Editing MG Cars

{{Short description|Car brand and former British car company}}
{{About|the history of the MG marque and the M.G. Car Co. Ltd (1930–1972)|the current manufacturer of MG cars|MG Motor}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox Brand
| name = MG (marque)
| logo = MG logo.png
| logo_size = 160px
| logo_caption = Logo used from 1990 to 2010
| currentowner = [[SAIC Motor]]
| origin = United Kingdom
| related =
| type = [[Automobile]]
| markets = Worldwide
| previousowners = {{ubl
  | 1924–1930: Morris Garages Limited
  | {{nowrap|1930–1952: M.G. Car Company Limited}}
  | 1952–1967: [[British Motor Corporation]]
  | 1967–1968: [[British Motor Holdings]]
  | 1968–1990: [[British Leyland]]
  | 1990–1992: [[Austin Rover Group|Austin Rover]]
  | 1992–2000: [[Rover Group]]
  | 2000–2005: [[MG Rover Group]]
  | 2006–2011: [[Nanjing Automobile|Nanjing Automobile Group]]<ref name="tm_reg_hist">{{cite web|title=Case details for Trade Mark 490090|url=https://www.ipo.gov.uk/trademark/history/GB50000000000490090.pdf|website=Intellectual Property Office|publisher=Crown (UK Government)|access-date=24 January 2018}}</ref>}}
| trademarkregistrations=
| website={{URL|https://mg.co.uk/}}
}}

'''MG''' is a British automotive [[marque]] founded by [[Cecil Kimber]] in the 1920s, and '''M.G. Car Company Limited''' was the British [[sports car]] manufacturer existing between 1930 and 1972 that made the marque well known. Since 2007 the marque has been controlled by Chinese [[state-owned]] automaker [[SAIC Motor]].

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, 1st Viscount Nuffield|William Morris]]. The business's manager, [[Cecil Kimber]], modified standard production [[Morris Oxford]]s and added ''MG Super Sports'' to the plate at the nose of the car. A separate M.G. Car Company Limited was incorporated in July 1930. It remained Morris's personal property until 1 July 1935, when he sold it to his holding company, [[Morris Motors|Morris Motors Limited]].

MG underwent many changes in ownership over the years. Morris's [[Nuffield Organization]] merged with [[Austin Motor Company|Austin]] to create the [[British Motor Corporation|British Motor Corporation Limited]] (BMC) in 1952. Its activities were renamed MG Division of BMC in 1967, and so it was a component of the 1968 merger that created [[British Leyland|British Leyland Motor Corporation]] (BLMC). The MG marque continued to be used by the successors of BLMC: [[British Leyland]], the [[Rover Group]] and, by the start of 2000, the [[MG Rover Group]], which entered receivership in 2005. The MG marque along with other assets of MG Rover were purchased by [[Nanjing Automobile|Nanjing Automobile Group]] (which merged into SAIC Motor in 2007). Production of MG vehicles restarted in 2007 in China [[MG Motor|under Chinese ownership]]. The first new MG model in the UK for 16 years, the [[MG6 (automobile)|MG6]], was launched on 26 June 2011.

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== {{anchor|Company|company}}M.G. Car Company (1930–1972) ==
{{Infobox company
| name = The M.G. Car Company Limited
| logo = MG 1962 logo.svg
| logo_size = 120
| logo_caption = Logo used from 1962 to 1990
| image = Morris garage, Longwall Street, Oxford.jpg
| image_caption = The Morris Garage in [[Longwall Street]], Oxford, where MG production started
| foundation = {{start date and age|1930|7|21|df=yes}}
| fate = Merged
| defunct = c. {{end date|1972|df=yes}}
| successor = 
| founder = [[Cecil Kimber]]
| industry = [[Automotive industry|Sport cars]]
| location = Longbridge, Birmingham (previously Abingdon, Oxfordshire)
| products = [[Automobile]]s
| parent = 
| subsid = 
}}
[[File:Enamelled badge on an early MG car.jpg|thumb|Enamelled badge on an early MG car]]
[[File:MG 'Old Number One' 1925.jpg|thumb|1925 'Old Number One' with body by [[Carbodies]]]]

[[William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield|William Morris]]'s Morris Garages in [[Longwall Street]], Oxford, was the Oxford agent for his Morris cars. [[Cecil Kimber]] joined the dealership as its sales manager in 1921 and was promoted to general manager in 1922.<ref name=MGSportsCars/> Kimber began promoting sales by producing his own special versions of Morris cars.<ref name=aro-potted>{{cite web|last=Adams|first=Keith|title=MG: A potted history|url=http://www.aronline.co.uk/mgf.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100719001904/http://www.aronline.co.uk/mgf.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 July 2010|work=AROnline|access-date=9 May 2011}}</ref>

Debate remains as to when MG car production started, although the first cars, rebodied Morris models that used coachwork from [[Carbodies]] of [[Coventry]]<ref>Northey, p.1333.</ref> and known as "Kimber Specials",<ref>Northey, Tom. "MG: A Great Sporting Name", in Ward, Ian, Executive Editor. ''World of Automobiles'' (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 12, p.1333.</ref> bore both Morris and MG badges. Reference to MG with the octagon badge appears in an Oxford newspaper from November 1923, and the MG Octagon was registered as a trademark by Morris Garages on 1 May 1924.<ref name=MGSportsCars>{{cite book |last=Green |first=Malcolm |title=MG Sports Cars |year=1997 |publisher=CLB |location=Godalming, UK |isbn=1-85833-606-6}}</ref> Morris Garages assembled its cars in premises in Alfred Lane, Oxford. Demand soon caused a move to larger premises in [[Bainton Road]] in September 1925, sharing space with the Morris radiator works.  Continuing expansion meant another move in 1927 to a separate factory in Edmund Road, [[Cowley, Oxfordshire|Cowley]], Oxford,<ref name=MGSportsCars/> near the main Morris factory, and for the first time, it was possible to include a production line.

In 1928, the company had become large enough to warrant an identity separate from the original Morris Garages, and The M.G. Car Company was used from March of that year.<ref name=MGSportsCars/> In October, for the first time, a stand was taken at the [[London Motor Show]].  Space soon ran out again, and a search for a permanent home led to the lease of part an old leather factory in [[Abingdon, Oxfordshire]], in 1929.<ref name=MGSportsCars/> A limited liability company named M.G. Car Company was incorporated on 21 July 1930.<ref>Company No. 00249645, [http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk//compdetails Companies House] accessed 27 August 2019</ref><ref>Warwick University: Modern Records Centre MSS.226 – British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Collection</ref>

Kimber stayed with the company until 1941, when he fell out with Morris over procuring wartime work and was summarily dismissed. He died in February 1945, in the [[King's Cross railway accident]].

=== Under the Nuffield Organization ===
William Morris owned MG personally, and in a re-arrangement of his various personal holdings, he sold MG in 1935 to [[Morris Motors]] (itself the leading member of his Morris Organisation, later called the [[Nuffield Organization]]).<ref>Wolseley And M.G. Companies. ''The Times'', Friday, 14 June 1935; pg. 20; Issue 47090.</ref>

=== Under the British Motor Corporation (BMC) ===
[[File:Mg ZA magnette n.jpg|thumb|1955 [[MG Magnette|ZA Magnette]]]]
The M.G. Car Company Limited was absorbed along with Morris into [[British Motor Corporation|The British Motor Corporation Limited]] (BMC), created in 1952 as a merger of [[Morris Motors|Morris Motors Limited]] and [[Austin Motor Company|The Austin Motor Company Limited]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bristow|first1=Grahame|title=Restoring Sprites and Midgets|date=2002|publisher=Brooklands Books|page=5}}</ref> Long-time service manager John Thornley took over as general manager, guiding the company through its best years until his retirement in 1969. Under BMC, several MG models were no more than [[badge engineering|badge-engineered]] versions of other marques, with the main exception being the small MG sports cars. BMC merged with [[Jaguar Cars]] in September 1966, and that December, the new company was named [[British Motor Holdings]] (BMH). BMH merged with the [[Leyland Motor Corporation]] in 1968 to form [[British Leyland|British Leyland Motor Corporation]] (BLMC).

=== Under British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC) ===
By this point, MG was nothing more than a marque used by BLMC, and from about 1972, the name "M.G. Car Company Limited" ceased to be used.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Georgano |first1=Nick |last2=Baldwin |first2=Nick |last3=Clausager |first3=Anders |last4=Wood |first4=Jonathan |editor1-last=Georgano |editor1-first=Nick |title=Britain's Motor Industry: The First Hundred Years |date=1995 |isbn=0-85429-923-8 |page=98|publisher=Foulis }}</ref>

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== {{anchor|Marque|marque}}MG marque ==
The marque name originated from the initials of Morris Garages, William Morris's private retail sales and service company.<ref name="mgnuts.com">[http://www.mgnuts.com/mgname/ What does the name “M.G.” mean?] ''mgnuts.com'', accessed 11 April 2019</ref> The marque was in continuous use, except for the duration of the [[Second World War]], from its inception in 1924 until 2005, and then from 2007 under Chinese ownership.

In the beginning, the marque was used predominantly for two-seater sports cars made at the M.G Car Company factory in [[Abingdon-on-Thames|Abingdon]], some {{convert|10|mi|km}} south of [[Oxford]].<ref>''Motor Sport'', February 1932, pp. 168, 171.</ref>

=== Under British Leyland (1968–1990) ===
Following partial nationalisation in 1975, BLMC became British Leyland (later just BL). British Leyland's management and engineering staff were predominantly from the former [[Leyland Motors|Leyland]] organisation, which included MG's historical close rival [[Triumph Motor Company|Triumph]]. Triumph was grouped into BL's Specialist Division, alongside [[Rover Company|Rover]] and [[Jaguar Cars|Jaguar]], while MG was retained with the other former BMC marques in the Austin-Morris Division, which otherwise made mass-production family cars. While new Triumph models such as the [[Triumph TR7|TR7]] and the [[Triumph Dolomite|Dolomite]] were launched during the 1970s, no new MG models were introduced apart from the limited-production V8 version of the [[MG MGB|MGB]]. While the MG operations was profitable these profits were entirely offset by the huge losses accrued by the rest of the Austin-Morris division and any funding to the Division within BL was allocated to urgently required mass market models, leaving MG with limited resources to develop and maintain its existing model range, which became increasingly outdated. Amidst a mix of economic, internal and external politics, the Abingdon factory was shut down on 24 October 1980 as part of the drastic programme of cutbacks necessary to turn BL around after the turbulent times of the 1970s. The last car built there was the MGB, and after the closure of the Abingdon plant, the MG marque was temporarily abandoned, and BL decided that there would be no immediate direct successor to the MGB or Midget.<ref name=lastMG>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zkAdAAAAIBAJ&pg=5054,6160038&dq=british-leyland&hl=en |title=Leyland builds the last MG |access-date=8 November 2011}}{{Dead link|date=April 2019}}</ref>

Between 1982 and 1991, the MG marque used to badge-engineer sportier versions of [[Austin Rover]]'s [[Austin Metro|Metro]], [[Austin Maestro|Maestro]], and [[Austin Montego|Montego]] ranges.  The MG marque was not revived in its own right until 1992, with the [[MG MGB#MG RV8|MG RV8]]&nbsp;– an updated MGB Roadster with a [[Rover V8]] engine, which was previewed at the 1992 Birmingham Motor Show, with low-volume production commencing in 1993.

=== Under Rover Group (1992–2000) ===
[[File:1999 MG F 1.8 Front.jpg|thumb|In 1995, the [[MG F / MG TF|MG F]] became the first all-new MG since the [[MG MGB|MGB]]]]
After BL became the [[Rover Group]] in 1986, ownership of the MG marque passed to [[British Aerospace]] in 1988 and then in 1994 to [[BMW]]. The MG name was revived for a second time in 1992 with the launch of the [[MG RV8]], followed by the mid-engined [[MG F]] in 1995, which proved to be more successful than the short-lived RV8.

=== Under MG Rover (2000–2006) ===
{{Main|MG Rover Group}}
BMW sold the business in 2000 and the MG marque passed to the [[MG Rover Group]] based in Longbridge, [[Birmingham]]. The practice of selling unique MG sports cars alongside badge-engineered models (by now Rovers) continued. The Group went into receivership in 2005 and car production was suspended on 7 April 2005. As of 2003, the site of the former Abingdon factory was host to [[McDonald's]] and the [[Thames Valley Police]] with only the former office block still standing.  The headquarters of the MG Car Club (established 1930) is situated next door.

In 2006, it was reported that an initiative called [[Project Kimber]], led by David James, had entered talks with Nanjing to buy the MG marque to produce a range of sports cars based on the discontinued [[Smart Roadster]] design by [[Daimler AG|DaimlerChrysler]]. No agreement was reached, which resulted in the [[AC Cars]] marque being adopted for the new model, instead.  The project appeared dormant by 2009, and was not pursued.

=== Under MG Motor (2006–present) ===
{{Multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = vertical
| width             = 220
| image1            = MG, GIMS 24, Le Grand-Saconnex (GIMS0104-2).jpg
| image2            = 2022 MG ZS Exclusive T-GDi 1.0 Front.jpg
| caption2          = 2022 [[MG ZS (crossover)|MG ZS]]
| caption1          = MG Motor stand at the 2024 [[Geneva International Motor Show]]
}}
{{Main|MG Motor}}
On 22 July 2005, Chinese manufacturer [[Nanjing Automobile|Nanjing Automobile Group]] purchased the rights to the MG marque along with other assets of the MG Rover Group, forming NAC MG UK Limited. In 2007, Nanjing Automobile was acquired by another Chinese manufacturer [[SAIC Motor]],<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 December 2007 |title=SAIC merges with Nanjing |url=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/News/Search-Results/Industry-News/SAIC-merges-with-Nanjing/ |access-date=26 July 2009 |work=CAR Magazine |publisher=Bauer Media}}</ref> and NAC MG UK Limited was renamed MG Motor UK Limited in 2009.<ref name="bp_20090121">{{Cite news |date=21 January 2009 |title=Longbridge workers laid off |url=http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/birmingham-business-news/automotive-business/2009/01/21/longbridge-workers-laid-off-65233-22740642/ |access-date=26 July 2009 |work=Birmingham Post}}</ref> Since then, the MG marque has been controlled by SAIC as a division within the company's passenger vehicle branch.

The first all-new MG model for 16 years, the [[MG6 (automobile)|MG6]], was officially launched in June 2011, and was assembled in China and in UK at the [[Longbridge plant]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/china-business/8599877/Chinas-1bn-business-deal-with-UK.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/china-business/8599877/Chinas-1bn-business-deal-with-UK.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=China's £1bn business deal with UK|access-date=16 April 2019|publisher=The Telegraph|date=26 June 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/britain-china-idUSL6E7HQ00W20110626|title=China's premier promotes Sino-UK trade synergies|access-date=16 April 2019|publisher=Reuters|date=26 June 2011}}</ref> In September 2016, MG Motor ended car production at the Longbridge plant. The company cites "improving production scale efficiencies" as the reason of the plant closure.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Naylor |first=Sam |date=2016-09-23 |title=MG to stop all UK production at Longbridge plant |url=https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/mg/97175/mg-to-stop-all-uk-production-at-longbridge-plant |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=Auto Express |language=en}}</ref> Since then, MG vehicles had been imported from China into the UK.<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{Cite news |date=23 September 2016 |title=MG to end UK car production at Longbridge with switch to China |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-37449289 |access-date=15 October 2016 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>

Since the purchase of the marque, SAIC has designated MG as its main one internationally.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MG Motor Affirms its Non-Presence in the Russian Market |url=https://winner.ua/en/news/mg-motor-ne-predstavlenij-of-c-jno-v-ros- |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=winner.ua |language=en}}</ref> The marque has been the largest single-marque car [[exporter]] from China since 2019.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |date=2024-01-19 |title=全球热销超84万辆 上汽MG连续五年蝉联"单一品牌出口冠军" |trans-title=Globally selling over 840,000 units, SAIC MG has been the “Single Brand Export Champion” for five consecutive years. |url=https://www.cnfin.com/cmjj-lb/detail/20240119/4002799_1.html |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=新华财经-中国金融信息网}}</ref> In 2023, 88 percent of its sales was from outside China. Aside from selling cars designed by parent company SAIC Motor for the MG marque, MG Motor also markets [[Rebadging|rebadged]] vehicles from SAIC such as [[Roewe]] and [[Maxus]], and from corporate sibling [[SAIC-GM-Wuling]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hammerton |first=Ron |title=Exclusive: MG Australia eyes rebadged Roewe |url=https://www.goauto.com.au/news/mg/exclusive-mg-australia-eyes-rebadged-roewe/2015-10-20/15176.html |access-date=2023-12-23 |website=GoAuto |language=en}}</ref>

The most popular MG Motor product in international markets is the [[MG ZS (crossover)|MG ZS]] subcompact SUV, with a cumulative sales of 999,612 units {{As of|2023|December|lc=y}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 April 2017 |title=MG ZS China auto sales figures |url=http://carsalesbase.com/china-car-sales-data/mg/mg-zs/ |access-date=20 December 2019 |website=carsalesbase.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=【易车销量榜】全国2022年名爵批发量销量榜-易车榜-易车 |url=https://car.yiche.com/newcar/salesrank/?flag=2022&brandId=79&saleType=0 |access-date=2024-01-21 |website=car.yiche.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=【易车销量榜】全国2023年名爵批发量销量榜-易车榜-易车 |url=https://car.yiche.com/newcar/salesrank/?flag=2023&brandId=79&saleType=0 |access-date=2024-01-21 |website=car.yiche.com}}</ref> It is one of the most exported cars from China.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-18 |title=Australian newcomer beats Tesla in new car exports |url=https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/australian-newcomer-beats-tesla-in-new-car-exports |access-date=2023-08-18 |website=CarExpert |language=en}}</ref> In 2023, MG Motor introduced its first new [[Roadster (automobile)|roadster]], the [[MG Cyberster|Cyberster]] electric vehicle, which went on sale in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New MG Cyberster on sale in summer next year: all-new electric roadster is Carwow's Most Anticipated car of 2024 |url=https://www.carwow.co.uk/mg/news/6825/new-mg-cyberster-price-specs |access-date=2023-12-23 |website=carwow.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>

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== Models ==
{{Main|List of MG vehicles}}
[[File:1926_Morris_Oxford_(RK_6284).jpg|thumb|1926 14{{hyphen}}28 open two-seater]]
The earliest model, the 1924 [[MG 14/28]] consisted of a new sporting body on a [[Morris Oxford bullnose#14/28|Morris Oxford]] chassis.<ref name="MGSportsCars" /> This car model continued through several versions following the updates to the Morris.  The first car that can be described as a new MG, rather than a modified Morris was the [[MG 18/80]] of 1928, which had a purpose-designed chassis and the first appearance of the traditional vertical MG grille. A smaller car was launched in 1929 with the first of a long line of Midgets starting with the [[MG M-type|M-Type]] based on a 1928 [[Morris Minor (1928)|Morris Minor]] chassis.  MG established a name for itself in the early days of the sport of international automobile racing.  Beginning before and continuing after [[World War II]], MG produced a line of cars known as the T-Series Midgets, which, post-war, were exported worldwide, achieving greater success than expected. These included the [[MG TC]], [[MG TD]], and [[MG T-type#TF|MG TF]], all of which were based on the pre-war [[MG TB]], and updated with each successive model.<ref name="CulshawHorrobin">{{cite book |last1= Culshaw|first1= David|last2= Horrobin|first2= Peter|year= 2013|orig-year= 1974|chapter= MG|chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=hVZWnZbUJOYC&pg=PA211|title= The complete catalogue of British Cars 1895 – 1975|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=hVZWnZbUJOYC|edition= Paperback|location= Poundbury, Dorchester, UK|publisher= Veloce Publishing|pages= 212–213|isbn= 978-1-874105-93-0|access-date= 6 December 2013|quote= The TC Midget was ... announced in 1945, and its successor, the TD of 1950, though at first received with horror by enthusiasts on account of its specification, which actually included independent front suspension and even bumpers, is now ... revered and sought after.... The last of the traditionally-styled MGs, the TF, came in 1953 and was built in both 1{{citefrac|1|4}}- and 1{{citefrac|1|2}}-litre form.|ref= Horroshaw}}</ref>
[[File:1970_MGB_Mk_II_Roadster_(16332095745).jpg|left|thumb|1970 MGB]]
MG departed from its earlier line of Y-Type saloons and pre-war designs and released the [[MG MGA|MGA]] in 1955.  The [[MG MGB|MGB]] was released in 1962 to satisfy demand for a more modern and comfortable sports car.  In 1965 the fixed head coupé (FHC) followed: the [[MG MGB#GT|MGB GT]].  With continual updates, mostly to comply with increasingly stringent United States emissions and safety standards, the MGB was produced until 1980.  Between 1967 and 1969 a short-lived model called the [[MG MGC|MGC]] was released. The MGC was based on the MGB body, but with a larger (and heavier) six-cylinder engine, and somewhat worse handling.<ref>[https://www.classiccars4sale.net/classic-car-review/c2c-mgc1 Road test] accessed 9 August 2020</ref> MG also began producing the [[MG Midget]] in 1961.  The Midget was a re-badged and slightly restyled second-generation [[Austin-Healey Sprite]].  To the dismay of many enthusiasts, the 1974 MGB was the last model made with chrome bumpers due to new United States safety regulations; the 1974½ bore thick black rubber bumpers that some claimed ruined the lines of the car.  In 1973, the [[MGB GT V8]] was launched with the ex-[[Buick]] [[Rover V8 engine]] and was built until 1976. As with the MGB, the Midget design was frequently modified until the Abingdon factory closed in October 1980 and the last of the range was made. The badge was also applied to versions of BMC saloons including the [[BMC ADO16]], (as the MG 1100, 1275 and 1300) which was also available as a [[Riley (motor-car)|Riley]], but with the MG pitched as slightly more "sporty".

The marque lived on after 1980 under [[British Leyland|BL]], being used on a number of [[Austin (car)|Austin]] saloons including the [[Rover Metro|Metro]], [[Austin Maestro|Maestro]], and [[Austin Montego|Montego]]. In New Zealand, the MG badge even appeared on the late 1980s Montego estate, called the MG 2.0 Si Wagon. There was a brief competitive history with a mid-engined, six-cylinder version of the Metro. The MG Metro finished production in 1990 on the launch of a [[Rover (marque)|Rover]]-only model. The MG Maestro and MG Montego remained on sale until 1991, when Rover cut production of these models to concentrate on the more modern [[Rover 200 Series|200 Series]] and [[Rover 400 Series|400 Series]]. High performance Rover Metro, 200 and 400 GTi models had gone on sale in late 1989 and throughout 1990 as the MG version of the Metro was discontinued in 1990 and the versions of the Maestro and Montego were axed in 1991.
[[File:1994 MG RV8 3.9.jpg|thumb|1994 [[MG RV8]]]]

The [[Rover Group]] revived the two-seater with the [[MG B#RV8|MG RV8]] in 1992. The all-new [[MG F / MG TF|MG F]] went on sale in 1995, becoming the first mass-produced "real" MG sports car since the MGB ceased production in 1980.

Following the May 2000 purchase of the MG and [[Rover (marque)|Rover]] marques by the [[Phoenix Consortium]] and the forming of the new [[MG Rover Group]], the MG range was expanded in the summer of 2001 with the introduction of three sports models based on the contemporary range of Rover cars. The [[MG ZR]] was based on the [[Rover 200 Series#Jewel|Rover 25]], the [[MG ZS (2001)|MG ZS]] on the [[Rover 400 Series#Oyster|Rover 45]], and the [[MG ZT|MG ZT/ZT-T]] on the [[Rover 75]].

The MG Rover Group purchased [[Qvale]], which had taken over development of the [[De Tomaso]] Bigua. This car, renamed the [[Qvale Mangusta]] and already approved for sale in the United States, formed the basis of the [[MG XPower SV]], an "extreme" V8-engined sports car. It was revealed in 2002 and went on sale in 2004.

== Motorsport ==
[[File:Images of the 2015 MG Triple Eight Race Car liverys.jpg|thumb|right|MG / Triple Eight British Touring Cars 2015]]
[[File:MG Triple Eight BTCC Cars 2012 to 2014.jpg|thumb|right|MG / Triple Eight British Touring Cars 2012–2014]]
From its earliest days MGs have been used in competition and from the early 1930s a series of dedicated racing cars such as the 1931 C-Type and 1934 Q-type were made and sold to enthusiasts who received considerable company assistance. This stopped in 1935 when MG was formally merged with Morris Motors and the Competition Department closed down. A series of experimental cars had also been made allowing Captain George Eyston to take several world speed records.  In spite of the formal racing ban, speed record attempts continued with Goldie Gardner exceeding {{convert|200|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} in the 1100&nbsp;cc EX135 in 1939.

After the Second World War record-breaking attempts restarted with 500&nbsp;cc and 750&nbsp;cc records being taken in the late 1940s. A decision was also taken to return to racing and a team of MGAs was entered in the tragedy-laden [[1955 24 Hours of Le Mans]] race, the best car achieving 12th place. The [[British Motor Corporation]] (BMC) competition department was also based at the Abingdon plant, producing many winning rally and race cars, until the Abingdon factory closed and [[MG MGB|MGB]] production ceased in the autumn of 1980.

Prior to the use of the [[Toyota Tundra]] silhouette in the [[Camping World Truck Series|Craftsman Truck Series]], MG was reported as the last foreign marque used in NASCAR. It was driven in 1963 by Smokey Cook.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.racing-reference.info/driver?id=cooksm01 |title=Smokey Cook Career Statistics |publisher=Racing-Reference.info |access-date=6 January 2011}}</ref>

In 2001 MG re-launched their motor sport campaign to cover the [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] ([[MG-Lola EX257]]), [[British Touring Car Championship]] (BTCC) ([[MG ZS (2001)|MG ZS]]), British and [[World Rally Championship]]s and MG Independent British Rally Championship ([[MG ZR]]).  The Le Mans team failed to win the endurance race in 2001 and 2002 and quit in 2003. MG Sport+Racing raced in the British Touring Car Championships with the MG ZS between 2001 and 2003 as a factory team. In 2004 WSR raced the MG ZS as a privateer team.  After three years without a major sponsor, WSR teamed up with RAC in 2006 and the team was called Team RAC. In 2007 an MG ZR driven by BRC Stars Champion Luke Pinder won class N1 on Britain's round of the World Rally championship. Wales Rally GB. The MG British Rally Challenge still runs today despite the liquidation in 2005.

In 2004 plans to race in the [[Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters]] (DTM) with a heavily modified V8 powered ZT supertouring car were cancelled due to MG Rover's liquidation in April 2005.

In January 2012, MG Motor announced that it would enter the [[2012 British Touring Car Championship season|2012 British Touring Car Championship]] through the newly established [[Triple Eight Race Engineering (United Kingdom)|MG KX Momentum Racing]] team.<ref name=tele25112>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorsport/9038638/MG-makes-a-return-to-racing.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorsport/9038638/MG-makes-a-return-to-racing.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=MG makes a return to racing|access-date=25 January 2012|work=The Telegraph|date=25 January 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In its debut season the team ran two [[MG 6|MG6]]s driven by [[Jason Plato]] and [[Andy Neate]]. Jason ended the season in third place, with the car yet to find its foot in wet conditions.

The team returned in 2013 with [[Sam Tordoff]] driving, who performed well in his debut year having joined through the KX Academy scheme. Plato once again came third, with Tordoff sixth.

MG won the 2014 Manufacturer's Championship<ref>{{cite news|url=http://mg.co.uk/news/2014/10/13/mg-wins-first-british-touring-car-championship-manufacturer-title/|title=MG WINS FIRST BRITISH TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP MANUFACTURER TITLE|access-date=14 October 2014|publisher=MG Motor UK|date=14 October 2014}}</ref> to break Honda's four-year reign. After just three years of competition, the MG6 GT sealed the title by 95 points at the season finale at Brands Hatch. Drivers Plato and Tordoff racked up seven wins and 20 podiums in the 30-race calendar. Plato finished the Driver's Championship in second place, behind Colin Turkington, while Tordoff finished seventh. In 2014, a third MG6 GT was on the grid, driven by [[Marc Hynes]]—also maintained by Triple Eight but in a new livery that didn't resemble the other two MG cars. MG came second in the Constructors Championship in 2015,<ref>{{cite web|title=MANUFACTURER – CONSTRUCTOR STANDINGS|url=http://www.btcc.net/standings/manufacturer-constructors/|website=BTCC|access-date=30 October 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150322202932/http://www.btcc.net/standings/manufacturer-constructors/|archive-date=22 March 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> with [[Andrew Jordan (racing driver)|Andrew Jordan]] leading the MG team by finishing the season fifth.

== See also ==
* [[List of car manufacturers of the United Kingdom]]

== Citations ==
{{Reflist}}

== General sources ==
* Northey, Tom. "MG: A Great Sporting Name", in Ward, Ian, Executive Editor. ''World of Automobiles'', Volume 12, pp.&nbsp;1333–41.  London: Orbis, 1974.

== External links ==
{{Commons category|MG Cars}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.mgcars.com/ MG Cars Official Website] (Archive)
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/berkshire/content/image_galleries/mg_day_windsor_2009_gallery.shtml BBC photos: MG Heritage Day in Windsor]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20010302175624/http://www.classicmgmagazine.com/ '' Classic MG Magazine'' Website – a magazine covering all types of MG]

{{MG timeline 2000 to date|state=expanded}}
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