MG

The MG company started by selling both Morris and (Morris-derived) MG cars; at that time, the MG-badged vehicles were none other than the sports versions of the original Morris models.

A few years later, MG began designing and building its own sports models and also a small amount of sedans and coupes; MG’s speciality stands in the roadster-style sports cars. Since 1929, the company had its cars produced at an old leather factory in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, which remained active until 1980. MG cars production was only suspended during the time of the Second World War.
In 1952, the British Motor Corporation (BMC) took over MG and integrated it as a subsidiary. Consequently, the MG brand became mostly used to badge the sportier versions of other BMC subsidiary brands’ cars, with original MG models being rarely launched.

British Aerospace acquired MG in 1988 and then sold it to German carmaker BMW in 1994. The true revitalization of the MG trademark – with an original MG model – came one year after BMW’s acquisition with the highly popular MG F roadster, which unexpectedly turned out to be sold in an extremely large amount.
In 2000, however, BMW chose to discard the MG brand and the British company then joined efforts with the Rover Group in an alliance that lasted until 2005 – the MG Rover Group. Such partnership resulted on the MG brand being once again used to badge another brand’s sports versions, this time on the Rover models.

The MG Rover alliance went into receivership in 2005 and the Chinese car brand Nanjing Automobile acquired their assets and the MG brand’s name rights. Another Chinese automotive company, SAIC, took over Nanjing at the end of 2007 and is now MG’s parent company.

Several MG cars have been entered in motor sport competitions since the company’s earliest years and MG started manufacturing race-purpose cars in the 1930’s. MG built a series of experimental cars in which Captain George Eyston notched up a number of world speed records. However, with the fusion between MG and Morris Motors in 1935, MG saw its racing department be shut down.
Not until the late 1940’s, after the end of World War II, did the British company return to record breaking contests, winning in 500 cc and 750 cc classes.

MG made a comeback to the tracks in 2001, entering a few cars in several racing and rallying events. The MG Lola EX257 was used at the 24-hour Le Mans race, while MG ZS cars were entered at the British Touring Car Championship. MG ended up being unsuccessful at the Le Mans and ultimately dropped the competition in 2003.
The company’s MG ZR models were sent to compete in the British and the World Rally Championships.