Uber rare, MG ZT 1.8 Litre saloon, comes out of storage in pristine condition with just three miles on the clock.

• 2004 MG ZT with three miles on the clock for auction at Classic Car Auctions’ September Sale.
• Exactly as it left the factory, the current owner believes this is the best condition and lowest mileage MG Rover in the world.
• Estimated at between £8,500 and £10,500, the car is for auction on 24^th September.

A 2004 MG ZT 1.8 Turbo, with an unbelievable three miles on the clock, will go under the hammer at Classic Car Auctions’ (CCA) September Sale on 24^th September at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre.

A remarkable find, the current and only owner purchased the car from a Derby based dealer in 2005 who was selling off the cars at half price following the collapse of MG Rover. It was then delivered to his farm just outside Silverstone race circuit with only one mile on the clock.

The owner wanted to have the ‘best in the world’ and so the car was immediately placed into storage, initially in a heated garage, subsequently in a Carcoon and latterly in a Car Bag, which has beautifully preserved the car. Amazingly, the owner has driven the car just two miles along the driveway, meaning the mileage now reads only three miles.  

Now for sale again 11 years later, estimated at between £8,500 and £10,500, the owner believes this is the best condition and lowest mileage MG ZT in the world.

Presented in British Racing Green, it is in immaculate condition and exactly as it left the Longbridge factory. It still has the original ContiSport tyres and even the same fuel that was put in the tank all those years ago. The 1.8 litre turbocharged iconic Rover K-Series engine is gleaming.

Commenting on the sale of the car, CCA general manager, Guy Lees-Milne, said, “It’s amazing that our vendor has never used this car on the road and has cared for the car so much that it has been tucked away and only covered three miles. The time is now right to part with it and Classic Car Auctions are very proud to have been asked to help find it a new home.”

The high spec interior, so well preserved there’s still a new car smell, features half leather seats, green alcantara door lining, air conditioning and CD player.

Guy added, “This really is a special collector’s piece and certainly an amazing example of history from the last domestically owned mass-production car manufacturer.”

MG Car Club to launch an MG specific Top Trumps card game at MGLive in June.

MG Motor UK is thrilled to become part of the family-favourite card game, Top Trumps, where 30 cards will showcase vintage models through to the current range.  

Top Trumps, a popular card game loved by children and adults worldwide, will be adding the new and exciting MG pack to its existing range in June; when it will be launched at the MG Car Club’s annual MGLive! event.

The 30 cards will include the MG3, MG6 and new MG GS, as well as vintage models and classics like the MGA and MGB.

Over the course of the next few weeks, the MG Car Club will be revealing which other models can be found in the pack.

Those interested in picking up a pack can do so at MGLive! on 4 June at Silverstone. The annual event sees thousands of MG enthusiasts descend on the home of British motorsport to celebrate all things MG. MG Motor UK will be there with MG GS, as well as the MG3 and MG6.

SAIC to consider phasing out brands due to sales slump in all new Marques.

SAIC Motor Corp. runs successful joint ventures with General Motors and Volkswagen AG, but its own brands are losing ground.

The state-owned automaker is making huge investments to improve products and revive its car business. But if it wants to ensure that the money is well spent, the company should reduce the number of its car brands.

In 2005, SAIC bought the Rover 75 platform from bankrupt MG Rover. It soon started developing sedans on that platform under the newly created Roewe brand.

Two years later, it acquired Nanjing Automobile Group Co., another state-owned automaker that had purchased the MG brand and the Rover 25 platform from the British carmaker.

SAIC President Chen Zhixin assured the press at the time that the Roewe and MG brands would start generating profits after combined sales reached 260,000 vehicles.

But after the two brands topped 230,000 sales in 2013, deliveries began to decline. In 2014, sales of Roewe and MG cars slumped 22 percent to 180,018 vehicles.

Not content with two brands, SAIC launched a third: Maxus. In 2013, a van and a multipurpose vehicle were introduced under the new brand.

The two models were based on a platform that SAIC had purchased in 2009 from LDV Group, a bankrupt British producer of commercial vans. China's car buyers have been unimpressed. Last year, Maxus generated sales of only 21,012 vehicles.

The Roewe and MG brands continue to fade, with combined China sales down 37 percent in the first two months of 2015 to 21,039 vehicles. And Maxus continues to struggle, with only 4,179 deliveries year to date.

What went wrong? Saddled with weak product development, SAIC must rely on obsolete MG Rover platforms. And that's why Roewe, MG and Maxus are not competitive.

To be sure, SAIC operates technical centers in China and England to enhance its products. The company is improving its powertrains and is developing a platform dubbed the A architecture.

Starting next year, future Roewe and MG compact sedans will be built on the new platform. But this alone is not enough to fix SAIC's problems; the company must also pare its multiple brands.

SAIC is a newcomer in a sedan market dominated by global giants such as VW and GM. It lacks the technology and product development needed to support three passenger vehicle brands.

In recent years, Chery Automobile Co., Great Wall Motor Co. and Geely Automobile Holdings all phased out multiple brands so that they could sell vehicles under one brand.

Those moves produced the desired results, and each company has begun to rebuild sales. Now it is time for SAIC to follow suit.

REPORT HERE

Lots of TV adverts for MG-Rover through to MG Motors UK and into the future, enjoy.

In the final years of MG-Rover, they tried there very best to make the most out of what they had, there just was not any money in the pot to give us new cars, which is a shame and quite frankly idiotic, as they did have that money at the start, but they frittered it away, and with us now approaching the Tenth Anniversary of the collapse of MG-Rover back in 2005, all we have left is some TV adverts, some brilliant, some just plain daft, but all had one point, to sell cars.

Now we will never know how good at selling these cars the ads actually were, so I leave it you to watch the ads below, and remember fondly what we had back then, and what could have been, if BMW had waited just another 18 months, or the P4/5 had actually gotten a partner on board before it was just plainly too late.

So, watch, enjoy and smile.....

MG-Rover Brand values 2004

MG-ZR and ZS Football match 2004

Rover 25 Roulette Advert 

Rover 45 PinBall Advert.

Rover 400 Advert pre 2000

Rover 75 Advert, Who wants to be a Millionaire.

MG ZR Cinema release advert

MG ZR, ZS, ZT & ZT-T advert (similar to above)

MG ZED Range launch advert - eventually banned.

MG SV X-Power Promo video

Then it all went, and we were left with just memories, that was until MG made a return to the UK, and back to Longbridge, this time we have the MG6, and this was followed by the MG3, we should also be getting the new MG GT, MG CS and Dynamo PHEV car, so the future is looking very bright for MG once again.

MG6 Launch Advert

And from China we have....

MG GT

I hope you have enjoyed a little walk back through History, and a brief glance at the future.

TMW - MG3, At last a car to be proud of.

When MG UK re-entered the UK market with the MGTf we knew all about that car, yes it had a few alterations here and there, but was essentially the same car that MG-Rover built up until 2005 when all hell broke loose and the Longbridge plant finally closed its doors.

Then came the MG6, a mid sized saloon and hatch with a single petrol engine choice and three trim levels at a price most thought to be a bit to optimistic, and the lack of sales has shown this, a vast number of offers every few months does little to tempt the UK buyer to the brand, and why, well MG seems to have little faith in this car, they don't want anyone to know about it.

The complete lack of advertising is a bone of contention on a number of websites, namely MG-Rover.org and AROnline, with some members on both sites becoming obsessively anti Chinese, and no amount of asking gets us any response as to why they don't, massive success in the BTCC should have most companies ad men drooling at the prospect of advertising the brand or cars, but not MG UK.

We then see an MGB styled SUV concept, which i liked and was not like by a lot of people, then the Zero concept and MG5 concept, both the Zero (MG3) and MG5 concept cars made it to the production lines but heavily watered down from what both were fantastic designs, it was then decided the MG5 would not come to the UK and the MG3 would, and it is this car that we have here.

I, along with many have been looking forward to this car, because this car has got to succeed in a way no other car before it has, if this car fails to sell, like the MG6, then I fear it might be game over for MG in the UK, but they have priced it right, £8,000 for the basic car, £10,000  for the mid range and £12,000 for the leather clad top of the range car.

The interior of the MG3 looks spartan, but that has a charm about it, as so many cars these days have dozens of buttons it looks stupid, the nice to the touch steering wheel and short throw gear stick looks like it might be a decent car to throw about for those that want a ZR replacement, the seats are very supportive and comfortable, however the awful shiny fabric that is the center part of the seats does hark back to the 1980's.

With the front seat in a position I would be happy with, a 6 foot person got in the back seat and was comfortable with room to move their legs, the doors shut with no quite a thunk, but they sound solid enough for a car in this market, the style of the audio controls and controls on the steering wheel all have a matching shape and design, and that is good, as it is a familiar look, for those with ipods etc.

The car here had electric windows all round, the rears will apparently be manual on the basic car, but then that's no hardship, the rear doors open wide, a lot wider that a lot of the opposition, nearly to 90 degree so access for kids etc will be good, I also like the sport touches, like the side skirts and rear spoiler, it gives a more sporty look to the car, however with no details about the 1.5 litre engine, whether it is sporty to drive or not wont become apparent until later in the year.

The only issues I had with the car is the high lip to the boot and drop the other side, people who struggle with these things will find that an issue, and the lack of engine options and the ridiculous decision not to bring an auto to any of the MG range "anytime soon" is laughable in these days of so many engine/gearbox options.

If MG had an auto in the 6, there would be one on my drive right now, no hesitation, if they had one in the 3 and not the 6, there would be a 3 on my drive come September, so the lack of these choices is costing them money and customers, but I digress, here are the pictures, enjoy.

UPDATE 16/08/2013

MG UK have announced that teh new MG3 will have a price point where the top of teh range will be £9,999, and a start price of £8,399, great news, lots of options, some dreadful and some ok, some really nice colours and decent looking alloys, so what will they fail on, probably the advertising, there seems to be little news on whether there will be any TV advertising, or a major press launch, as long as they just do not rely on Facebook and Twitter to sell these cars then teh outlook is good.