by Mark Sherman. — George & Nick Pardee This video is from the The Whiskey Hill Classic at in July of 2016.

Reader Doug Foster recently sent me an email telling me about his car. I still own the first car I ever bought (while in college 1971): A 1969 Primrose MGB.  Currently has 72k original miles and over the last few years have cleaned her up and rebuilt the motor.  She is virtually the same now as when she left the factory – no reproduction parts!  She won second place in the Forest Grove Concours last year… Recently my wife and I fell in love with MG Magnettes and purchased a 1958 ZB Varitone that is in great condition. Robert A. Mac Millan of Salem, Oregon bought the car new on May 29, 1969. Doug purchased the car in 1971 from Robert while Doug was completing college. He drove it daily for several years and frequently entered various time speed distance rallies, […]

Our video this week is a quick, very quick, look at what it means to own a Triumph Spitfire or MGB. Both of the people and cars in this video are unique, but even with the choices and differences, they hit upon some of the common threads of classic British sportscar ownership. I will admit to finding this video interesting partially for the reason that I have both an MGB and a Spitfire in the stable at the moment. The Spitfire is my daily driver and the MGB is undergoing a very slow version of a restoration. In a short period of time, with either car, you become intimately familiar with their quirks, charm, and personalities. And yes, unlike a lot of modern cars, the little roadsters have a ton of personality and no two – even of same year […]

Our video this week is a features the sights and sounds of MG2016, the all-MG national meet held in June, 2016. The Ohio River in Louisville made a great backdrop for the 700 plus MGs on the show field. Get a short taste of the happenings. From the official “closing document” from Rick Ingram, Executive Director – North American Council of MG Registers: There were 829 registrations for this gathering. “On The Field” were 715 vehicles comprised of 2.66% ”pre-war” cars, 13.15% T-series cars, 22.52% MGAs or variants, and 56.78% MGBs/Cs/Midgets/1100s-1300s/or “Post-Abingdon” MGs. Additionally, 4.9% registered as “Other British” or enthusiasts participating without their MG. About 700 folks enjoyed our “Churchill Downs Experience” on Monday evening, and another 325 folks had the same experience on Wednesday evening. … Two hundred twenty enthusiasts visited the Corvette factory and museum over Tuesday and Wednesday on event-sponsored tours. About the same […]