Month: June 2011

Active between 1960 and 1964, ADO34 was a project to develop a Mini-based roadster, which would logically have replaced the MG Midget and Austin-Healey Sprite. Different versions were put forward […]

The sporting version of the Imp looks as promising today as it did back during the 1960s. A lack of money would spell its end… Rootes’ engineers knew that the […]

Rootes’ bouncing new baby The Slug The Slug was the brainchild Michael Parkes and Tim Fry, when they were asked to come up with a small car to generate sales […]

MGR’s Land Rover rival? IT’S fairly common knowledge within the industry that, when BMW and Rover cut their ties in 2000, there a certain number of conditions were imposed about […]

Coupe rennaissance THIS was the car that Rover fans have been waiting for since the launch of the 75 in the autumn of 1998. The coupe version of what has […]

XPowered MGF launched at Le Mans 2001, the MG XPower TF500 demonstrated that there was a fighting spirit at MG Rover; one that wanted to show the world that the […]

The Hillman Imp came about as a direct response to the Suez-crisis induced petrol shortages of 1956/57, even though Rootes had started small car investigations long before this. The first […]

It lives on: MGR’s secret Rover facelift The farce that was the arrival of the 2004 facelifts of the Rover 25/MG ZR, 45/ZS and 75/ZT will probably haunt anyone who […]

Predicting the future – 25 years too early Suggest buying a Toyota Prius and people will smile then nod approvingly. It’s cool to be seen to be doing your bit for […]

The final remix As the RDX60 had been in development (in terms of styling) between 2000 and 2004, it came as no surprise that MG Rover had come under pressure […]

RDX60 timeline Images of the RDX60 project, and its evolution from 75-based mule to a range of saloon and hatchbacks for the Chinese market, presented to SAIC around Easter 2005… […]

The Tourer Concept Vehicle In the months following the formation of MG Rover in May 2000, many changes were quickly put in place that affected the make-up of the product […]

Coupe de grace Hot on the heels of the MG EX-E, the Rover CCV (Coupé Concept Vehicle) made its debut at the Geneva motor show of 1986. Unlike the MG, […]

New age Landie FOR all those who thought that the only Specialist Division prototypes produced were the SD1 and SD2, here’s something of a treat for you. During the early […]

Zagato Better known for their work for marques such as Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Aston Martin and Bristol, Zagato only ever produced a handful of prototypes based on BMC/BLMC models. In […]

Pininfarina A common theme running through the reasons why various Pininfarina proposals were not adopted by BLMC was the thorny issue of production costs. Whatever the other merits of their […]

Michelotti Michelotti’s long standing association with Triumph started in 1956 when, during the development of their new small car (at the time, known as Zobo), they were approached by a […]

Italsuisse Unveiled at the 1966 Geneva Motorshow, the Italsuisse Jaguar E-Type was aimed at the customer who wanted an E-Type, but craved more exclusivity. The results were a mixed success… […]

Frua Unveiled at the 1966 Geneva Motorshow, the Frua Jaguar 3.8 S-Type was an attempt to give the British sports saloon a touch of continental elegance – Jaguar-like, it was […]

The AR6-based MG Midget During the Mid-1980s, Roy Axe spearheaded the revival of the MG marque, by producing concepts wearing the revered octagonal badge. The idea was to produce interesting, […]

The one that got away THE AR6 running prototype was spotted at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon in 2007 looking a little bedraggled, but still very much in one […]