MG’s take mid-week gallivant

 

By Rob Pooley

What do classic car owners do if they are retired and are itching to go for a scenic drive mid-week out of Auckland followed by lunch?

Mangawhai seems a popular watering hole for car clubs of many descriptions. Recently a group of MG enthusiasts in a cavalcade of twenty-odd vehicles took a casual jaunt to enjoy the hospitality of the Cowshed Restaurant and Cafe, organised by their social activities man Peter Crawford. 
“Most of the cars are over 40 years old and, unlike their owners, still a way off retirement,” says Peter, who owns a 1971 MGB GT, “though we do have later models in the club, some manufactured in the 1990s. Our Navigators followed the written instructions and after about 90 minutes drive from Glenfield we all arrived safe and sound.”

As usual plenty of stimulating and informative discussions took place over the meal and later the group made their way back home having hopefully enjoyed some of our local scenery on the way.

While the trusty Morris brand was a middle-of-the-road family car, most notably the Morris Oxford well over half a century ago, it had other claims to fame. 

The MG 2-seater sports model was somewhat unique when initially manufactured nearly a century ago. 

The MG brand simply means Morris Garage and while still producing in the UK is now largely Asian owned.

While it has had several ‘relationships’ over the years – in The British Motor Corporation Limited in 1952 and in 1968 British Leyland Motor Corporation – by the start of 2000 MG was part of the MG Rover Group but that went into receivership in 2005. 

The assets and MG brand were purchased byNanjing Automobile Group which merged into SAIC in 2008. Production restarted in 2007 in China with the first all-new model from MG in the UK for 16 years, the MG 6, a mid-sized hatchback officially launched on 26 June 2011 followed by the MG6 GT Fastback.

Many will meet with fellow enthusiasts at their biennial national rally later this month at Timaru. 

“We will have 20 cars in our convoy to Timaru,” says Peter, “but expect over 100 cars at the rally.”

 Check out mgclub.org.nz for more information.

Aucklnd MG classic car owners and club members take a social run to Mangawhai.