Way back in 1921, a young and enthusiastic car designer named Cecil Kimber secured a job as Sales Manager at Morris Garages in Longwall Street, Oxford. A mere 1 year later in 1922, he was promoted to General Manager. 

His enthusiasm for motorised vehicles had started with a motorcycle purchased soon after he left school, but an accident that caused severe injuries to his right leg forced him to swap two wheels for four, he bought his first car, and the die was cast.

As well as running the Morris showroom and garage, to try and boost sales Cecil started designing special bodywork for the cars and 100 years ago, in March 1923, a Kimber bodied bull nosed Morris was driven by him in the Lands End Trial where he achieved a gold medal. Although there is still some disagreement, it is generally accepted that this was the prototype MG and was the first car to bear the initials MG – which stands for Morris Garages.

It is a different car however, known as ‘Old Number One’ (see below) which is recognised as the first ever 'official' MG, and although a number of MGs were built on Morris Cowley chassis before Old Number One came on the scene in 1925, this vehicle was the first MG to be built specifically to compete in sporting events. It is now part of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Collection at Gaydon and is on permanent display there.

It didn’t take long for MG cars to gain a reputation as being affordable performance vehicles, being faster and sportier than the Morris cars they were initially adapted from.

The company really made a name for themselves in the 1930s with a class win with the K3 at the 1933 Mille Miglia road race, being the first non-Italian team to have won.

In 2012 the company found itself back on top with Jason Plato achieving success at the British Touring Car Championships.

In 1957, the MG Ex181 set a world record speed of 245.64mph, and 2 years later in 1959, MG decided to break its own record – by achieving a speed of 254.91mph at Bonneville Salt Flats. The MG was driven by Sir Stirling Moss.

FAMOUS MG OWNERS

Over the years this inspiring British brand has been bought into by several famous names. Some of the most famous MG owners include:

•  The Duke of Edinburgh (TC model)
•  HRH Prince Charles (GT SGY 766F) – this car later passed down to Prince William
•  HRH Princess Anne
•  Elvis Presley
•  Geri Halliwell
•  Sharon Stone
•  Joe Petty

In addition to being owned by famous individuals, several models of MG have been immortalised in film and music. This created a rather large cult following of this brand, with a large following of enthusiasts, collectors and people who class MG as their dream car.

NOTEWORTHY POINTS

With such extensive history, there have been many notable points over the years for MG. Among these points, the date 16th May 1956 marked the 100,000th MG to ever be made.

In 1962, full production of MGs moved to Longbridge after a decade of designing and manufacturing engines for the A and B-series. The millionth MG car was built in October 1975 – a unique LHD MGB roadster that was custom painted in Brooklands Green, complete with Jubilee GT livery and wheels.

The Rover Group revived the two-seater with the MG RV8 in 1992. The all-new MGF 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 brands 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 25, the MG ZS on the Rover 45, and the MG ZT/ZT-T on the Rover 75.

MG Rover Group was formed on Tuesday 9th May 2000, following the company’s separation from the BMW group.

On 16th April 2002, the company produced its 1,500,000th MG – a Golden Jubilee celebration special TF 160.

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.

In 2005, the MG Rover Group entered administration and was purchased by China’s oldest carmaker – Nanjing Automobile who took over the MG marque and the Longbridge plant. Two years later in December 2007, this company merged with China’s largest car manufacturer and became the SAIC Motor Corporation Limited - leading to the re-appearance of MG on the world map as MG Motor!

Under the direction of of the Chinese state-owned SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, the marque has gone from strength to strength and in 2021 global sales soared past 500,000 and in 2022, MG brand vehicles were among the top 10 selling vehicles in 20 countries.

One of the most stunning recent releases is the all-electric MG roadster, known as Cyberster, which was a concept car designed as a successor to the MG TF. It was first scheduled to appear in 2020 but following the COVID-19 pandemic, it's debut was postponed. 

The MG Cyberster concept car was eventually unveiled in pictures on 30 March 2021 and then presented at the Auto Shanghai on 19 April. The Cyberster's rear lights incorporate the United Kingdom flag and originally featured interactive "Magic Eye" headlights that would pop up when turned on, but this feature was dropped on production. Two versions are available - rear wheel drive and all wheel drive.

Key facts about the Cyberster:

• Production Debut (July 2023): The production-ready model made its world public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
• Single Motor (Rear-Wheel Drive): Approximately 335 bhp (Trophy trim).
• Dual Motor (All-Wheel Drive): Approximately 503 bhp (GT trim),725Nm, capable of 0–62 mph in 3.2 seconds.
• Range: Approximately 580km.
• Key Features: Scissor doors, fully electric hood.
• Battery Options:  Available with either a 64 kWh or 77 kWh battery pack.

Another exciting development is the MG Cyber GTS,  a high-performance electric concept coupé unveiled at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed to celebrate MG's centenary, acting as a fixed-roof, 2+2 seater sibling to the Cyberster Roadster. Inspired by the 1968 MGV GTS Sebring, this aerodynamic, rear-wheel-drive EV is expected to utilize the Cyberster's powertrains (335-503 bhp) and may enter production as early as late 2025.