MG cars had their roots in a 1920s sales promotion sideline of Morris Garages, a retail sales and service centre in Oxford belonging to William Morris.

MG was a British automotive marque founded by Cecil Kimber in the 1920s, and M.G. Car Company Limited was the British sports car manufacturer that made the marque famous. Best known for its open two-seater sports cars, MG also produced saloons and coupés, with engines up to three litres in size. The marque is now owned by state owned Chinese automotive SAIC Motor Corporation Limited.

 

Headquarters Shanghai, China

mgb cabriolet  1962-1980

The MGB is a two-door sports car manufactured and marketed from 1962 until 1980 by the British Motor Corporation (BMC), later the Austin-Morris division of British Leyland, as a four-cylinder, soft-top sports car. It was announced and its details first published on 19 September 1962. Variants include the MGB GT three-door 2+2 coupé (1965–1980), the six-cylinder sports car and coupé MGC (1967–69), and the eight-cylinder 2+2 coupé, the MGB GT V8 (1973–76).

Replacing the MGA in 1962, production of the MGB and its variants continued until 1980. Sales for the MGB, MGC and MGB GT V8 combined totaled 523.836 cars. After a 12-year hiatus, the MGB re-entered production as the heavily modified MG RV8 with a limited run of 2000 cars before finally being replaced in 1995 by the MG F.

The roadster was the first of the MGB range to be produced. The body was a pure two-seater; a small rear seat was a rare option at one point. By making better use of space the MGB was able to offer more passenger and luggage accommodation than the earlier MGA while being 76 mm shorter overall.

The MGB was one of the first cars to feature controlled crumple zones designed to protect the driver and passenger in a 48 km/h impact with an immovable barrier.

The MGB achieved a 0–100 km/h time of just over 11 seconds. The 1,798 cc B-Series engine produced 95 hp.

All MGBs from 1962 to 1967 used a four-speed manual gearbox with a non-synchromesh, straight-cut first gear. Optional overdrive was available. This gearbox was based on that used in the MGA with some minor upgrades to cope with the additional output of the larger MGB engine. In 1968 the early gearbox was replaced by a full synchromesh unit based on the MGC gearbox. 

The decision to discontinue the MGB came about largely due to the poor sales performance of the Triumph TR7, which had largely taken over as BL's contemporary offering in the small sports car market. BL management felt that continued production of the MGB was cannibalising the TR7's sales and this therefore was a justification for taking it off the market. However the TR7 failed to sell and was axed a year later. The MG marque was subsequently used to badge engineer sports versions of the Austin Metro, Austin Maestro and Austin Montego throughout the 1980s, prior to the re-emergence of the MGB in late 1992 as the MG RV8.

zt 2001-2005

The MG ZT is a car which was produced by MG Rover from 2001 to 2005. It was offered in saloon and estate versions, the latter designated as the MG ZT-T. Styling is similar to the Rover 75, upon which it was based, although various modifications, most noticeably the wheels and tyres, make for a far sportier ride. Production ceased in April 2005, amidst financial turmoil at MG Rover.

In 2001, three years after the launch of the Rover 75, and less than a year after the demerger of MG Rover from BMW, the MG ZT and MG ZT-T were launched. During the cars' development, the models were codenamed X10 and X11, for the saloon and estate versions, respectively.

The basic shape and styling of the MG ZT remained the same as for the Rover 75 but with changes to the front bumper, now with an integrated grille, and detail alterations including colour coding of the chromed waistline, a new bootlid plinth, and different alloy wheels and tyres sizes.

The interior featured revised seats and dashboard treatment, with new instrument faces.

The MG ZT only had one trim level, though the standard car could be ordered with a "Plus" pack. MG ZT models were named after engine unit power output, i.e. a 160ps V6 model was a MG ZT 160, and a 190ps V6 model with a "Plus" pack was a MG ZT 190+. 

During the first few months of 2004, MG Rover facelifted the design of the ZT and ZT-T to a less retro look, at the same time as the Rover 75 received a facelift.

The MG ZT (and Rover 75 derivative) were powered by a combination of MG Rover's own petrol and LPG K-Series and KV6 engines as well as Ford's Modular V8 and BMW's M47 diesel engine. The latter was designated M47R to identify the unit as an MG Rover special, having been modified by MG Rover's engineers for transverse installation, with performance and refinement characteristics unique to MG Rover.

Nanjing Automobile of China purchased MG Rover in July 2005, three months after the company went bankrupt. Production of the MG ZT effectively resumed in the beginning of 2007, though in the form of the MG 7.

svr  2003-2005

The MG SV Xpower is a sports car that was produced by British automobile manufacturer MG Rover. Manufactured in Modena, Italy and finished at Longbridge, United Kingdom, it was based on the platform of the Qvale Mangusta, formerly the De Tomaso Biguà, itself using parts from the Ford Mustang.

The production process was complex, partly caused by the use of carbon fibre, to make the body panels. The basic body parts were made in the United Kingdom by SP Systems, and then shipped to Belco Avia, near Turin, for assembly into body panels.

These were then assembled into a complete body shell, and fitted onto the box frame chassis and running gear, and shipped to the factory of MG Rover, in Longbridge, to be trimmed and finished. Several of the cars’ exterior and interior parts, were sourced from current and past models of Fiat.

The base MG XPower SV is powered by a 4.6 L Ford Modular V8 which is rated at 320 hp. The SV's advanced carbon fibre body helped it achieve a top speed of 266 km/h and a 0 to 100 km/h time of 5.3 seconds.

The XPower SV R, released the following year, features a Roush tuned, “cammer” 5.0 L 32 valve Modular V8. MG claimed the SV-R's engine was rated at 385 hp, however some sources claim this figure is actually closer to 410 hp.

The top speed was estimated to be around 282 km/h, and its 0 to 100 km/h time to be close to 4.9 seconds.

Unlike the base model SV, the SVR was offered with a choice of either manual or automatic transmissions.

According to the data at the MG XPower SV Club, approximately 82 cars were produced, excluding the four 'XP' pre production prototypes.

cyberster 2023-present

The MG Cyberster is an all-electric roadster concept car produced by SAIC Motor under the MG marque, revealed in 2021.The Cyberster - developed by the team at the MG Advanced Design Centre in London – is a two-door, two-seater sports car recalling the brand’s tradition, drawing a number of styling cues from the classic MGB Roadster while also ushering in new high-tech features, including an interactive gaming cockpit and 5G connectivity.

The Cyberster receives rear lights incorporating the United Kingdom flag (Union Jack) like the Mini John Cooper Works GP and interactive "Magic Eye" headlights that open when turned on like the first generation Mazda MX-5. It is electrically powered and has a range of 800 km.

The MG as single motor version has a mass of 1850 kg and power of 310 bhp. The dual motor version comes in at 1985 kg and 540 bhp.

0-100km/h time of less than three seconds is promised.

1924-1927

1927-1952

1952-1962

1962-1990

1990-2010

2010-2021

2021-now

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