M E E T I N G :  M G F   1 0   Y E A R S

For us, it started at the MGF Kempenrit where we tried to get as many MGF/TF's together as possible, just to remember and celebrate the 10th birthday of the MGF. That's right, the first MGF was build in 1995 so it's time to have a special event for this occasion.

On Sunday October 16th 2005, the MGF Register of the MG Car Club organised a special event at the British Motor Herritage Museum in Gaydon (UK). It must have been said that this was the greatest MG(F) event I have visited. The yearly Silverstone event is great, the MGF Kempenrit is fun, but this party was smashing: 10 year old MGF's, prototypes, number one's, the designer himself, lectures, a parking full of MGF's and TF's, ....

We arrived in the UK on Saturday. A tour guided by Adrian brought us to Brown and Gammons and should have brought us to Longbridge, however we lost the convoy, didn't know where to go next, so we headed for the hotel and checked in quite early.

 

We stayed at the Tudor Hotel Inn; a nice looking hotel from the 15th century... unfortunatly the rooms were not clean at all, infrastructure was very old and on the last day the people responsible for the hotel didn't show up to serve breakfast.

On the first night, some **** tried to rip off the self adhesive white dot with the mgtf.be url. Thank god it is a very sticky one, otherwise we would need to participate the show without the decal.

 

It all started with this one, it's now more than 80 years ago.

This car, called Old Number One, is officially the first MG, although some other cars previous to this one could have been MG's. It took me by surprise as it was there in the BMH museum without any security. If you wanted to touch it, you could have done it. I remember the car from the Antwerp Classics show where it was standing on a stage, far away and safe from the public.

 

 

 

 

Before the launch of the MGF, some prototypes were beeing developed.

PR5/DR2 (left, at the top and in red) was a design study for a larger MG. The 'BIG' MG project was cancelled in 1991.

MG EX-E (left, in silver) was shown at the Frankfurt Motorshow in 1985. There was one finished in red, the other one, finished in silver can be found in the BMH museum.

SIM2 was a transformed Metro with a mid mounted K-series engine (1.4 litres). It was build for clandestine road tests around Gaydon and had a decal on the doors: RTC 24h express services, where RTC stands for Rover Test Center.

The first officially produced MGF carrying the VIN number 251 has never been sold to anyone and is now owned by Nanjing. The organisers of the MGF10 event and the BMH museum made it possible to show us that special MGF (red with black hardtop).

 

We were not the only ones giving the car a last polish before the crowd arrives and starts admiring the cars.

Some overview pictures.

The number of MGF/TF's exceeded 482, at 01:00PM and MG's were still arriving, so there msut be close to or just over 500 MGF/TF's.

Black (or at least dark) VVC wheels with blue painted callipers. It looks aggresive, even on a standard F (amber indicators, no painted reflectors) and I do like it, but why always those mudflaps ?
The Essex Roadsters had a big X on their cars, which was the result of some good thinking: the XPower "X" and the "X" as a 10. Very nice idea !!
MGTF in Trophy Yellow with a nice background
Always popular, the TF in Starlight Silver.

Must have been a Special Edition in a previous life. Look at the impressive alloys and the many chrome/alloy parts added to the cars interior and exterior.
Yellow callipers: not my cup of tea, especially in combination with the 15" square spoke alloys, which look too small allready.

Must be one of my favourits: Monogramed Bittersweet MY2005 MGTF. Mid console has been colourcoded as well and the rear light units are from XParts. Keep up the good work Sharky !!
Another Monogram color (Gulfstream) ??
In the 'Cars on the Web' section, this car from mgfsoo.com.
. . . and the car from Bruno, representing the Belgian/Dutch forum at mgf.be
Our Nightfire Red MGF at 'Cars on the Web', off course on display for the English Fantasy.
My favourite color: Monogram Sunspot Yellow

Another Monogram color: Celestial

Very nice idea to keep the rear spoiler in dark blue, as it matches the softtop really well.

Again one from the Essex Roadster's group. The look of this TF and the idea behind this car is growing on me and I must admit that I kind of like it. It's getting very sporty and racing and that's good.

MGTF LE 80th Aniversary Edition's
It's probably just me, but I don't like these rear clusters. Anyway a volcano F with rear spoiler.
Talking about rear clusters, have you've seen this car: at the lefthand side the MGTF cluster, and at the righthand side the original MGF cluster.

IMHO better looking than Trophy Yellow. I've seen this car on many occasions and I really like it. Everything on the car looks right: check the headlight reflectors, good idea to have them yellow as well; check the rear lights, black looks just perfect overthere, ....

Another magazine featured MGF. This tuned MGF has NOS on board and has an interesting story in Total MG.

Well known from the mg-rover.org forum, Deano has one very nice TF. He was one of the very first ones to own the black/smoked rear clusters. They do look nice on his car.

We do know this car from last Silverstone. It has some good ideas, but I am not a big fan of all those silver painted bits. I must admit that the rear light clusters do look good on this car.

I guess this is a non-standard MGF color, however it is very special and kind of wicked.

I spotted these TF MY2005 cars. One of them is in Sonic Blue (light blue) while the other blue one is Ignition Blue. Both colors were only available on the MY2005 TF.

The red one must be Rio Red, which is also a new color for the TF.

Back to wheels, so check this out: chrome or polished cup wheels on a dark coloured car.
more wheels coming ...
... not bad if you like black/dark wheels
A TF with the very expensive ULW's

Another group coming from Belgium
Again those Lexus style lights, this time on a platinum silver MGF.

It's all chrome and alloy

Scarlet Fever, one of the most famous MGFs
MGH.... where the "H" stands for Honda

Trophy style front, Trophy - KH Splitter combination with integrated foggies. TF bootlid at the rear.
Grenadine interior; if I had a black TF I would have ordered it with ..... if, if, if....

Pre-production cars, or MGF's with a VIN number lower than 251. Both of them have been used in races/rally's.
Nicely styled MGF, Trophy style... but there's so much more: the badge at the side of the car says it all: "V6". That's right, this is the first MGF with a Rover KV6 fitted behind the seats.
Rob Bell, head of the MGF Register welcomes designer Gerry McGovern, who will be putting autographs on everything you think of.
Andrew Phillips busy duing his lecture about the most common faults with an F.
MG TF Spark Edition
MG TF in XPower Grey
3 or 4 MGFs at the show were in Sienna Gold
The F from Mike Satur, with different wheels at the front and the rear.
We know this car as well . . .
Again one from Essex
MGF Wedgewood Special Edition with a white hardtop.
MGF Wedgewood Special Edition without a hardtop
Red MGF
Red MkII MGF with Remus exhaust and .... from Danmark
Don't know if I have seen another white TF, but this one is from Art.
MGF with SP/Miltek Super Turismo exhaust and hardtop with Union Jack.
Just a nice picture of a nice red MGF
Interior of a Cup Car.

Couldn't resist to have these pictures online to.
Anyone knows this exhaust ?
Anyone knows this spoiler ?

 

 

Driving back to Folkestone where we take the train to the continent.

At this point, the only thing I need to say is: "Thank you, it was a huge and very special event I didn't want to miss. Unfortunatly there was so much planned for today, that I needed to chose between watching cars and following some interesting lectures".