MG Club
The MG Club is a short walk from our Abingdon office, which is on the site of the former MG factory. 2023 marked the centenary of this iconic British sports car. Interns Patrick and Jamie report on a visit to learn more about the history and brand today, including the strong following of enthusiasts in Japan.
The Abingdon site was founded in 1930 when Morris Garages, which started as a bicyle shop on Oxford’s high street in the 1890s, needed a new assembly plant to deal with the growing demand for its small-model M-Type sports car.
After its acquisition by Morris Motors in 1939, larger touring cars became a large market for MG and it was these cars that gave them an international presence in the US, Japan, and China. However, MG maintained its racing ambitions as part of its company identity. In fact, the MG Ex181 was tested at the Abingdon site before it broke the land-speed record in 1957.
This heritage of top performance helps explain the enthusiasm MG cars continue to inspire among their owners around the world. In Japan there are MG clubs for Kobe, Nagoya, and Tohoku, and the 32nd MG Day was held in Karuizawa in 2022. At the day, which has been running since 1963, there was a gathering of around 100 MG fans and 60 MG cars.
MG Motors was acquired in 2005 by Nanjing Automobile. The legacy of the brand remains alive through the efforts of the clubs and car enthusiasts.
Gideon with interns Jamie and Patrick at the MG Club
