More than an old car #194: MG F

The MG brand is most often associated with eye-catching classic and vintage cars, which is no surprise since it has made its way into the public consciousness for a long while. More recently though, there has been an influx of MG EVs, which is a clear sign of the future of cars. However, I would think many people would be unaware of this 1998 MG F, since it is such a far cry from what people are familiar with...

By the 1980s, MG was in decline as it had stopped producing sports cars (although the MG badge was still used on badge-engineered vehicles during that time. However, MG had been working on prototypes as it still intended to announce its sporting heritage. This began in 1984 with the EX-E, followed by the F-16 concept. A pivotal moment came in 1989 with the release of the Mazda MX-5: this reminded MG of what could have been if it had pushed out the F-16 earlier. Now that the MX-5 had captured the public's attention, there was pressure to produce an MG that could compete in the same market.

In 1992, MG, under the ownership of the Rover group, restarted production of the classic MGB as the limited edition RV8. The subsequent positive reaction encouraged the company to continue development of the 'Phoenix Revival' prototypes, known as PR1/2/3. Outside contractors were engaged to keep costs down and each of the 3 parties were given an F-16 prototype to work on. Road tests between the prototypes led to PR3 winning out with its mid-engine layout.

After the PR3 was given the green light, it was time for final adjustments made to its design. Many changes were made such as a lowered windscreen, rounder headlights and a traditional MG grille arrangement. Furthermore, the car was intended to be as British as possible: practically every part of the car came from the Rover parts bin, except for the Pininfarina-designed canvas top. Even the K-series engine used in the car was a Rover invention despite drawing inspiration from the similar Honda engines.

When the MG F was launched in 1995, it enjoyed a positive reaction from the press: many people praised its British heritage, exemplary handling and cuddly looks. In 1999, it underwent a mild facelift with a revised interior and a new 1.6 litre engine was released as well. The car continued to sell well despite Rover Group being sold to BMW. This unit was powered by a 1796 cc K-series i4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 193 km/h with an acceleration of 9.2 seconds [0-100 km/h]. With dimensions of 3913 x 1628 x 1264 mm, it was relatively tiny. It weighed 1060 kg with a fuel consumption of 7.4 litres / 100 km.

Production ended in 2002 where it was succeeded by the TF, which was a heavily redesigned version of the F. Sales of the TF could have been decent but for the collapse of the MG Rover group in 2005. In 2007, the TF LE500 was released by Nanjing Automotive, which owned the right to the MG nameplate. However, only 906 were made under Chinese ownership when production officially ended in 2011. 

A total of 77,269 units were made while under British ownership, and this unit is believed to be the last one remaining here! MGFs were sold here in 1996 by Intra Motors (S) Pte Ltd (which no longer exists): current MG cars sold here by Eurokars are all electric vehicles, a far cry from its sporting heritage. As of the time of writing, it is up for sale: who knows, perhaps you could be inspired to pull the trigger and acquire this rarity here! Its lifespan is still extended for the time being so it won't be gone anytime soon hopefully...I hope you'll be lucky to catch this some day!

More than an old car #147: MG TA

There is a huge backlog of cars that I want to write about, but with the aim of trying to improve my content, I have started to provide professionally-done better pictures for everyone's enjoyment. Naturally, I have to start off with these beautiful 1938 MG TAs!

The MG TA was first introduced in 1936, in the wake of MG's sale to Morris Motors. Amidst instructions to increase profits for Morris, MG's former managing director Cecil Kimber was forced to stop the development of racing cars. He had to work with new restrictions such as uniformity of parts, and the TA was thus born in mid-1935. Initially known as the T-Type, 5 different versions were released over 2 decades where they were the last of the traditional sports cars.

Many people were disappointed initially by the change to the Morris-derived engines. Yet, it turned out that performance was better than MG cars previously. The chassis was strengthened and its body was of traditional construction, built out of ash tree frames. Adopting styling cues from its predecessor, the MG PB, it also featured a spare wheel carrier and a 15-gallon fuel tank at the back. The hood was hinged upwards in such a way that provided easy access to the engines, and it was recognised to be cleaner than the cars before that. At the same time, the TA also featured a more comfortable interior, such as greater elbow room, seats with separate cushions and an improved safety glass windscreen.

All TAs were equipped with a 1292 cc MPJG i4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 127 km/h with an acceleration of 23.1 seconds [0-60 mph]. It was 3543 mm long and weighed only 793 kg. In 1938, the TA was also available with a more luxurious Tickford drophead coupe body, built by coachbuilder Salmons of Newport Pagnell. Main differences include wind-up windows, individual bucket seats and an adjustable soft top.

Production of the TA ended in 1939, where it was succeeded by the TB. 3,003 regular TAs and only 252 Tickford coupes were produced. It is estimated that fewer than half of Tickford cars still exist today, and the above unit (in black) is supposedly the only one in the region. From my interaction with the owner, it seems that he had imported it for quite some time and that it sees regular action at the F1 Drivers' Parade: there were signatures of famous drivers on the dashboard. There are also a handful of regular TAs in Singapore too and they appear from time to time.

Cars nowadays are not made like before, although with legitimate reasons such as passenger safety. However, one would admit that the TA is still able to draw much attention, from the wire-spoked wheels to its graceful curves. I encourage you to just look out on the roads and see for yourself the gems that come up unannounced sometimes!

More than an old car #99: MG K3 Magnette

Throughout my years of car spotting, I have been fortunate to come across cars that are relatively rare here. Although there is a bucket list of cars that I want to see, I guess I should be thankful to see this 1933 MG K3 Magnette since I have never seen it ever since!

The MG K-Type was first launched in 1932 at the London Motor Show, and as with cars of that era, it was geared towards racing. The Magnette name signified its smaller engine capacity from its sibling, the Magna. It experienced great success in various racing events, most notably in the 1933 Mille Miglia when it outlasted the crowd-favourite Maseratis to clinch 1st place.

The K3 was the third iteration of the K-Type, and it was fitted with a 'preselector gearbox', which is a type of manual transmission that requires the driver to first select the desired gear before pushing a pedal on the floor to change it. Such gearboxes were more common back then, for example in Daimler vehicles and London buses, and they are still used today in tanks. Most units were powered by a 1087 cc supercharged i6 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 177 km/h with an acceleration of 14.6 seconds [0-120 km/h]. It was 3658 mm long and weighed 914 kg.

Production of K-Types ended in 1934 with only 33 K3s made. However, I believe this unit here is a replica since the original 33 units had either new bodies, engine swaps or were destroyed unfortunately. This is further confirmed by the registry, which implies that it has been fitted with a 1432 cc engine instead. When I first chanced upon it by accident in 2017, its registration number had not been updated yet, suggesting that it was a very recent import. For some reason, I haven't seen it at all ever since nor has it been seen by people on the road. I believe practically all of you would not have heard of it before, notwithstanding that its heyday was decades ago. I hope that I can see this in closer detail and probably find out more about its origin, maybe you'll get to see it some day!

More than an old car #23: MG YA

This MG YA calls up images of the 1950s as seen in various black-and-white films from that era. Just by looking at it, you may get the feeling of a rich British gentleman calling the shots as he patrols around his estate. It continues to exude its classiness even until today.

The MG Y-Type was thought of back in 1939, but due to the war, production had to be put on hold until 1947. No effort was spared in designing the interior--the seats were all leather and the trim was wooden such as the door window frames. The headlights were also separately mounted even when most cars were integrating the headlights with the front frame. It also had a front 'suicide door', where the door hinge was fitted at the back instead of towards the front. The name came about due to the higher risk of injury when people got in or out of the car. The YA was powered by a 1250cc XPAG 4-cylinder engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 115km/h with an acceleration of 33.5 seconds. It was 4.09m long and weighed 1034kg.

Production ended in 1953 with 2 generations of Y-Types produced, of which only 6,131 were YAs like the one in the picture. Based on my knowledge, there are probably around 5 examples here. This specimen could have been present here before Singapore became independent, and the owner could have gotten it registered later on. It is quite surprising that it is still running on normal plates given how old the car is, so the owner must be really passionate about his ride. You should be able to spot it easily--its unique shape gives it away!

More than an old car #14: MG Midget

Seeing old cars on our streets is rare, even more so cars that would clearly fail vehicle inspections. This 1962 MG Midget Mk1 here is incongruous with the spanking new cars beside it-- you may dismiss it as a mere piece of junk, but it has certainly seen much over the years.

The MG Car Company Limited first started out as Morris Garages, founded by W.R.Morris in 1920. It is not known when MG was formed exactly, but its octagonal logo was patented in 1924 and this has been the basis for its various anniversaries. MG underwent a series of mergers and acquisitions, from British Motor Corporation in 1952 to being acquired by China-based SAIC in 2007, where it is now known as MG Motor.

The MG Midget was first announced in 1961 as an alternative to the then-popular Austin-Healy Sprite. Production ceased in 1980 with 4 different generations produced. The Mk1 was powered by a BMC A-Series 4-cylinder engine, allowing it to reach a maximum top speed of 138 km/h with an acceleration of 18.3 seconds [0-97km/h]. It weighed 735 kg and was 3.46 m long. Strangely, it had no external door handles or locks.

Only about 25,600 were made but I am aware that there are quite a few of them here. What struck me most about this specimen here is how neglected it looks--peeling paint and the slanted number plate. The yellow has already faded, so it must have been exposed to the elements for quite some time. However, at least the last user had the mind to cover the car cabin. It hurts my heart to see it in such a pathetic state and I really hope it can be restored to its former glory.