MG: A 100 OUT OF 100

As the British carmaker turns 100, we take a look at its journey

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To many new car buyers, MG might not look a hundred years old, especially if all they've seen are the modern MG cars. From the ZS EV to the Astor, the Gloster to the Hector, and even including the pint-sized Comet in the mix, not one of these appears to have been burdened with unnecessary throwbacks to the past. These, modern cars made for the modern customer, showcase one thing that has defined MG quite well, and that is dynamism. Not just in the way the MGs of the past drove but also in how the new ones adapted to the changing needs of the car buyer. As MG turns 100, we think it'd be a nice occasion to revisit the brand's past, and present, and even get a glimpse of the future.

It all started in the early 1920s when William Morris's recently appointed general manager began giving existing Morris Garages bespoke bodywork. One prototype led to the other, and before you knew it, the brand was selling Kimber Specials. Why Kimber Specials, you may wonder? That's because the gentleman behind all of this was a certain Cecil Kimber.

An engineer by education, Kimber was keen to push the boundaries, and it showed in his creations. Customers loved these, and unsurprisingly, the demand kept rising — and so did the number of now-MG-badged products. Unfortunately, not too long after that, Kimber passed away in a train accident. What he left behind was a car company ready to take on anything, no matter how gargantuan the task at hand might seem.