The classic MG will celebrate a huge milestone in 2023, reaching 100 years old!
Back in 1923, Cecil Kimber founded MG Cars. He designed, built, advertised and sold his first sports cars, calling them the "MG Super Sports Morris", with coachwork by Charles Raworth.
The first documented sale was in August 1923, to Oliver Arkell of the Arkell Brewing Company.
In the years that followed the company grew rapidly at its Abingdon base and produced many models, until Kimber resigned in 1941.
Tragically, he was killed in a train crash just 4 years later and did not live to see how popular his sports cars would become. Hundreds of thousands of Britain's favourite sports cars have been produced.
Production remained at Abingdon, the true home of MG, until 1980. It then moved to Longbridge where it remained for just over thirty years. Today, production takes place in China.
Many events will take place around the UK this year at MG Owners' clubs and societies, and several have joined together to organise what will be a huge MG Centenary event at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon on Saturday 27th May 2023.
For more details on this specific event please take a look at their website:
Best known for its open two-seater sports cars, MG has also produced saloons and coupés, with engines up to three litres in size and 3.5L in the case of the MGB GT V8.
MG has seen many changes over the years. In the early 1950s, it merged with Austin to create the British Midland Corporation (BMC), it was renamed the MG Division of BMC in 1967 and was part of the company that became British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC).
Despite all of these changes and those that would follow as British Leyland, the Rover Group, and in the early 2000s the MG Group, the MG marque continued to be produced.
Unfortunately, in 2005, the company went into receivership and the MG marque and other assets were purchased by the Nanjing Automobile Group in China, later merging into the state-owned SAIC in 2007.
When production restarted in 2007, the MG 6 would later become the first new model in the UK for 16 years, being launched in June 2011.
The famous MG name apparently originates from the initials of Morris Garages, William Morris's private retail sales and service company. It was here that Cecil Kimber worked as the business manager and the MG initially started out as more of a sideline project…with the rest becoming history and creating the legacy of the MG that we know today.
If you are looking to buy an MG then take a look at our website where you will find close to 200 different models on offer from our worldwide dealers at www.classicmotorsforsale.com
If you are a dealer and looking to sell MGs – or indeed any other classic stock – then please contact us for some great marketing and dealer listing packages.
