Any MG enthusiast would remember the sad day on October 23, 1980, when the last MGB left the famed Abingdon site. Workers paraded outside the factory as the following day marked the closure of the factory that had been the home of the MG sports car since 1929.
Thankfully, the last MGB didn’t mean the end of MG itself as it lived on. However, being part of British Leyland, new MGs had a decided Rover and Austin hue about them. The 1980s was the time of the MG Metro, Maestro and Montego, which were all rebadged Austins, albeit with a slightly more powerful engine and sporting trim.
During the mid-1980s British Leyland was reformed into the Rover Group and it, along with MG itself, became part of British Aerospace in 1988 and then BMW in 1994. However, beforehand the MG sports car was revived with the release of the MG RV8 in 1992, which in essence was a revamped MGB powered by the Rover 3.5-liter all-alloy V8.
Just prior to the BMW takeover, MG was developing a new sports car that was to be the first all-new MG since the MGB was released in 1962. The 1995 Geneva Motor Show was chosen as the time for the public to see the MG F with its all-new body and chassis, mid-engine configuration, Hydragas suspension, electric assisted power steering along with all the accoutrements expected from a new car of the period. Powered by a transverse, mid-mounted Rover K-series, 16-valve, four-cylinder engine of 1.8 liters, depending on its state of tune, the K-series would develop 118 bhp or 143 bhp, with the more powerful engines equipped with variable valve control. This same engine was also fitted to the Lotus Elise.
Unfortunately, under the control of BMW, apart from the introduction of a new six-speed sequential gearbox in 1999, the MG F received very little in the way of development. Despite this, from its release through to the end of 2001, more than 77,000 were built.
Ten Quid
Despite such positive sales, it wasn’t a rosy picture, as Rover was haemorrhaging badly with storage fields of unsold vehicles. In May 2000, MG and Rover were purchased by the Phoenix Consortium for the sum of ten quid (£10)! Passing also from BMW were the unsold cars and debt to the tune of millions of pounds. The name of this new company was the MG Rover Group.
Under new management, sales leaped ahead not only for Rover cars, but MGs as well. Alongside new Rover models there were also new MGs, based on Rover counterparts. In 2002, the MG F also received a complete makeover that not only included alterations to the bodywork, but some significant engineering changes as well. Gone was the Hydrogas suspension, replaced by coilover shocks at the front and a very
sophisticated multi-link arrangement at the rear. The floorpan was also significantly strengthened to improve torsional stiffness, plus power was increased by the use of new camshafts.
While there were certainly styling similarities, this was a new car and deserved a new name, thus the MG TF. Yes, eyebrows were raised with the selection of the new name, but it showed the recognition by MG’s new owners, of the marque’s historical importance in the automotive world. Besides you could not give any car the model name of MG G, could you?
The MG TF was produced by the MG Rover Group through to 2005 in myriad variations that included differing but higher power outputs, interior trim levels and paint finishes. With just under 42,000 produced, sales were good for the MG TF. However, the writing was on the wall for the MG Rover Group, and in 2005 the company went into receivership, resulting in MG being purchased by the Nanjing Automobile Group for £53,000,000.
Two years later, under the Nanjing Automobile Group, but with MG engineers, production of the MG TF commenced in China for local consumption. In 2008, MG TFs were sent to the old Austin factory at Longbridge in CKD form for European delivery, but production temporarily ceased in 2009 due to low demand. Twelve months later further cars were made, but again low demand and a panning by critics for poor build quality and dated design meant the last was built in March 2011. In total, just 906 Nanjing MG TFs were assembled at Longbridge.
During its production life the MG TF was in competition with cars such as the Mazda MX-5 and BMW’s Z3. Contemporary reports indicated that it was more than a match for these rivals, but on occasion it was let down in the areas of build quality and reliability.
The MG TF was not sold in the U.S., but was widely available in the UK, Europe, Australia and Japan.
Anniversary Model
The MG TF was available in many model variants that were either determined by engine output, levels of trim and occasion. Our test car is a 2004 MG TF 80 Anniversary LE, which boils down to the model’s release was to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the MG marque.
Available in either Pearl Black, Starlight Silver or Goodwood Green, the Anniversary model was powered by Rover’s K-series 1.8-liter engine that, depending on state of tune, produced 115 bhp, 135 bhp or 160 bhp. Inside was a combination of complementary leather, red cloth and grenadine Alcantara along with a matching soft top. Our test car was in black with black leather, red cloth, Alcantara and a red soft top.
Performance from the Rover 1.8 engine fitted with the variable valve control was as expected—brisk, but not earth shattering. Surely this was in keeping with MGs of old, which had a tradition of fitting smaller capacity engines while still delivering reasonable power. The car was also fitted with a six-speed sequential transmission that could be left alone to operate like a normal automatic, or could be changed through the gears by actuating small ball-type paddles located just above the center arm of the steering wheel.
With a mix of urban and country driving under my belt I found the handling of the MG TF to be excellent, so much so that the handling of the car surpassed its performance. I understood the front suspension, but looked further at the rear. It consists of trailing arm pivots that form a forward extension of the rear subframe, forking at the rear to attach above and below the hub carrier. A maximum length link also runs from the base of the hub carrier to a pivot on the center of the subframe. There are also links comprising the upper suspension arm and lower steer-control link. A far cry from the semi-elliptics and solid axle of the original ’50s MG TF.
If there is one let down with the MG TF it is that it’s prone to head gasket failure. This is due to the location of the coolant thermostat on the intake side of the water pump. This can cause the cylinder head to overheat prior to the coolant flowing through the engine block allowing it to cool, thus causing differing rates of metal expansion. However, if a car has received proper servicing by someone who is competent there should not be a problem.
With its air conditioning, electric windows, sophisticated gearbox and so on, to drive the 2004 MG TF is to drive a relatively modern sports car and to compare it with MGs of old is just plain silly. Having said this I found it enjoyable to drive both around town and on the open road, plus it’s relatively inexpensive to run. You could say that the MG TF epitomized what the marque has stood for since Cecil Kimber assembled the very first MG. And yes, the top does come down with the undoing of just two clips.
Specifications
Production 2002 – 2005 Chassis/Body Unit Steel Wheelbase 93.31 inches/2,370 millimeters Length 155.63 inches/3,943 millimeters Width 71.1 inches/1,807 millimeters Front Track 55.3 inches/1,404 millimeters Rear Track 55.51 inches/1,410 millimeters Weight 3,064.43 pounds/1,390 kilograms Suspension (F) Ind. Coil spring over gas-filled shock located by double wishbones. (R) Multi-link. Coil spring over gas-filled shock. Engine Alloy Four-Cylinder Displacement 1,796 cc Bore x Stroke 80 x 89.3 mm Compression 10.5:1 Induction Multi-Point Fuel Injection Power 157bhp @ 5,500rpm Transmission 6-speed sequential automatic (with optional manual) Brakes Front and rear discs.
Performance
Top Speed 137 mph 0-60 mph 9.7 secs Average Fuel Consumption 37 mpg (imp)
Valuation
Varies significantly on location Excellent £6,000 Good £4,000 Average £2,000 Poor £1,000
