MG Motor's and Triple Eight driver Ashley Sutton takes the jack Sears trophy at the final race at Brands Hatch.

Staff at MG Motor are celebrating this week, after British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) driver Ashley Sutton took home the coveted Jack Sears Trophy in his MG6 at Brands Hatch (Sunday 2 October 2016). The award, which recognises the highest scoring rookie driver in the championship, was especially poignant this year given the fact that Sears, who was the first ever winner of the BTCC Trophy, died in August aged 86.

The battle for the Jack Sears Trophy went down to the wire this year, with the Essex-born racer still unsure of clinching the title until the finish line. 

While he just had to complete the final race of the season to secure the title, with three laps to go Sutton experienced unexpected vibration issues. 

Taking no chances, the Triple Eight Racing team called the Number 116 MG6 back to the pits for a set of new tyres, allowing Sutton to re-join the race and complete the remaining laps more comfortably, before celebrations began.

Sutton commented: “I'm absolutely delighted. At the start of the season we set ourselves four goals - a first Pole Position, a first BTCC podium, a first race win and to win the Jack Shears trophy.

“We managed to achieve the first Pole Position second time out at Donington Park, which was amazing. The first podium and the win were ticked off at Croft and I'm so pleased to finish the season on a high with the Jack Sears Trophy. It took all 30 races to finally get it done and to do it in MG & 888's 150th race together was very special. Obviously trophies always mean a lot but to accept this one, named after the great Jack Shears, from his son David, in the year he passed away was very moving.

“I can't thank Triple Eight enough for making me feel at home in my debut year! I’d also like to thank MG and RICB for believing in me and giving me this chance to live and fulfil my dream. It has been a pleasure this year, and despite the bad luck I have still loved every minute of it!

“As always I'd like to thank my sponsors, family and friends as without their support then none of this would be possible. It's been a great first season for me in the BTCC - I just can't wait to get going again! Roll on 2017'"

Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing at MG Motor, added: "We're thrilled with the season's results and the success achieved by both Ash and Josh. We viewed BTCC 2016 as a bedding in season for both the cars and drivers, however, they delivered above and beyond expectations and achieved hugely impressive results.

"On behalf of MG Motor, I'd like to personally congratulate Ash on taking home the Jack Sears Trophy this weekend and look forward to watching both his - and Josh's - continued success in 2017.”

Demonstrating his fighting spirit and racing skill, 22-year old Sutton was the only rookie driver to finish on the main podium during the season. He stormed to his first ever Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship victory after producing an outstanding performance in the final encounter at Croft on 19^th June.

Ashley Sutton finished the Jack Sears Trophy competition with a final score of 442. His nearest rival was Michael Epps, who scored 424.

MG opens another dealership, now Catterick, North Yorkshire has a presence for more sales as the brand continues to grow.

Iconic British automotive manufacturer, MG Motor UK, has appointed Leisure World Group to its national dealer network. Based in Catterick, north Yorkshire, the family-run business has more than thirty years’ experience in the sales of cars, motorhomes and caravans.

Leisure World Group is well known across Yorkshire and the surrounding areas for expert advice, friendly service and an excellent aftersales offer. Run by brothers Matthew and Chris Kinsell, the company has quickly expanded from its headquarters in Catterick, now operating two additional facilities in York and Tyne & Wear.

Matthew Kinsell, Commercial Director at Leisure World Group, commented: “Joining the MG dealer network is a hugely exciting announcement for our whole team. As an iconic British brand, we’re thoroughly looking forward to displaying the latest models in our showroom.

“Alongside being one of the UK’s leading leisure vehicle retailers, we also offer an extensive selection of camping equipment – providing active families with everything they need for an adventure. MG’s model range fits perfectly with our brand, delivering family fun at an affordable price.

“With a 1.5 TGI turbo-charged engine delivering high torque at a low rev range, the MG GS is the perfect SUV for towing a caravan, making it a great choice for our loyal customer base.”

Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing at MG Motor UK, added: “With an excellent reputation for friendly service and expert advice, we’re delighted to welcome Leisure World Group to our national dealer network. 

“The latest in a long line of UK dealer appointments, Leisure World Group will play a key role in providing customers across Yorkshire and the surrounding areas with access to our latest model range.”

MG opens it newest dealership in Swansea, Wales, with Swansea's ex football chairman as dealer principal.v

With an ex-football team chairman at the helm of MG Motor’s newest dealer, it’s fair to say they’re in safe hands and well versed in tackling the competition.

In 1986, Robert Jones opened Panda Motors in Swansea after his stint as Chairman for Swansea City Football Club. Since then, the dealership has operated as a family-run business. Anthony Jones, Robert’s son, is now running the sales department.

Panda Motors has in the past operated as a sole-franchise dealership, along with a stock of used cars. They have decided, after being so impressed with the modern line-up of MG Motor, that it was time to bring in a manufacturer they could proudly represent.

Anthony said: “We were extremely taken with the overall value of the brand and the quality of the vehicles. It’s great to represent a car manufacturer that is so well known and has such a strong backing – that really bodes well for the future.”

This month sees Panda Motors’ 30th anniversary – a celebration that Anthony and his team will tie into the launch event when they invite people down in August.

Anthony added: “We’re very well established in the area so we know that when the cars arrive they will generate a lot of interest. Plus, when you see the offers and the cost of them, you realise they’re easily some of the best out there. The MG GS is certainly a leader in the sector, so we see that model being very popular!”

Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing for MG, said: “We’re really pleased to welcome Panda Motors to our dealer network. We are proud of the fact we have so many family-run dealerships like Panda as they are often well known in their area at the grass roots level and aren’t afraid to get out into their local community to put the product in front of customers.

“We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with Panda Motors.”

The continued expansion of MG is built upon again with another new dealership in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

MG Motor UK’s first representation in West Yorkshire has come in the form of family-owned dealership, Stanley Cars.

Stanley Cars, a well respected and established dealership, is situated in one of the main areas for car dealerships in Bradford. The company was started by Managing Director Tony Stanley in 1980 and, since then, it has mainly operated as a one-manufacturer dealership.

Realising that they were losing touch of the ethos they built themselves on, Tony and his team decided to take on two smaller manufacturers to allow them to return to focusing more on their customers and what they want.

Sales Manager, John Heptinstall, wanted a franchise that they could also grow with. He said: “MG is great for us as we wanted to bring in a manufacturer that suited us and our philosophy. Whilst the brand is relatively small now, it’s growing and we’re very excited and positive about that, we’re really looking forward to getting started and seeing what the future holds.”

The dealership has already got product placements, events and sponsorships lined up. John will be looking to take the MG range to the Emley Show, a well-known agricultural event in Yorkshire.

Stanley Cars was previously selling second-hand MGs and now they are very excited to have brand new models in the showroom.

John added: “Despite not having the branding up yet, we’ve already had a fair bit of interest with people popping their head in to have a look around. We can’t wait to get the cars in now. The MG3 has already done really well for us and the MG GS is set to be no exception. It’s a fantastic car and I really hope that it won’t be a hidden gem, as it deserves to be seen and for people to know about it.”

Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing for MG, said: “Tony runs a fantastically professional dealership dedicated to great customer service, I was very impressed when I went to visit them and they are an excellent addition to the network. We want to attract more top-quality dealers like Tony, John and their team.”

The next MG Dealership has opened, Ayr, Scotland is the new place to go for an MG3 or MG GS.

A well established dealership, with over 100 years in the business, is the latest to join the MG Motor UK dealer network and work with the manufacturer to boost the newest model.

Walter Bryson and Peter Bryson, Joint Directors of Brysons Car Centre in Ayr, were brought into a family-run business which started with their Grandfather back in 1902. Whilst the original site was smaller, they still operate out of the same area in Prestwick.

Having such a long history is a huge benefit for Brysons Car Centre, as they are very well known in the area and have a strong customer base. The dealership has predominately focused on selling used cars, however it was recently decided that they needed to move back into new car sales.

Walter is already extremely confident that the MG line-up will suit their current customers, but he is also hoping that new and younger customers will pop in. He said: “We’ve had eight models delivered to the sales centre, including the new MG GS, and, despite the fact we’ve not officially launched yet, we’ve had a lot of people drop by to take a look at the new arrivals.

“MG is a great franchise that is developing and growing, we’re really looking forward to working with the brand to build on sales.”

Brysons Car Centre will be having its official launch this weekend (Saturday 2^nd to Sunday 3^rd July) where the public will get a chance to take a look at the full MG range as well as check out the great offers that will be available.

Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing for MG, said: “We’re really pleased to welcome Brysons Car Centre to the network. It’s always great to bring onboard a dealership with such a long history. It’s a great foundation for building a strong and successful dealership on and we have every confidence that our relationship with them will grow to be just as strong.”

The next MG dealership opens in Warrington Cheshire, they are coming and sales are growing.

MG Motor’s newest dealer has not only filled a key gap in the north, it has also landed in the home of a popular drama series.

After a break of around ten years, John Stuart Motor Company has brought MG back to Warrington, Cheshire. Director James Drinkwater and his team primarily started out selling used cars, until they decided it was time they added some new cars to the mix – and more importantly, a franchise.

The cars had barely been in before three were sold from the northern dealership, which is also home to the BBC series ‘Ordinary Lies’.

James Drinkwater said: “It was a natural progression for us to take on a franchise and we all felt that MG was the perfect fit. The cars are built really well, are fantastic value and give customers the chance to inject some individuality.”

To celebrate the return of MG to Warrington, John Stuart Motor Company is holding a launch event across the weekend of Friday 3^rd, Saturday 4^th and Sunday 5^th June. There will be a number of exciting things going on, including the attendance of both MG Triple Eight racing drivers; Josh Cook and Ashley Sutton. There will also be a competition on the Friday night, at the pre-race Q&A event, to win tickets to that weekend’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship round at Oulton Park.

James added: “We’re really looking forward to the launch and welcoming old and new faces to the dealership. It’s an exciting time for us and MG, particularly with the launch of the new model only just around the corner.”

Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing, said: “This was a really important area for us to fill, so we’re thrilled to welcome John Stuart Motor Company on board. The launch event they’re holding is a fantastic way to put them on the map and let customers know, in the surrounding area, that MG is back in Warrington with the latest models.”

MG opens it's next dealership in Surrey, and with more coming, one that will make all the fans happy, the future is bright.

MG Motor’s newest addition to its growing dealer network has a history that reflects that of its own. Belmont Garage, in Surrey, has been established since 1929 and comes with a loyal following.

Belmont Garage is the latest dealer to join the MG network. The well-known garage, with branches in Sutton and Epsom, has built up an extremely loyal database of customers over the years – one that Dealer Principal, Ian Williams, is extremely proud of.

Ian said: “We’ve been looking to add another franchise to our Epsom dealership for a while now and we decided that MG would be the best fit. We love that the brand reflects our dealership image. We’ve worked hard over the years to get to where we are and despite being a smaller sized dealer, we like to think we pack a punch!

“As a result of us being in the area since the 1920s, we have a very high presence and because we’ve been looking after customer’s cars for so long we have built up an excellent reputation – I’m very protective over that. I have no doubt that, through the combination of our own heritage and MG’s too, we will make a great team.”

Belmont Garage received several enquiries not long after announcing MG would be coming soon to the dealership and they have already sold a handful of MG3 and MG6s.

Ian added: “We know that the MG3 will be the biggest seller for us, but when the GS officially lands we think it’s fair to say that that will be the main attraction.”

Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Belmont Garage onboard; particularly when they come with such status in the local community. They have joined us at an exciting time and I know they’re very much looking forward to having the GS on their forecourt in just over a month’s time. We can’t wait to work with them.”

China, in 2015 saw growth running at 11% higher than the preceding year, thanks in part to sales from Tier 2 cities.

• 18.9 million new passenger cars were sold in China in 2015, up 11% on 2014
• Sales growth has slowed over the last two years
• 55% of new registrations for foreign car brands were outside of China’s Tier 1 and 2 cities last year
• SUVs were the biggest drivers of growth, with sales up by 45% on 2014 to 6 million units

China’s new car market continues to be affected by the economic slowdown and the introduction of car purchase restrictions in eight key cities, according to the latest analysis by JATO Dynamics. New passenger car registrations in the world’s largest market totalled 18.9 million in 2015, an 11% increase on 2014.  

Although new car sales growth for 2015 was still in the double digits, the rate declined for a second year in a row – dropping to 11% from 13% in 2014 and 16% in 2013.

Over the last few years Chinese authorities have introduced schemes to cap the number of new cars that can be bought by consumers and other measures aimed at tackling issues such as emissions and traffic congestion. These are now in place in eight main cities, including the three largest by population – Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing.

The introduction of these policies has created a significant market shift. The subsequent falls in new car registrations in cities with car purchase restrictions were both intended and expected. However, this has been combined with a surge in sales in unaffected tier 3 and 4 cities as average wages rise and more consumers buy their first car. Sales of new sedans were higher in these smaller cities than in the tier 1 and 2 cities in 2015 and SUV volumes were almost the same, at 2.59 million units, thanks to more rapid growth in the tier 3 and 4 cities over the course of the year. There are signs that manufacturers are adjusting their strategies accordingly – in 2011, 50% of new registrations of non-domestic brand cars were outside tier 1 and 2 cities, in 2015 this figure had risen to 55%.

Just as in Europe and the USA, SUVs are the biggest driver of new sales. Year-on-year SUV sales in China increased by 33% in 2014 to over 4 million units, and by a further 45% in 2015 to 6 million units. SUVs accounted for almost one in three new passenger vehicles (32%) sold last year. This trend has particularly benefitted domestic brands with SUVs at lower price points. Baojun (+1.4), Haval (+1.22) and Geely (+1.14) all saw more than a percentage point increase in their market shares last year.

But while local players might be gaining ground, the largest international manufacturers still dominate the market by volume sold. Volkswagen remains the best-selling brand in China, with over 2.6 million new registrations in 2015, followed by Toyota (more than 1.1m) and Hyundai (over 1m). In contrast, Changan, last year’s best-selling Chinese brand, sold 694,000 new cars to take eighth place in the 20 top selling brands.

“Our analysis shows that the Chinese automotive sector is in a period of transition. Growth is coming from less mature cities and from newer segments such as SUVs. Regulators and manufacturers now face the challenge of finding a way to sustain such an economically important industry, while also addressing its environmental and social impacts,” commented Felipe Munoz, Global Automotive Analyst at JATO Dynamics.

MG's return continues apace with another dealership announced, this one in the West Midlands.

With almost 50 years family history behind it, a passion for working with the community and giving their customers the best service, MG Motor UK is thrilled to welcome Bunning of Wolverhampton as its newest dealer. 

The family run business, which is owned by Aaron Bunning and his grandfather, Dennis, was established in 1967. Since then, Aaron, operating as a sole independent trader, has worked incredibly hard with his team to build it up to the company it now is.

Aaron said: “We are really looking forward to representing a British brand that is so recognised. Once we heard everything about MG and got to know the brand and its customers more, we knew we wanted to work with a manufacturer that is only going to continue to grow more and more.”

Aaron was keen, after joining the business three years ago, to make the dealer stand out amongst all those in the surrounding area by doing something different. He already believes they stand out by delivering a warm, family feel and true teamwork to deliver the best to each customer, yet he was looking for more so Aaron decided to start supporting a local cause; ‘The Way Youth Zone’.

Aaron said: “The Way is a fantastic place for eight to 25-year-olds to spend their time and get off the streets. I raised almost £400 for them last year and they were so pleased, as we were the first business to give them money. From then on I knew I wanted to continue supporting them and I haven’t stopped since. I’m so pleased that they will be coming to our launch event in April.”

Not only does Bunning support the community, it also makes sure all its customers are given the best service with a bit of fun thrown in too.

Aaron added: “We run a monthly track day for our customers to let them play around in their cars, gain driving guidance and expertise from professionals as well as having a fun day out.”

Aaron’s passion for the track stems from his grandfather, who used to race motorbikes. In his spare time Aaron races MGs and is planning to put his race car on display at the showroom launch in April.

Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing for MG, said: “It’s fantastic to be welcoming Aaron and his team to the MG dealer network. It’s always great when we find a dealer that does something a little bit different to engage its customers and attract more. We’re really looking forward to working with Bunning and the passion they bring.”