A look back at the MG press releases from 2009

Now that we are entering 2010 I thought it would be a nice idea to look back at the news from MG throughout 2009.

I'm putting up a copy of their press releases for everyone to view at their leisure.

Let's hope 2010 is just as exciting! :woo2:

On April 25th 2009 MG celebrated their 85th birthday with style by unveiling the all new MG TF 135 and MG TF 85th Anniversary models at the Royal Windsor MG Heritage Show.

Here are some fantastic pictures taken on the day by one of our members MoonManMike:







Thanks Mike! :thumbsup:

The 85th Anniversary model is sure to be highly desired with the following features:

• Unique new interior including leather seats
• 3 distinctive colours
• New external design - alloy wheels and unique 85th anniversary graphics
• 50 vehicles only
• New suspension and handling package: The best handling TF ever
• A competitive price of just £15,664 OTR that comes down to only £13,664 with Scrappage allowance.

With the 85th Anniversary TF having now been launched motoring journalist Syd Taylor takes one out for a test drive.

Journalist test drives MG TF 85th Anniversary
02.10.09

Known throughout the world, MG is regarded with warmth and affection - and even a degree of proprietorial concern from the British motorist, who is always keen to perpetuate tradition. But in today’s twenty first century technological whirlwind, tradition has a hard time of it.

I was eager to find out what the new £15,664 TF 85th anniversary model was like on the road and particularly wanted to find good things to say about it. I’m naturally warmly inclined towards the historic marque which, against the odds, has survived - unlike many others - a multitude of vicissitudes, been through many a dark tunnel with the threat of extinction looming, but has emerged, one hopes, still smiling, with the sun gleaming on its fresh paintwork.

I wanted this car to be good, and I suspect you, dear reader, want to be told that the very latest model is the best yet and able to coc k a snook at the `wet behind the ears` interlopers in the traditional sportscar market. Current promotional publicity highlights the `fun` factor. How far is this evident? Is `fun` really back?
My mission was to point the car at every variety of road I could entertain during my short - and if I may say, sweet, without giving the game away - acquaintance. Driving down highways, byways, motorways and country lanes, straightways, twistyways, gradients up and gradients down, the sole purpose was to chase down that elusive elemental quality - joy!

I was familiar already, as we all are, with the pleasing yet understated appearance of the model. Without resorting to corny retro gimmicks, the smooth design harkens back to former times, while signalling quite decisively that it has all four rubber boots firmly in the twenty first century. Nothing strains for effect and it is all the more effective for it.

My particular model, resplendent in aubergine, was inviting to the eye from the tip of its neatly tailored hood (Our acquaintance was formed, unfortunately, during an unseasonal downpour) to the firm-footed treads of the purposeful tyres. The eye catches though, through the interstice in the sculptured alloy wheels, a glimpse of scarlet from the hefty disc calipers. The door opens smoothly and the nostrils are assailed by the warm odour of rich leather: this is a solid and reassuring first acquaintance like a firm handshake.

The cabin seems to me to be `spot on` in its all round appeal and I defy anyone to say they wouldn’t feel at home here. The instrumentation, thankfully, is bereft of modern interplanetary nonsense, so you can absorb all you need to know at a glance. Slide in behind the wheel and its like putting on a comfortable, well made, good quality - shall I say - sports jacket.

For the timid, there’s the reassurance of solidity and a host of safety factors: for the sporty-minded there’s the immediate message that this is a `place of business`. This is not a `flash boombox`of a car, but its poised so perfectly on the cusp of fashion as to be welcome absolutely anywhere. And it is to its credit that this smart compact machine is robust and willing enough to tackle anything, within reason, that comes its way.

Start her up and even at standstill the 1.8 mid-sited engine that drives the rear wheels sounds willing, without undue ostentation. As a driver, you find that pedals are well placed and the steering wheel is pleasant to grip. All that remains is to get on with the business of conducting the machine on its way.
Select the first of the five gears - a satisfying experience in that the chunky lever executes its manoeuvres without fuss: allow the light and positive clutch to take up the drive and - guess what: a smirk begins to form on the lips.

Let me say that in my view, fun depends on a number of important boxes being ticked very decisively. No fun is to be had, for instance, where excess performance is achieved at the expense of comfort and reliability. (extensive British re-engineering and re-design has more than laid to rest yesteryears gremlins, so reliability should be top notch.). Equally, anodyne respectability will raise no chuckles.

So - the perfect fun car is one you know is not going to let you down; is not going to be grotesque in appearance; is not going to be as spartan as a night on a bare mountainside and is not going to require the resources of an MP`s expense account at the filling pump. (You`ll get around 36 mpg.) In short it needs to be like an old friend who you can trust, but one with a twinkle in the eye who has a delight or two `up their sleeve` so to speak.

And my goodness, does the new MG tick all the right boxes. One struggles to find even the most minor fault - and believe me - I am fastidious. When the driving is dull, as on the motorway, the creature comforts keep one quite content: it’s pleasant sitting in comfy seats to feel the road unwind below a chassis that is doing its job unfussily and so successfully.

On narrow twisty lanes, response to input is immediate and gratifying: there’s no drama. The car goes where you want it to; is nimble on its Goodyear tyres and feels `the complete package`. Handling is so beautifully poised that traction control would be rendered superfluous. This model, with its slightly lower suspension and Bilstein dampers, is on rails. No longer might you be caught out by exciting `lift off` oversteer. You can exploit the handling to the full with no unexpected surprises and there’s benign behaviour at and beyond the limit of grip.

When driving through heavy rain with standing water on the road the car felt solid and safe - and yet even in those conditions - rewarding to drive. Transform the weather, throw down the suns golden rays, peel back the top, glue down the toupee and it’s another thing entirely: as close as you’ll get to bliss as finding an extra toffee in the corner of the packet.

Other road users regard you with respect, as someone sensible enough to bet on a sure thing, and on one excursion down a narrow lane, I pulled in close to the hedge to let the oncoming Land Rover pass by. The buxom farmer’s wife might have been admiring the car, but I indulged myself in the thought that I was the focus of her interest.

As I pressed on - the years having fallen away - I realised that this is what FUN is all about. Perhaps some might say slightly suspect in politically correct terms, but undeniably bracing. I felt like saying `moo` to a goose!

MG TF motoring can start at the very attractive price of around £13,500 should you choose the `entry level` 135 model (Just £11,500 if you trade in, under the `scrappage scheme) - but forget about `entry level`. This model is an exceptional value package that is the key to the doorway to freedom.
Just as Cecil Kimber gave cars a more sporting character all those years ago, the tradition lives on. The MG motto `Safety Fast` is as true today as it was then: MG still `Makes it Go!`" (Syd Taylor, Automotive Journalist, Midlands Group of Motoring Writers. Article reproduced from www.mgmotor.co.uk )

MG exhibits at the MPH featuring Top Gear Live 2009 Show!

If you didn't make it then here are MG's very own blogs from the show:

MG Live Blogs - MPH featuring TopGear Live, Earl's Court

05.11.09
"So after what seemed like weeks of build up MPH (featuring Top Gear Live) is finally underway. Has it been worth the wait? You bet it has. At 4.45 hundreds of people queued round the side of the vast Earls Court Exhibition Centre and as the clock struck 5, the gates were opened and the crowd began to flood in.
With over two hours before the Top Gear live show, there was really only one place to be and we were soon doing what we do best – talking to people about MG and the three TFs on show at our great new stand - have a look at these photographs taken just before the show opened.
We met former owners, current owners, people whose parents were owners – one thing seems to be for sure, everyone knows someone who has had an MG and they had just one main message – ‘it is so great to see you back!’
Buoyed by such fantastic support we set about signing people up to our newsletter and providing details of local dealers so people can get that all important Test Drives. With the 85th anniversary edition disappearing from dealers fast and the 135 attracting huge attention due to the fantastic price, you had better get down to Earls Court for yourself and see what all the fuss is about. We look forward to meeting you later on this weekend."


08.11.09
"After four days, thirty seven hours and tens of thousands of people, the doors have finally closed for another year on the Earls Court MPH show (yes, still featuring Top Gear Live).
To say that we have had a great time really is an understatement. When the MG Marketing team decamped from Longbridge on Wednesday we knew that we had a great stand, great products and were looking forward to sharing it with the people of London (and Scotland, and Australia, and the USA and Egypt and ….. you get the point) but we could only have dreamed of receiving such a fantastic reception.
We have been totally overwhelmed by the huge numbers of visitors to the MG stand and at times over the weekend even six members of the team was not enough to talk to everyone who wanted to chat about the brand, the TF and share their stories about their own MG experience.
Hundreds of people have asked to be kept up to date with latest news from MG by signing up for our regular e-newsletter (click here to register and join them) and many more have taken details of their local dealer so that they can act quickly and get themselves into a car before the VAT increase kicks in and the Scrappage funds run dry. The new 85th Anniversary edition drew a great reception and a number of people took details of dealers from further afield simply because they had availability of one of the few remaining cars in their colour of choice.
We have had a great time in London and can’t wait to start over when we come home to Birmingham for the NEC show next week. If you didn’t make it to Earls Court (a decision more baffling than a Rafa Benetiz team selection) then there is still a chance to come and be part of the fun. Now if you’ll excuse us, the MG team are off to lie down in a darkened room until next Wednesday when we rev up again for more fun in the West Midlands…"



12.11.09
"Well, it seems like less than half an hour since we closed the doors on the London show but Thursday has come around already and MG have embarked on the next lap of the MPH circuit at the NEC. Whilst we all loved our time in the Bright Lights of London, there’s no denying that it is nice to be home (we don’t normally get let out of Birmingham and rumours that three members of the MG were disappointed when they learnt that the streets of London were not actually paved with gold were unconfirmed at the time of writing).
So what is new for the NEC? Well, we have the same great stand but with a nice new location and the MG team have been doing our bit for cross manufacturer relations by getting to know our new neighbours and very nice they are too.
We have had another great start with more people asking to join the MG newsletter register in the first hour and a half on Thursday at the NEC than during the whole first day at Earls Court – and we thought we were doing well there! The 85th anniversary edition continues to generate great interest and we have had to produce a new handout for this show to let prospective owners know the locations of the few remaining cars whilst the Black LE 500, with the newly specified silver alloys, continues to draw much interest as the ‘winter’ MG thanks to the body coloured hard top.
The MPH theme of universal love for the MG brand has continued in Birmingham and with the Classic Car show opening tomorrow to supplement MPH, we expect to meet many more people with an MG story to share as well as having the pleasure of welcoming a number of our colleagues from Longbridge to prove to them, once and for all, that shows are actually really quite hard work*
(* having fun and working hard are not mutually exclusive alright?)
If you haven’t had chance to come and see us so far, there are three more fun packed days to come so get on down to the NEC, you won’t be disappointed."




15.11.09
"With only half an hour left until MPH featuring Top Gear Live 09 closes its doors to the public, there are still hundreds of car enthusiasts lingering around NEC’s Hall 5.
What a fantastic time we have had on the MG stand over the last couple of weeks at Earl’s Court and the NEC. Here’s a quick summary from the Shows:

• Over 1,000 MG fans signed up to our e-newsletter and entered the free MG prize draw we have been running.
• We have handed out thousands of brochures, badges, balloons, stickers, pens, and posters.
• The MG sales and marketing team have lost their voices after talking to so many visitors to the stand…

The newly launched TF 85th Anniversary designed to celebrate the marque’s 85-year history has attracted a huge amount of attention, while the well equipped LE500 seems to have been the motorists’ favourite with the winter months approaching thanks to its body-coloured hard top.
Not to mention TF 135’s compelling pricing - this is a typical conversation we have had over and over again over the last two weeks:

“What is the price for the TF135?”
“£13,511 on the road or £11,511 with Scrappage, Sir/Madam*” (*delete as appropriate)”
“REALLY??!!”

We have honestly enjoyed chatting to the thousands of visitors and well-wishers who have taken a keen interest in our cars, although at times it was difficult to hold a conversation with the Top Gear gang revving up a little too loudly in the theatre behind us.
Bye, bye Clarkson, May and Hammond - see you next year!"


(Info reproduced from www.mgmotor.co.uk , for more details on the 2009 show visit: http://www.mphshow.co.uk/ )

MG Enthusiast Editor-at-Large Andrew Roberts returns to TF ownership with a new 135 and is hugely impressed.

"While I have gained something of a reputation among those who know me of being a dedicated MG person, I have never been a one-eyed individual in terms of the MG marque. Indeed, as a motoring writer I have been fortunate to have driven all kinds of cars from Rolls- Royces to budget-price family buys. My ownership experience includes the original Minis that I loved, MG’s arch rival the Mazda MX-5 which I really couldn’t get on with and a BMW MINI Cooper that could not be faulted but never really inspired me, good as it was. T-types, Midgets, MGBs and an MG ZR have all numbered among the octagon contingent, while in the long-gone happy days of company vehicles an MG Maestro Efi and Turbo featured at someone else’s expense.


So where does the MGF/TF figure in my ownership experience? The first of these, and undoubtedly the best, was the 1995 1.8i while the last of the quintet was a late MGR TF135 that was frankly disappointing and showed obvious signs of Longbridge cost cutting. Latest was certainly not best and the prospect of my returning to MG ownership seemed remote. Although I attended the relaunch of MG at Longbridge, I couldn’t envisage future MG ownership. If I am honest I did wonder about quality issues under Chinese ownership and whether the reborn TF could rekindle the magic of the first MGF. But at least the marque was very much alive and the commitment appeared to be there.


But there was another factor that would prove to be significant. Here in Eastbourne, Sterling Automotive looks after MG interests. Patrick Warner and his team have pioneered the five-year warranty head gasket repair and he is a member of the XPart Dealer Council. Speaking from personal experience with both the ZR and TF, I found Sterling’s expertise and customer service to be exemplary. So it was no surprise that MG Motor UK appointed them as an authorised MG Repairer in the new dealer network. Now, with the full blessing of MG, Sterling has a satellite sales agreement with Apple MG of Gravesend to retail new MGs and with Eastbourne already having sold five new MG TFs, the link is clearly working.


I had skirmished with the idea of an early MGF to run alongside the MINI, but this didn’t seem a sensible proposition. Then, as readers of Chequered Flag might recall, I drove a TF LE500 demonstrator and to say that I was impressed would be something of an understatement. Granted I was critical of the instruments and switchgear and still am, but the way the MG drove made me realise how much I had missed the one-ness of driver and car, the sharpness of handing and the sheer enjoyment of a proper sports car. The TF was one of those cars that said, ‘drive me’. The MG brochure says: ‘Fun is Back’, and that is absolutely true.


Events happened quickly after that drive. My wife, Pamela, said she could see just how much I enjoyed the TF and that the sensible four-seater should be replaced by an MG. As MG’s 80th anniversary slogan said: ‘Life’s too short not to’. We pondered whether to go for an LE500, but the prospect of the competitively priced TF135 coming with leather seats at no extra cost as one of the first 100 cars, plus a passenger airbag and no hardtop to store won the day. Our first choice of White was awaiting parts from China and so we opted for a Radiant Red example, a colour close to both Firefrost and Nightfire but a tad richer in tone, which sets the car’s lines off to perfection. A totally unexpected bonus was the numberplate. Reminiscent of the old University Motors, supplying dealer Apple MG had negotiated a block of MG numbers. Just one was left and being told that it was GN 09 MGE, Patrick Warner said an immediate ‘yes’ without any reference to me. Some would say serendipity; me, I simply could not believe it. Couldn’t be better for the magazine, we all agreed.


As luck would have it, the weather on pick-up day was horrendous and typical of late July. Torrential downpours were followed by equally brilliant sunshine and everyone was reluctant to move the car out of its dry environment. What was immediately evident under the unforgiving fluorescent light was just how good the body and paint were. Shut lines were excellent and the paint finish quite superb and certainly to BMW standards. Actually the bodies for the TF135 are painted in China before being shipped – only the LE500 cars were hand-sprayed at Longbridge – and the finished result must augur well for the forthcoming MG6.


One of the features that had most impressed me on the LE500 demonstrator was how good the gearchange was, quite the best I had ever driven. However, Patrick Warner’s view was that ‘MGE’s’ change was not as good as the LE500 and he immediately ordered replacement parts from MG. This was before I had even driven the car. When I did, I could see what he meant, but in the intervening time I have not found it a problem as the box has loosened up. Yet how many old MGR dealers would have bothered, I wonder? If Sterling is typical of the new dealer network, (as I believe they are,) this quality-first approach must build brand confidence.

Driving the new TF for the first time – there were just 18 miles recorded – was the usual nerve-wracking affair with every other car a hazard. We elected to take it onto the roads around Beachy Head that are a great driving route, particularly when you are able to avoid the tourist buses and foreign-registered cars. Just like the LE500, the 135 was absolutely rattlefree and felt as solid as the proverbial rock. The wonderful directness of steering was there, the brakes spot-on and the response of the new engine surprisingly good. But best of all was the ability to drop the hood as soon as the sun came out. Leaving the car at lunchtime saw the hood back up in seconds. The glass rear screen is such an improvement, too.
The reaction to the new TF has been entirely positive. True, you do get a little tired of saying that yes, MG is still a live marque and that this car was assembled at Longbridge. Countering any questions on Chinese quality, the answer is simply: ‘take a look’. Then remind the questioner how much is now sourced from China, including computers, mobile phones and even the superb die-cast models that many collect. But the problem for MG isn’t really where much of it is sourced, or even Chinese ownership, for the world is fast changing and this is an inevitable fact. No, the big problem is that it is only the enthusiast market that seems to know of MG’s continued existence and the brand’s profile is still low to non-existent. This has to change, particularly with the MG6 on the near horizon. Budgets are inevitably tight, but surely this must be an urgent priority.


So, how is the new TF viewed in the enthusiast world? We decided on the spur of the moment to take the car to the MG Car Club’s South Eastern Centre Summer Gathering at Chillingstone Castle in Kent, a truly idyllic venue and a relaxed and friendly event. Parking up anonymously, it was astonishing how quickly everyone realised that here was an 09 car and the interest was amazing. This must have been one of the first 135s released from Longbridge and while everyone seemed familiar with the TF LE500, this was a different model.


The reaction was universally positive. More than one visitor seemingly decided to book a test drive having seen ‘MGE’, while another who had sold MGFs and TFs in Rover Group and MGR days in a dealership commented favourably on the specification, notably the return of twin horns, fog lamps and a full size spare wheel in place of the cost saving and often ineffective aerosol spray. With a longer memory than most, he recalled how the spare wheel had been an integral part of the MGF crash protection, something that MGR conveniently forgot in cost-cutting measures. He also commented favourably on the underbonnet finish, with memories of early MGFs frequently having virtually no paint in a number of cases. What was evident with everyone who examined the 135 was that there was no prejudice because this was no longer a totally British product; rather one of relief that here was a new MG again, something that more than a few had never expected to see again.


But back to the driving experience. On open road driving, the 135’s sure-footed and flat cornering remains much as I nostalgically remember it from the first press drive in 1995. Here the return to Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres, as on the original MGF, is a stellar improvement over the last MGR examples. My preference has always been for a suspension set-up that is firm rather than soft and the settings on the 135 are very much to my liking. Steering is as sharp as ever and MG’s engineering team have wisely left well alone with the EPAS installation. The engine seems willing and keen, although the first few hundred miles are seeing a light throttle and limited revs. An LE500 owner I met at Chillingstone commented that a couple of thousand miles would see the engine loosened, but it is hard not to be impatient in the first few weeks of ownership.


The amount of work carried out on the N-Series engine to ensure its long-term reliability has been well documented, and the instruments now include a temperature gauge and warning light. In very heavy traffic and stop-start motoring at the end of Airbourne, Eastbourne’s huge free air display, the temperature was safely rock steady and the car totally untemperamental. Nothing more than one should expect of course, but reassuring none the less. Better still was the performance of the lights. These have apparently been upgraded since my previous TF ownership and the illumination on dip is greatly improved. Having endured what I can only describe as a disappointing performance on the MINI, this came as a pleasant surprise. For anyone taking the car abroad, there is a switch to alter the dip from left to right, which was previously introduced on the Rover 75. A simple and great modification.


I remain critical of the instruments, which I consider a retrograde step from the previous easy-to-read dials and I am still puzzled as to why it was necessary to reverse the positions of the tachometer and speedometer. In bright light, visibility is compromised, a case of function being sacrificed for, in my view, doubtful aesthetics. Another criticism is that the indicator lights on the dash are well nigh invisible in strong light, and the problem is compounded by the repeater being particularly quiet.
On the plus side, the instrumentation is easy to see when the dash lights are illuminated. The rest of the cockpit works well. The leather seats are supportive and good quality, while an unexpected bonus is the passenger airbag. In the boot – now with an automatic release on the key fob and full marks for that – the previously exposed wiring for the rear lights is neatly hidden under new mouldings, removing the worry of packing a full luggage compartment. The hood is taut, well fitting and easy to raise and lower but has demonstrated the usual tendency to be a magnet for the neighbouring cat! Its cover now comes without the foam rubber bolster of the previous cars and, as a result, it billows. Seemingly the change came because the previous set-up tended to push the boot lid out of shape, but since most owners don’t use it, maybe it is not a problem.


So, what are my reactions on the first few weeks of ownership? I wanted to believe that here was an MG that would deliver its promises and since this is our only car, it simply has to. I have not been disappointed. Where the TF135 scores so heavily in my view is that it has returned very much to the purity of the original MGF design and indeed many of its predecessors. There is nothing extraneous here and this is surely as it should be for sports cars, whatever their marque, should concentrate on delivering the most rewarding driving experience. This is a car that I am more at one with than I could possibly have believed and I seriously love driving it. At the end of the day I am a sports car person rather than a saloon one and this MG is true to the tradition of my much-loved TC and TF, not to mention the MGBs. The fact that it is far better built and finished than any MGF/TF I have previously owned is very much to the credit of the MG Motor UK team. Last, but by no means least, the value is incredible. But for me, what really counts is being back in a TF that is still so patently an MG."



(Information reproduced from www.mgmotor.co.uk )

Well that's about it... it's been an exciting year for MG and there are many additional news articles we could cover but I'd be typing forever! Hopefully the above gives you a general overview of 2009 for MG.

All that's left to say is roll on 2010 and if you have any exciting news stick up a thread! :thumbsup:

Happy New Year MG! :woo2: