MG Motor UK’s parent company, SAIC Motor, ended 2011 with an incredible performance while MG in Britain started 2012 with a record surge in sales.

SAIC Motor became the first automotive company in China to see annual sales top the 4 million mark. This firmly underpins SAIC as the No 1 vehicle manufacturer in China.
The record 4.01 million sales last year was a 12 per cent increase on SAIC Motor’s 2010 figures and are set against the background of a slowdown in the Chinese market. However, China still remains the largest car market in the world.

Meanwhile MG Motor UK started 2012 with 107 sales in January, the best January performance since the company was formed in 2009.

With 20 driver registrations logged by the end of January the MGCC’s MG Trophy Championship is targeting 30 entries before the start of the season.

Trophy co-ordinator Pete Macwaters said “To have 20 on board before the end of January is a record especially considering the tricky financial climate that’s still with us” Asked what he thought had brought about this good start to the season Macwaters said “I think it’s down to two things, one we offered a small discount to drivers who got their registrations in by the end of January and two, I’d like to think it’s also due to the groundwork I’ve put in to attract new drivers”. “ If I can get 30 drivers signed up before the start in April I’ll be home and dry”.

MG’s return to top-flight motorsport has been confirmed with the unveiling of the new MG KX Momentum team, led by double-champion Jason Plato.
 

Report by Adam Sloman.  Photographs: Adam Sloman/MG/Pegasus Photographic

At last it is official – in 2012, MG will return to top flight motorsport with a dream team in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). Two times BTCC champion Jason Plato – the 44 year old Fifth Gear television host and record race winner – will be joined by Andy Neate in a pair of MG6 GTs prepared by Triple 8 Race Engineering. The three year programme also sees MG link up with Tesco Momentum 99 fuel and the supermarket’s KX energy drink.

Triple 8 are one of the most successful constructors in BTCC history, having enjoyed success most recently running championship-winning Vauxhall Vectras under the VXR Racing banner. Jason and Andy both share an affection for the MG brand, with Jason currently driving a 6GT road car, while Andy has owned both a BGT and an MGF – though he recalls spending more time trying to fix the BGT than actually driving it!

Well, they made it... After 14,000 kilometres of driving through 26 countries and touching three continents, participants on the Endurance Rally Association’s London-Cape Town Rally finally roared, limped or otherwise rolled into the Table Bay Hotel in South Africa. It was an emotional moment for all concerned and amazingly, after all that they had endured, just 38 seconds separated the winning team of Steve Blunt and Bob Duck in a non-turbo 2006 Subaru Impreza from Andy Actman and Andy Elcomb’s Toyota Hilux in second. The top historic entrant, Joost Van Cauwenberge and Jacques Castelein’s 1973 Porsche 911, was third.

Dave Tomlin and Nicholas Adcock claimed fourth overall in a 2003 Land Rover Defender TD5, with Owen Turner and Matthew Fowle leading the MGs home in a superb 5th overall and 1st in class (Class B for cars under 1600cc) in their ZR. Class B was, in fact, populated solely by MGs. The Maestro of Jane Edgington and Gillian Cotton – probably the lowest-powered car in the rally and yet rarely out of the top ten – came home in 8th overall/2nd in class, also winning the Coupe des Dames for the top all-girl crew. There were also heroic performances from Paul and Diane Unwin in their ZR finishing 27th overall/3rd in class, closely followed by the Rachel Vestey/Suzy Harvey ZR in 28th/4th in class, not to mention a fine class win for Tim Wheatley and Dominic Manser, who beat the Peugeot 205 home in Class A for cars under 1400cc and finished 30th overall.