Maker record
MG
MG is a British automobile marque associated with Morris Garages. Early MGs were sporting cars based on standard Morris chassis, fitted with special coachwork; the British Motor Museum identifies a 1925 MG special as the first MG built specifically for motorsport. Its collection record places that car in Oxford and describes its modified overhead-valve engine. The marque became known for sports cars, including the T-Series and MGB, though this record concerns the car maker rather than a toy or model manufacturer.
- Founded
- 1924
- Locations
- Oxford · 1925
- Founders
- Cecil Kimber
The story of MG
MG cars were advertised under those initials by 1923, according to the British Motor Museum. Early examples used standard Morris chassis with special coachwork. A one-off MG special for Cecil Kimber, manager of Morris Garages in Oxford, was completed in March 1925. The museum describes it as the first MG built specifically for motorsport, while noting that it was not the first MG overall. Its 1,496 cc engine was an overhead-valve version of the side-valve Hotchkiss engine used in the Bullnose Morris. Kimber entered the car in the Land’s End Trial in April 1925 and won a Gold Medal.
The car, later traditionally known as “Old Number One,” was sold by Kimber after the trial and passed through several owners. MG bought it back in 1932. The museum identifies Morris Garages Ltd. as its manufacturer. The available collection record supports this early history, but does not document the later model ranges or ownership changes described in the previous text.