MGF Prototypes : First and last
March 26, 2011
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Keith Adams · 
14 Comments
Keith Adams
MG PR3 prototype - this became the F we know and love
It was strange seeing MGF prototypes PR1, PR2 and PR3 for the very first time on a recent visit to Longbridge. I had seen them in the pages of David Knowles’ excellent MGF and TF book as well as on the pages of this very website but had never really appreciated the huge differences between the three cars nor, indeed, how prescient – nay brave – Rover’s management was for plumping for the mid-engined car over the more obvious choices available at the time.
My first thought, on seeing the three cars, was just how the front-engined FWD M16-powered car seemed the obvious one to go for – especially given the critical (if not sales) success of the M100 generation Lotus Elan. PR1 certainly looks conceptually similar to the Elan and would probably have been a damned sight more muscular thanks to the M16-Series engine under its bonnet (see image in the Gallery below).
The RWD PR2 looks the most anachronistic of the PR trio, even if it would have delivered the most thrills for old-school drift-loving drivers. However, in the era of the Mazda MX-5, this would have probably brought little new to the table and may well have suffered in comparison, unless it had a V8 under the bonnet – and then it wouldn’t have been the affordable sports car the company was looking for.
The mid-engined car, PR3, initially to me anyway, looks the least desirable. It’s tiny and almost toy-like compared with the other cars - it looks like a bit of a pudding basin – and yet it was chosen for production. That suggests to me that this was a decision made on two overriding factors – potential parts commonality with the R6 Metro and its sheer dynamic brilliance (it must have been to seduce the bosses out of the RWD car).
However, they made the right choice – especially once Steve Harper re-packaged the F16-based concept into something you’d actually want to see on your drive. Would you have made the same choice?
I also had a quick look around the TF Coupe concept, first shown in 2004, and am amazed to see how well it’s stood the test of time. That car would still appeal as a latter-day MGB GT replacement (in terms of evolution, it’s much the same thing – a coupe based on a roadster). Indeed, considering the TF Coupe’s styling genesis looks something like this:
Gerry McGovern (original F16)
Steve Harper (production and packaging PR3)
Gerry McGovern (to MGF with the front and rear lights)
Peter Stevens (to TF)
Peter Stevens (Coupe treatment)
…it’s amazing how well it looks today. I want one.
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- MG PR prototype - this became the F we know and love
MG PR prototype - this became the F we know and love
[Editor's Note: Our apologies for the poor photography – put that down to poor light conditions, no tripod and the sheer surprise factor of seeing these cars. We will take a proper set of pictures in the near future.]
Related posts:
- Concepts and prototypes : Triumph Fury
- Hillman Imp : The prototypes
- Concepts and prototypes : Roewe 550
- Concepts and prototypes : Metro saloon
- Concepts and prototypes : LDV 201
14 Responses
It’s really good to see that MG Motor UK still has these.
Was the TF Coupe a runner and was it fitted with the KV6 engine?
I hope these cars get some TLC soon – I’d love to see them at a car show or in a museum one day.
I like these pictures, although it’s a shame to see these cars so full of mould – especially the one with the R8 dash as it’s so far gone. Were these runners or just static prototypes? It would, as Simon has said, be nice to see them cleaned up and doing the rounds at shows – if possible, under their own power.
The TF Coupe is as pictured in the motoring press here in the US. That’s the model which was supposed to be built at a facility in Oklahoma – a story that I didn’t believe even in 2005.
The evident filth of the interiors and use of off-the-shelf parts would suggest to me that each ran. They’re cute but, while I’m a sucker for pop-up headlights, the final version was better.
A quick check of David Knowles’ excellent MGF and TF book (Chapter 2, Page 45) confirms that PR1, PR2 and PR3 were all built as running prototypes so, if they are each still intact, MG Motor UK or some other custodian of the cars should be able to restore them to that condition – inclination and resources permitting.
Where should these cars end up? Well, having spent a day at Gaydon yesterday, a whole stand dedicated to these evolutionary models would sit well – someone please ensure they find a safe and secure home! Some TLC and they’ll be real crowd pleasers. It was interesting to see Monstro and R8 dashboards in these prototypes.
The mould on the trim isn’t hard to clean off. They’re only plastic trim and a wipe down with a rag and some Dettol gets rid of it in seconds. A quick going over with a Vax would sort the seats out. It’s when you actually get green moss and algae on them that they’re really knackered.
They should have gone with the FWD car…
I’m sorry if I’ve missed something, but I’m intrigued that MG Motor UK had an RDX60 there and on display.
On that showing, and with apologies for raking up the past, but I really like it. The RDX60 has a great stance at the back and an intriguing half-way-between-GM Europe-and-VW Golf feel to it. Had the RDX60 got to market and, if that was indeed the shape of the car chosen, I think it could have sold well.
@Silas Denyer
Actually, after I posted, I thought the same about the similarity to the Volkswagen Golf Mk4 around the rear panel.
I would love to know where these cars are and whether private viewings can be arranged if they are not on public display.
@Julian Mildren
Our apologies if the above article did not make the location of the MGF PR1, PR2 and PR3 prototypes clear. All three cars are at MG Birmingham (formerly Longbridge) and are not, in so far as we at AROnline are aware, currently available for either public or private viewing.
What other prototypes and design concepts does MG Motor UK Limited still have at Longbridge, not to mention actual milestone cars? Does the company, for example, still have the 5 millionth Rover (a 75 saloon) and a 1978 SD1 3500 finished in Midas Gold? Does MG Motor UK Limited actually own all of these prototypes or have some been borrowed from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust?
Admittedly, there are few questions to answer here, but there are many enthusiasts out there who care about the long term preservation of these bygone era vehicles and would potentially like the opportunity to view them at some point.
Thanks, Clive.
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