Enthusiasts had been craving a new MG sports car for years, following the demise of the MGB and Midget, but it would be 1995 before a volume sports car once again wore the famous octagonal logo. The brand was kept alive in the 1980s with a range of hatchback and saloon models based on the Austin Metro, Maestro and Montego. In late 1992 the notion of a new MG sports car was pushed forward thanks to the MGB-based RV8, produced by Rover Special Products. It would be a further three years before MG cars rolled off production lines in any volume.
The RV8 reignited passion for MG; a passion that was still there among the public and which had seen engineers within Rover Group desperate to bring a sports car back. The MGF was developed ‘between jobs’ almost, with the new Rover 200 and 400 ranges, KV6 engine programme and hastily developed new Rover 100 taking precedence thanks to their volume vs. profitability forecasts.
Yet it was clever. In 1995, alongside theSeptember 1995 and was an instant hit.
