Mg — All Car History Volume 17
MG is best known for two-seat open sports cars, but MG also produced saloons and coupés. More recently, the brand has also been used to designate sportier versions of other models belonging to the parent company. Nanjing MG Automobile Co. (NAC MG Ltd) bought the assets of MG Rover in 2005; in 2007, under these new owners, MG will restart production of the MG TF at the company’s Longbridge factory.
MG HISTORY
MG was founded in 1924, getting its name from “Morris Garages.” The first car which could be described as a new MG, rather than a modified Morris, was the 18/80 of 1928. A smaller car was launched in 1929, the first of a long line of Midgets. MG also made a name for itself in the early days of motorsport. Before World War II, MG began to produce the T-Series Midgets. MG released the MGA in 1955 and the MGB in 1962, which continued production until 1980
MG FACTS
Type: private Founded: 1924 by William Morris and Cecil Kimber Headquarters: Longbridge, England Key people: Wang Hao Liang (NAC Chairman), Yu Jian Wei (NAC CEO) Industry: Automotive Products: Cars
FEATURED MODELS
MG MGF: – a mid-engined, rear wheel drive roadster first produced in 1995 MG TF: – the redesigned MG TF was launched in 2002 and named after the classic MG TF MG ZR : – a hot hatch produced by MG Rover between 2001-2005
DID YOU KNOW?
The MGB was the first new sports car for more than half a million Americans and was probably owned by at least a million more because it had second, third and even fourth owners. It was the last MG sports car sold in the USA The MGB tourer was built from 1962 to 1980, with total production reaching 386,789 units, of which nearly nine out of every ten were exported, mainly to the USA The bore and stroke dimensions (80 x 89.3 mm) of the 1.8 K Series engine used in the MGF and TF are almost identical to those of the MGB 1.8 B Series. The technology moves on, but the ideal proportions for torque and usable power remain the same