The MG Story
By Malcolm Green
ISBN 978-1-906133-97-9
416 pages, Hardback
270mm x 210mm
With 700-plus colour and black-and-white photos
SIGNED COPIES AVAILABLE NOW
"...sure to become one of the go-to historical books on MG." Enjoying MG
"...all can be found between the covers of this fascinating publication." Safety Fast!
The first MGs were a small number of cars sold with special bodywork by Morris Garages, but by the 1930s the MG had come to be recognised as the archetypical sporting car. The rapid development of the marque, and the cars’ domination in their class of competition entry lists, is down to the energy, enthusiasm and skills of a small number of key personalities.
Here, as well as in-depth studies of all models produced, there are biographies of those most involved with MG development, record breaking and motor sport.
This book sets out to recount, in the form of a series of articles, the story of the marque from 1923 until the Abingdon factory closed in 1980. At that time this small market town housed what was probably the world’s largest producer of sports cars.
Many of the competition efforts by both factory-supported entries and private owners are covered in detail and help show why MGs became so well known. To illustrate the text there are both black-and-white archive photographs from the author’s collection and a great many modern colour pictures of restored cars. Period advertising material has also been included.
The wide range of topics covered gives the reader a real insight into the evolution of the company and its cars, and into the unique character of MGs that is the reason why they remain so popular.
You’ll earn 0 reward points with this purchase.
Be one of the first to know!
We’re sorry we’re out of stock but we can let you know as soon as it's available if you enter your email address below.
Contents
Which was the First MG? 6
William Morris, Lord Nuffield 8
Cecil Kimber 12
Old Number One 16
The MG 14/28 and 14/40 19
Edmund Road – the First Purpose-built MG Factory 26
The 18/80 Mark I 30
The 18/100 Mk III Tigress 35
The 18/80 Mark II 40
The M-type Midget 48
The Move to Abingdon 56
Jarvis of Wimbledon 60
George Eyston OBE, MC, Legion d’Honneur 64
The C-type Midget 68
MG and the Ards Tourist Trophy Races 73
The D-type Midget and F-type Magna 78
Special Bodied F-Magnas 90
The J-type Midgets 95
The K-type Magnettes 103
The MG K3 and the Mille Miglia 109
MGs in the 1933 and 1934 Mannin Beg Races 115
The L-type Magna 120
The L-type in Motor Sport 125
The N-type Magnette 130
The NE Magnette 139
Bellevue Garage and the Evans Family 142
The P-type Midget 147
George Eyston and his Dancing Daughters 154
The Q-type Midget 158
The R-type Midget 160
The TA and TB Midgets 165
Record Breaker EX135 171
The 2-litre SA 179
The Factory Trials Teams 187
The VA One-and-a-Half-litre 194
The Pre-war MG Police Cars 203
The WA 2.6-litre 208
Abingdon at War 216
The TC Midget 221
The Y-type One-and-a-Quarter-Litre 228
Building MGs in the late 1940s 237
John Thornley 243
Special MGs 247
The TD Midget 255
XPAG-powered MG Specials 261
The TF Midget 271
The ZA and ZB Magnettes 277
Gerald Palmer – a forward-thinking designer 286
MG Rallying in the Early 1950s 290
George Phillips 295
EX 175, the MGA Prototype 299
MG and Le Mans 1955 302
The MGA 305
MGAs at Sebring 318
Record Breaker EX181 322
MG Midget – the Revival of a Famous Name 326
The Italian Sprite/Midget 340
The Magnettes Mk III and IV 343
Dick Jacobs 351
The MGB 356
The MG 1100/1300 364
The MGC 369
The MGB Works Competition Cars 376
The MGB GT V8 385
The MGB: Later Years 392
Car Assembly in the 1970s 402
Index 409