MG History

1921 33 year-old Cecil Kimber (1888-1945) joined Morris Garages (whence "MG") with a great interest in body styling, coach building and sports cars.

1924 The first MG car was built, a sporting four-seater tourer on a modified Morris Oxford chassis. The factory telephone number - Abingdon 251 - provided the starting point for most MG's chassis VINs (Vehicle Identification Numbers).

1925 The first purpose-built MG sports car was built -

the 1.5 litre 'Old No. 1'. Made for the Land's End Trial where it won a gold medal, it survives to this day.

1926: The "Bullnose" Morris replaced by "Flatnose" -- with a conventional radiator.

1927 A privately entered MG 14/40 won a 100 km race at San Martin, Argentina.

1928: MG Car Company was formally created. MG 18/80 with a six-cylinder 2.5-litre ohc engine. Also the first MG Midget (M-type) 847cc ohc.

1929 March, production of the Midget. After several moves due to increasing demand, production finally settled at Abingdon-on-Thames, MG's home until 1980.

1930 The MG Car Company Limited was formally incorporated. The 750cc EX120 set a world record of over 100mph, at Montlhery.

1931 supercharged racing C type, and F type Magna had a 1.3-litre 6-cyl. engine.

1932 new J-type Midget, 2- and 4-seat versions.

1933 Supercharged 1100cc six cylinder K3 MG Magnette won its class at the Mille Miglia, making MG the first non-Italian marque ever to win the team prize. A K3 driven by Tazio Nuvolari won the Ulster TT. A C-type Midget was class winner and 6th overall at Le Mans.

1934

1935 A K3 won the 1100cc class at Le Mans and the EX 135, or Magic Magnette, was driven at over 200mph by Goldie Gardner and later broke many more land speed records. SA model 2-litre (later 2.3) 6-cyl sports saloon.

1936 TA, 1.3-litre.

1938 WA model, 2.6-litre.

1939-45 Car production was halted for the company to concentrate on munitions production during World War 2.

1945 TC.

1947 Y-type saloon, 1250cc engine. Duke of Edinburgh bought a TC Midget in August.

1948 TC

1948 An MG T-series took 3rd in the second Watkins Glen GP.

1950 TD.

1952 Nuffield and Austin merged to form BMC. MG had a new in-house family rival: Austin-Healey.

1953 TF ~ revised TD. New Magnette saloon, 1.5-litre BMC B-series engine.

1954 TF

1955 The MGA, designed by Syd Enever, was launched - the first MG sports car with all enveloping bodywork - and competed at Le Mans the same year.

1956 The 100,000th MG built was a left hand drive MGA 1500.

1957 The EX181 achieved a record 245.64mph for the 1500cc class with Stirling Moss at the wheel.

1959 new MG Magnette saloon ~ a BMC model.

1960 A special Twin Cam Coupe won the 2-litre class at Le Mans.

1961 MGA

1961 The new MG Midget was launched, bringing low cost motoring back to the MG enthusiast.

1962 The 1800cc MGB replaced the MGA and was destined to be the mainstay of MG production for the next 20 years. MG 1100 saloon ~ BMC 1100.

1963 The 500,000th MG was produced. An MG 1100 driven by Foster and Hedges, secured a...

1964 1300cc class win in the six-hour Touring Car Race at Brands Hatch.

1965 The MGB GT was added and dubbed as "the poor man's Aston Martin".

1966 MGB won the Marathon de la Route 84-hour race, Nurburgring.

1967-1969 MGC ~ an MGB with a 6-cyl engine.

1968 BMC and Leyland merged to form BLMC, later to become BL. MG became part of a specialist car division, along with Jaguar, Daimler, Rover and Triumph.

1969 6-cyl

1969 HRH Prince Charles took delivery of an MGC GT (SGY 766F), which he passed down to Prince William 30 years later.

1973 The Rover V8 was put into the MGB GT to create the MGB GT V8 (73-76). Introduced on the eve of a fuel crisis, the market for such cars collapsed.

1974 impact resistant rubber bumpers fitted to meet US legislation.

1975 The 1,000,000th MG was built in October - a unique left hand drive MGB roadster finished in Brooklands Green, with Jubilee GT livery and wheels.

1979 end of the MG Midget.

1980 End of the MGB.

1982 MG name used on a "sporty" version of the Metro and later on the Maestro etc..

1983 A 200bhp MG Metro Turbo driven by Tony Pond took three class pole positions, one class win, four fastest laps in the Trimoco Saloon Car Championship.

1984 The MG 6R4, mid-mounted V6, 4WD, swept all before it until the competition rules were changed to exclude it.

1987 David Gillanders won the UK National Rally Championship and Will Gollup won the Lydden Winter Rallycross Championship and took the European Rallycross title.

1992 MG RV8 was launched as a step towards MG's rebirth as a sports car manufacturer. Fitted with a 3.9-litre V8 engine, just 2000 were made until 1995.

1995 The arrival of the MGF in 1995 heralded a new start. With its classic mid-engine/ rear-wheel design, world-class engines and good looks, the MGF was the MG for the 1990s and the next millennium.

1997 MGF launched in Australia.

2000 Following its sale by BMW, the company returned to British ownership on 9 May with shares held by MG Rover Group employees and its franchised dealers.

2001

2001 The MG ZR, ZS and ZT were launched, creating a completely new market for MG. Racing programmes were announced for the British Touring Car Championship, World Rally Championship and Le Mans. Qvale Automotive was bought to provide the basis of a "super car".

2002 MG ZT sedan and ZT-T sports wagon launched in Australia. The MGF was revised to become the MG TF.

2002 The 1.5 millionth MG was a new 'Golden Jubilee' MG TF 160 roadster.

2004 80th anniversary of MG.

 

2005 April: MG-Rover went into receivership.

 

2005 May: "Nanjing Automobile Corporation (NAC) purchased the MG brand, the manufacturing rights to the MG range of vehicles and assets of the collapsed MG Rover organisation in a deal worth in excess of £50 million."

2007 March: First MG produced in Nanjing.

2007 May: MG TF production planned to resume at the Longbridge factory.

2007 December: Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC, which bought the Rover 75) and NAC to merge.

2008 August: Production of 500 MG TF LE500, £16.4K, started at Longbridge, UK.

2009 September 11: A UK Government inquiry showed the "Phoenix 4" bosses in a bad light over MG-Rover's 2005 collapse. In May 2011 hey were barred from holding company directorships for up to six years.

2010: MG TF135 £13,799, LE500 £16,399.

2011: The MG6 went on sale in the UK, from £15.5K to £19K. April 2011: Limited production of the MG6 began at Longbridge.