MG: The Iconic British Sports Car

In 1926, the original Bullnose Morris models were replaced by the so-called Flatnose types with a more conventional radiator, and the MGs followed suit. In 1927, for the first time the MG production was moved into a new purpose built factory at Edmund Road, Cowley. In 1928, the MG Car Company was formally set up, and the business began to separate from the original Morris Garages. Work had also begun on two new MG models, which would both be introduced later that year.

The first of these was the MG 18/80, a six-cylinder car with a 2.5-litre overhead camshaft engine from the most recent Morris model. Available with a range of open and closed bodies, the 18/80 was an excellent touring sports car, but comparatively expensive and never made in large numbers. The later Mark II version featured a redesigned chassis and four speed gearbox and continued in limited production until 1933. A special racing version, the Mark III 18/100 or Tigress model was introduced in 1930. At no less than £895, it is not surprising that only five were made.

Far more important of the new models in 1928 was the first MG Midget, the M type. This was based on the recently introduced Morris Minor small car with an 847cc overhead camshaft engine, chassis and engine being little modified, but the bodywork was a fabric-covered two-seater with a pointed tail. At £175 this was truly an affordable sports car. "The Autocar" declared that "The MG Midget will make sports car history".

The Midget went into full production in March 1929 and the success of the new car soon made it clear that it was necessary for MG to move yet again to a bigger factory. At the end of 1929, MG took over part of the Pavlova Leather Company’s factory at Abingdon on Thames a few miles south of Oxford, destined to be MG’s home for the next fifty years. The MG Car Company Limited was formally established, with William Morris as the main shareholder and governing director, while Kimber became managing director.

The period from 1930 to 1934 saw the development of the MG brand to become one of the most famous sports cars in Britain and the world. In 1930, MG built a special record car for George Eyston, with a Midget based engine in an all-new chassis with streamlined bodywork. This car, the EX120, set MG on the path to a career in record breaking, which would last until 1960.

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