The History of MG (Morris Garages)

From Brecon Beacons to British Leyland and Beyond: The Unforgettable Saga of MG

To understand the British automotive marque MG is to understand the very essence of the classic British sports car: a delightful, often maddening, blend of sublime engineering, gorgeous styling, and a worrying lack of structural integrity. For over nine decades, the company has been a chronicle of brilliant innovation, corporate misadventure, stubborn resilience, and a passionate, almost fanatical, global following. From the Oxfordshire garages of an eccentric genius to the state-owned quagmire of British Leyland and its modern-day Chinese ownership, the story of MG is a microcosm of Britain’s own industrial journey through the 20th and 21st centuries.

The Founder and the Genesis of a Legend (1920-1930)

The story begins not with an MG, but with a “Morris Garages” account. The founder was Cecil Kimber, a man born in 1888 who began his career as a jewellery clerk before moving into the burgeoning automobile industry. In 1910, he was hired by William Morris (later Lord Nuffield) to manage his company’s first retail outlet in Oxford, which he christened “Morris Garages.”

Kimber was a marketing man and a visionary. He saw that the staid, reliable, but utterly pedestrian Morris cars could be made more exciting for the younger, more affluent customer. Starting in 1920, he began taking standard Morris chassis and fitting them with more powerful engines, sportier bodies, and a host of performance-oriented modifications. These were initially known as “Morris Specials.” The response was so enthusiastic that William Morris, though initially skeptical, formally established the MG Car Company as a separate subsidiary in 1923. The famous octagonal MG badge, a design still in use today, was created by Kimber’s colleague, Tommy.

The first official MG, the 14/28, was essentially a rebodied Morris Oxford. While technically a modification, it was the first car to bear the MG nameplate and set the template for decades to come: a lightweight, nimble, affordable two-seater. Cecil Kimber was the driving force, a demanding boss known for his fiery temper but unwavering dedication to quality and sporting ethos. He wasn’t a mechanical engineer in the vein of Ferdinand Porsche; he was a passionate enthusiast who knew what people wanted to drive.

Early milestones came quickly. By 1925, MG had its first purpose-built engine, the 14 hp, and was making a name for itself in the fledgling and dangerous world of motorsport. The company’s early success was built on a simple formula: take a solid, mass-produced Morris chassis, strip it down, lighten it, and fit a sporty two-seater body. This created a car that was both reliable enough for daily use and thrilling enough for weekend jaunts and competition.

The Golden Age: Racing, Records, and the Magna (1930-1945)

The 1930s were arguably MG’s golden age. Under Kimber’s leadership and with brilliant engineers like Lewis Brandt, MG cemented its reputation as the “Magic Midget” brand. The company moved beyond simple specials and began designing its own chassis and engines. The introduction of the J-type Midget in 1932, a tiny, affordable two-seater, was a smash hit and put MG squarely in the sights of the burgeoning sports car market.

MG’s “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” philosophy was not just a marketing slogan; it was core to its identity. The company was deeply involved in motorsport, breaking over 100 records at the famous Brooklands circuit. The pinnacle of this era was the 1934 MG K3, a 1.1-liter supercharged sports car that was competitive against the best from Alfa Romeo and Bugatti. It famously beat the German Mercedes-Benz team at the 1934 RAC Tourist Trophy, a monumental achievement that solidified MG’s international prestige.

This motorsport success translated directly to showroom success. The MG TA Midget (1936) was a revolutionary car for the company, introducing a wider track and a more modern, flowing body style that was lighter and faster than its predecessors. It was an instant bestseller in the United States, where the brand’s reputation for building spirited, affordable roadsters had taken firm root. The XPAG engine, introduced with the TA, became a mainstay for years.

The outbreak of World War II in 1939 brought a sudden halt to civilian car production. Like all British car manufacturers, MG’s Abingdon-on-Thames factory was repurposed for the war effort. It produced military vehicles, primarily the Willys Jeep-like “Willys MB” for the American forces and the British “W.D. Grid” truck, as well as aircraft engines and other vital components. Cecil Kimber was tragically killed in an air raid in 1944, a loss from which the company’s culture would never fully recover. He had been effectively sidelined by the growing power of the Nuffield Organization and was on leave when he died.

The T-Series and the Nuffield Merger (1945-1952)

After the war, MG wasted no time in re-establishing its identity. In 1945, it launched the T-Series, starting with the TC. The TC was essentially a pre-war TD prototype, but it was perfectly positioned for the post-war world. With its charmingly antiquated pre-war styling, it was an immediate hit, particularly in the United States. It was simple, rugged, easy to fix, and, most importantly, fun to drive. The T-Series became the car that defined the MG brand for a generation of American enthusiasts.

It was also during this period that a major corporate change occurred. In 1938, William Morris had transferred his controlling interest in the MG Car Company to his larger entity, the Nuffield Organization. In 1952, this organization merged with the Austin Motor Company to form the British Motor Corporation (BMC). This was the first of many corporate mergers that would profoundly impact the MG brand. Cecil Kimber’s MG was now just a division within a vast, bureaucratic behemoth. He resigned in protest at the loss of autonomy and the dilution of the MG spirit, which he felt was being sacrificed for manufacturing efficiency.

The Abingdon Golden Age: The MGB (1962-1980)

Despite Kimber’s departure, MG’s most iconic and successful period was just beginning. By the late 1950s, the T-Series was looking decidedly archaic. BMC tasked MG with designing a modern successor. The result, launched in 1962, was the MG MGB.

The MGB was a revelation. It featured a sleek, monocoque (unibody) chassis, a fully independent suspension, and a larger 1.8-liter engine. Crucially, it retained the classic MG formula of being lightweight and driver-focused. It was a thoroughly modern car that still captured the spirit of a classic roadster. It was an international sensation and became the quintessential British sports car.

The MGB’s success was monumental. In the U.S., it was the best-selling two-seater sports car for over a decade. It was affordable, stylish, and, for the most part, reliable. It was the car that seeded the love of driving for countless American baby boomers. The range expanded to include the MGB GT, a stylish fixed-roof coupe, in 1965.

However, the 1970s brought severe hardship. A perfect storm of industrial unrest in the UK, the 1973 oil crisis, and ever-stricter safety and emissions regulations in the crucial American market threatened to kill the brand. To meet U.S. regulations for the 1974 model year, the MGB was forced to adopt bulky, impact-absorbing rubber bumpers that ruined its classic lines and raised its ride height. The car became a symbol of a struggling industry. BMC had merged with Jaguar, Daimler, and others in 1968 to form the monstrous British Leyland (BL), a company notorious for its poor quality control, militant strikes, and bureaucratic chaos.

The MGB’s sales plummeted. How did MG resolve this? They fought back with innovation and marketing. In 1977, MG launched the MGB GT V8, a stunningly quick and efficient car using a lightweight 3.5-liter Rover V8 engine. It was a masterstroke, but one that came too late and in limited numbers. BL also tried a clever marketing campaign in the U.S., branding the rubber-bumper cars as the “MGB Roadster” to distance them from the classic image. Despite the challenges, the MGB continued to be produced until 1980, when it was finally killed off as BL consolidated its sports car operations at a new facility in Solihull.

The Wilderness Years (1980-1995)

With the closure of the historic Abingdon factory in 1980, the MG marque entered a long, dark period. For over a decade, “MG” was little more than a trim level—a badge of sportiness slapped onto standard Austin Rover saloons. There was the Metro MG, the Maestro MG, and the Montego MG. While these cars were competent and reasonably quick (the turbocharged Montego MG was particularly rapid), they lacked the soul, the rear-wheel-drive layout, and the dedicated sports car ethos that had defined MG. For purists and American fans, this was a sad, disorienting time. The magic was gone.

BMW and the Formation of MG Rover (1995-2000)

A brief ray of hope appeared in 1994 when the German automotive giant BMW bought the struggling Rover Group (the successor to British Leyland). While BMW’s primary focus was the Rover brand and the Rolls-Royce / Bentley acquisition, they saw potential in MG. They recognized that the brand still had global equity and needed a distinct identity from Rover.

This led to the creation of the MG F in 1995. It was a mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive roadster that was a completely clean-sheet design. It was modern, handled brilliantly thanks to its innovative Hydragas suspension, and was an instant critical success. It was the first true MG sports car in 15 years and was a huge hit in the UK and Europe. For the U.S., it was a potential game-changer, a modern, affordable alternative to the Mazda Miata. However, BMW never brought it to America, a decision that remains a source of frustration for U.S. enthusiasts.

Despite the success of the MG F, BMW grew tired of the immense financial drain that was the entire Rover Group. In 2000, they made the decision to sell. They kept the Mini brand for themselves and sold the Land Rover division to Ford. What was left—the Rover cars and the MG brand—was sold for a token £10 to a Phoenix Consortium of British businessmen. Thus, a new company was born: MG Rover Group.

The Last Gasp: SAIC, and the End of an Era (2000-2005)

The MG Rover years were a frantic, shoestring operation. The company survived on a series of badge-engineered Rover cars and the aging but still lovable 75 saloon. A desperate attempt to create a new sports car on the cheap resulted in the MG TF, a mild facelift of the MG F. But the real ambition was to break into the lucrative American market. A new car, the MG TF, was developed with a new 1.6-liter engine specifically to meet U.S. emissions and safety standards. It was a bold and valiant effort, but it was tragically too little, too late.

By 2005, the company was out of cash and options. After a final, frantic search for a buyer, the Chinese automotive giant SAIC Motor (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) purchased the rights to the MG brand and the intellectual property of the new, unfinished MG TF. The Longbridge factory, the spiritual home of MG for over 80 years, was closed, and the company was placed into administration. The 75-year-old British marque was effectively defunct. For a final U.S. sales figure, in its last full year of 2004, MG Rover sold just 54 cars in the United States, a heartbreaking end for a brand that once sold tens of thousands there.

The Phoenix: MG Lives On (2006-Present)

In a final twist, the story was not over. SAIC, having acquired the MG nameplate, assets, and some of the Longbridge tooling, decided to revive the brand. A skeleton crew of engineers was reassembled at Longbridge, and in 2007, production of a new MG TF, a limited-run model, began. This was followed by the first entirely new MG under Chinese ownership: the MG6 in 2009. For a brief period, a right-hand-drive MG6 was even sold in the UK, built at Longbridge.

Today, MG is a dramatically different company. It is owned and operated by SAIC Motor, a massive state-owned enterprise. The brand has been completely reinvented. It is no longer a niche sports car manufacturer. Instead, MG has become a mass-market brand specializing in affordable crossovers, SUVs, and, crucially, electric vehicles. In markets like the UK and Australia, it is one of the fastest-growing and best-selling brands. Its key differentiator is offering modern, well-equipped, and stylish cars (including EVs like the MG4 EV) at a price point its competitors cannot match.

The U.S. market is still untapped, but the company has an active North American team and is seriously evaluating a return, likely with electric vehicles. The focus is now on mainstream volume, not low-volume sports cars.

The Single Most Popular Model: The MGB

Without question, the most popular and significant vehicle MG ever produced was the MGB. Produced from 1962 to 1980, it was the car that made sports cars accessible to the world. Its combination of timeless styling, engaging handling, and relatively straightforward mechanics made it a legend.

• Why it was so popular: It was the right car at the right time. It looked fantastic, was easy to drive, and had a vast aftermarket for parts and tuning. It was the perfect weekend car for the burgeoning post-war middle class. It offered a pure, unadulterated driving experience that was becoming rare in the increasingly complex and isolating automotive world.
• Global Sales Figures: Over 512,000 MGBs were produced in total. Approximately 380,000 of those were sold in the United States, a testament to its incredible popularity there.
• U.S. Sales Figures: While exact year-by-year figures are complex, the MGB consistently outsold every other sports car in America throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. In peak years like 1966-1968, U.S. sales regularly topped 20,000 units annually.

Current Status and Outlook

MG is alive and, in many parts of the world, thriving. Under the stewardship of SAIC Motor, the company has undergone a remarkable renaissance. Its current portfolio is dominated by crossovers like the MG ZS EV and the MG HS, and its all-electric MG4 has won numerous awards for its combination of range, space, and price.

The outlook is one of cautious optimism. The brand is successfully transitioning into the electric era, something legacy automulators have struggled with. However, it faces the immense challenge of shedding its historical image and convincing a new generation of buyers that MG is a relevant, modern brand. The biggest question mark remains its potential return to the United States. If it can navigate the complex regulatory landscape and bring its award-winning EVs to American shores with a competitive price, the legendary British nameplate could once again be a familiar sight on U.S. roads. The spirit of Cecil Kimber—the desire to make exciting cars accessible to the many—is, in its own modern, electric way, still very much alive.