About MG

The story of MG Car History began when Cecil Kimber joined Morris Cars in 1921. He later became the General Manager in 1922 and started producing his tuned versions of Morris cars to boost sales. These cars took their name from the place where they were sold, the Morris Garage. An icon was born with the first MG 14/28 based upon the Morris Oxford followed by the famous “Old Number One” which Kimber himself guilt to compete in the 1925 Lands End Trial. The Gold Medal Kimber won was the birth of MG’s sporting pedigree.

MG 1952
The Move to Abingdon

With the growing popularity of the company, it soon outgrew its original facilities and eventually moved to a town that became synonymous with the marque, MG Abingdon on Thames. Abingdon played host to MG’s production for the next fifty years. Some amazing headlines were made in this time such as the MG EX120 “The Magic Midget” setting the land speed record and the birth of “MGLive!”, the first Silverstone International Race Meeting in 1933.

For many, the MGA is the most beautiful car to wear the iconic MG octagon. Introduced in 1955, the MGA Classic Car became one of the brand’s greatest success stories. Over 100,000 MGAs were produced, with almost 95,000 exported from the UK, making it an impressive achievement for its era. The MGA was initially powered by a 1500cc engine, which was upgraded to the MGA 1600 in 1959, alongside the introduction of a Twin-Cam model producing 106 bhp.

The MGB Roadster was the first affordable MGB Sports Car for thousands of passionate and loyal MGA customers, who appreciated the innovation it introduced. One of its biggest technical advancements was the more rigid monocoque construction, replacing MG’s traditional body-on-frame design. The MGB retained the MGA’s reliable B-Series four-cylinder engine. This marked a major milestone for the brand, and the MG Roadster quickly became synonymous with MG.

From 1980 onwards, the MGB’s growing popularity made it the best-supported classic car, with widely available spare parts and the first series-produced replacement body shell. In the 1990s, the MG Car Club returned to its home in Abingdon and opened its headquarters, known as The Kimber House. The MGF Sports Car became the first MG sports car since the 1980s and quickly gained worldwide popularity, becoming a global bestseller. This success also marked the revival of MG Motorsport, with the brand returning to the British Touring Car Championship.