1961-2002: MG TF, MG Metro Turbo and MG Midget
MG Midget 1961-79
Number produced: 224,843 Price new/now: £1,560/£2,000 Engine: 1.5-litre 4cyl, 65bhp 0-60mph/top speed: 12.3 secs/101mph
Despite its dinky dimensions, the MG Midget was a sales smash. Designed as an affordable entry-level model, the tiny two-seater combined eager performance, agile handling and wind-in-the-hair thrills with a low price and penny-pinching running costs.
The original launched in 1961, and was essentially a rebadged version of the Austin Healey Sprite. That meant a tiny 948cc four-cylinder engine, with 45bhp, a simple rear-wheel-drive layout and no-frills cabin – even a heater was an extra cost option.
A year after the launch, MG enlarged the engine to 1.1 litres and added disc brakes, while in 1966 the Midget got a detuned 65bhp version of the 1.3-litre A-Series engine from the Mini Cooper S.
The car then carried on virtually unchanged until 1974, when tough crash test regulations forced the company to carry out a major facelift. Engineers had to raise the low-slung ride height, while the dainty chrome bumpers were replaced by chunky black plastic items. Plus, under the bonnet, a new 1.5-litre engine was grafted in from the Triumph Spitfire.
This breathless engine was designed to meet strict US anti-pollution legislation. It was no more powerful than the old A-Series, but had more torque, and when combined with the 805kg kerbweight, it meant the car was nearly as fast as the bigger and more expensive MGB.
More reviews
Car group tests
- Abarth Punto vs Corsa SRi
- Mercedes GLA vs Alfa Romeo Tonale 2024 twin test: premium plug-in hybrids go head-to-head
- Alpina XD3 Biturbo vs Porsche Macan S Diesel
- The best long-term car tests 2022
- Ariel Nomad
- Volkswagen Touareg vs Audi Q8: an SUV sibling rivalry
- Range Rover vs Bentley Bentayga: 2022 twin test review
- BMW 128ti vs Volkswagen Golf GTI: understated hot hatches have plenty of used appeal
- Morgan Plus Four vs BMW Z4: retro-modern roadster battle
- BMW iX2 vs Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron: premium electric SUVs fight for glory
In-depth reviews
- Abarth 600e review
- Abarth 124 Spider review
- Abarth Punto (2008-2015)
- Alfa Romeo Tonale review
- Alfa Romeo Stelvio review
Long-term tests
- Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV long-term test: things are looking bright thanks to our stylish SUV
- Alpine A110 GT: long term test
- BYD Dolphin Design long-term test: compact EV is a near-perfect family runaround
- DS 4 E-Tense 225: long-term test review
- Fiat 500: long-term test review
- Genesis GV60 Premium long-term test: posh EV impresses with incredible economy
- Genesis Electrified GV70 long-term test: great for a family road trip
- Jaguar F-Pace PHEV: long-term test review
- Jeep Avenger Summit long-term test: a good all-round electric SUV
- SsangYong Korando Ultimate: long-term test review
Road tests
- New AC Cobra 378 Superblower 2021 review
- New AC Cobra 378 review
- New Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2023 review
- New Alfa Romeo Giulia 2023 review
- New Alpina B3 Touring 2023 review
- Alpine A110 R 2024 review: almost the perfect sports car
- New Alpine A110 S 2022 review
- New Alpine A110 Legende GT 2021 review
- New Aston Martin DBX707 2024 review: updated interior transforms Aston’s super-SUV
- New Aston Martin Vantage 2024 review: Britain's answer to the Porsche 911 Turbo
Used car tests
- Used Alpine A110 (2017-date) review
- Used Audi A6 (Mk5, 2018-date) buyer’s guide: classy exec is a great family car
- Used Bentley Continental GT (Mk3, 2018-date) review
- Used Cupra Formentor (Mk1, 2020-date) buyer's guide: stylish and family-friendly
- Used Dacia Sandero (Mk3, 2020-date) review: all the essentials at a low price
- Used Ford Mustang Mach-E (Mk1, 2020-date) buyer's guide: a sporty EV with decent range
- Used Honda Jazz (MK4, 2020-date) review: a reliable supermini with plenty of space
- Used Honda e (Mk1, 2020-2024) review: limited range, but a desirable city EV
- Used Hyundai i20 (Mk3, 2020-date) review: a classy and appealing supermini?
- Used SsangYong Rexton (Mk2, 2017-date) review
Climb behind the wheel and you’ll find there’s a surprising amount of space. The Midget is also good to drive, with decent feedback from the steering and a precise gearshift. And although outright performance is modest, the compact dimensions mean it’s easy to keep your speed up in this car, especially on tight and twisty roads. In fact, after a few miles you can see why nearly 250,000 Midgets rolled out of the factory before production ended in 1979.
MG Metro 1982-90
Number produced: 142,165 Price new/now: £4,799/£2,500 Engine: 1.3-litre 4cyl, 72bhp (in 1300; Turbo had 93bhp) 0-60mph/top speed: 9.9 seconds/112mph (Turbo)
With the demise of the MGB and Midget at the end of the seventies and the closure of MG’s Abingdon plant in 1980, the brand needed reviving. The rise of the hot hatch gave Austin Rover the perfect excuse to indulge in badge engineering for its Metro, Maestro and Montego.
The first model to arrive was the MG Metro 1300. It used a tuned 1,275cc A-Series engine from the original Mini, and while it wasn’t the fastest hot hatch around, it stood out with racy stripes and alloys, plus it had servo-assisted four-piston front brakes as standard.
Six months after the 1300 was launched, the Metro Turbo arrived. It added a Garrett turbocharger, while Lotus worked its magic to produce a heady 93bhp – pretty good for an engine that could trace its roots all the way back to 1951!
Unfortunately, the four-speed box was just as ancient, and couldn’t handle all this power, so a special air intake tweak regulated turbo boost. Keep below 3,000rpm, and there’s light turbo pressure, with full boost only coming in above 4,000rpm, although by today’s standards the only sensation you get of acceleration is a whoosh from the turbo.
Gearbox failures were still common, while the Metro was plagued by rust. Plus, Mini owners cannibalised the turbo engine for their own cars – so the Metro Turbo is now far rarer than the sports cars that preceded it, with only around 20 still registered in the UK.
MGF 1995-2002
Number produced: 77,269 Price new/now: £17,540/£2,000 Engines: 1.6-litre 4cyl, 111bhp; 1.8-litre 4cyl, 158bhp 0-60mph: 9.7 secs; 6.9 secs Top speed: 115mph; 137mph
By the early nineties, Austin had become Rover, and bosses had ditched MG performance versions of the company’s hatchbacks to concentrate on developing the new models they hoped would revive its fortunes. But they’d seen the popularity of the Mazda MX-5 roadster – itself inspired by the MGB – and decided that a new MG-badged two-seater sports car was needed.
The MGB-based RV8 had been an interim solution while this all-new model was readied. And when the wraps came off the MGF late in 1995, it caused a major stir: not only was it the first all-new MG since the MGB, but it was also the first car from the brand to have a mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout.
Rounded styling meant it was impossible to mistake the MGF for anything other than an MG, while Rover’s revolutionary K Series engine gave the car enough power to compete with the MX-5. That mid-engined layout delivered entertaining handling, too, although the Hydragas suspension – derived from the set-up in the Metro – was ditched when the first facelift came around.
The MGF, and the TF that followed, continued in production throughout MG Rover’s turbulent life, until the company’s demise in 2005. Then, in 2008, the TF returned as the first UK model from Chinese-owned MG Motors. By then, the car was a generation behind its rivals, but it was the start of a new era for MG in the UK.