The MG is a British brand of sports car, which has been around for over eighty years. Although the last model of the MG went bankrupt in 2005, the ownership has been moved to Nanjing Automobile Group, who plan to produce the cars once again in 2007. The "MG" name stood for "Morris Garages", who was a car dealership in Oxford. The company started creating customized cars with designs from Cecil Kimber, who eventually became the General Manger of the company. Now, under its new ownership, the "MG" is going to stand as "Modern Gentleman". Zhang Xin, the boss of the group, says that he wants "to see that this brand represent grace and style". Although MG is mostly known for their two-seat sports cars, the company has also produced coups and saloons. The company was originally based in Oxford, but in 1925, one year after it was created, MG moved to the larger Bainton Road premises, due to high demand for the vehicles. After the car was finally shown at the London Motor Show, demand of their cars went higher still and they were forced to move again. In 1929, MG moved to their permanent location, which is Abingdon, Oxfordshire. In 1935, William Morris, the owner, sold the company to Morris Motors. The consequences of this deal were that the British Motor Corporation would later absorb the MG brand in 1952. During the 1960s, British Leyland had control of the brand, but was in trouble due to a lagging economy. Up until 2005, the MG brand was part of the MG Rover Group, which was based in Longbridge, Birmingham. The original 1924 model MG, known as the MG 14/28, was essentially a sports car body on a Morris Oxford steel frame. It wasn't until 1929 that the popular vertical MG grille was finally on the car. The main sports car that MG created was in the Midget series. The car company quickly got recognition as it did quite well in international automobile racing. A more modern sports car was built in 1962 due to high demand for the company to create a more modern car. Unfortunately, due to the numerous ownership trades and financial problems, the car company ran out of steam in 2005. There are rumors that Project Kimber might want to work with Nanjing, the group that now has the rights to the MG name, in order to create a new sports car inspired by the design of the discontinued microcar Smart Roadster. Although the car has had a tough history recently, it was quite popular when it was first released to the public due to its power at the time. The car is also famous for its distinctive look, which sports the classic grille and popular classic car body. Unfortunately, car enthusiasts will remember the car not only for its great design and performance, but for its financial troubles and constant switching of ownerships as well. Hopefully Nanjing Automobile Group will be able to revive the brand as "Modern Gentleman" and really make the car shine once again. |
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