EXPRESS delivery: 2 seater MG (van) returns to maker

[HMC]

These MG Rover curiosities have long been on my radar. I'd love to have been at a board meeting where the case to build these was put. I suppose development costs were nill as the base vehicle ( Rover commerce) and all the running gear ( mg ZR) already existed. Maybe the boys on the night shift had been on the old speckled hen as the build data for this and the few other examples Ive got build data on all show as rolling off the assembly line in the wee small hours. At any rate, only just over 300 were made, this being the 167th out of longbridge.....

[Cavcraft]

You have just won this web site.

[FakeConcern]

Funny, I just saw one of these yesterday. It was red with matt black front wings and yellow bonnet. Nice buy!

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Will definitely buy tickets for this!

 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

[Guest Breadvan72]

Were they tapping in to the mystifying Barry hatchback as van scene?  

[Six-cylinder]

These MG Rover curiosities have long been on my radar. I'd love to have been at a board meeting where the case to build these was put. I suppose development costs were nill as the base vehicle ( Rover commerce) and all the running gear ( mg ZR) already existed. Maybe the boys on the night shift had been on the old speckled hen as the build data for this and a couple of other examples all show as rolling off the assembly line in the wee small hours. At any rate, only just over 300 were made, this being the 157th out of longbridge.....

I buy a ZR, you buy one with the side windows and rear seats missing and yet you have won!

[Lacquer Peel]

Great for Ireland? They love cars dressed up as commercial vehicles there due to punitive taxes on passenger cars with decent engines.

 

This is CLASS.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

CLASS, what engine is in it? I sold my Rover Commerce to a lad on here (Des), AFAIK he's still got it.

[500tops]

This just sold on the 'bay

 

http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemDescV4&item=182447678849&category=29757&pm=1&ds=0&t=1487361335730

[UltraWomble]

Ive just unliked your post...

So I can like it again.

 

One like is just not enough.

[Isaac Hunt]

Great, I took the rear seats out of a ZR the other day so I could use it as a small van.  Yours has the bonus of not having the seat fixing in the middle of the floor and I assume some other 'trim shite' in the way.

 

Great find

[trigger]

Christ, that is a bloody good looking van, i just love that colour too "Britishman".

[155V6]

Very nice,shame it's not a 160 petrol though 

 

Funny how they have no ZR badges,I've always wanted to get a Renault Express badge for mine,a Talbot Express badge is too big.

[Noel Tidybeard]

maybe someone saw an Fiesta XRV and thought "we can do better than that"

[surprisingskoda]

I've come across those before but never one in prizewinner Blue. I think I'd quite like one as a runabout for work at some point. Must keep an eye out.

[17-Coffees]

LOVE THESE!

 

Knew they were rare, but never know only 300 or so were made! A big shame considering how at the local scrappy a few years ago there was 2 at the same time! :/ 

[Lacquer Peel]

CLASS, what engine is in it? I sold my Rover Commerce to a lad on here (Des), AFAIK he's still got it.

 

 

[HMC]

Took my less common 2 seater MG to the pride of Longbridge.

 

I arrived late last night and made a refective visit to the factory gates by moonlight. Car assembly ceased at the site late last year.

 

(spoiler- mentallist alert) I also had hatched a plan to try and buy the former pre production/development hack/saic factory fire patrol Rover 75 that was last MOTd in 2010 and had been left abandoned on the perimeter of the site. The gates were open and I fell into conversation with site security. They, I suspect are well used to nut job enthusiasts like myself. It had latterly been their own car and had got into quite bad shape. Sadly, although untill recently it had sat derelict, it and a number of other vehicles from the MG rover era, the final remains, had been crushed. This fits in with other similar reports from february this year.

 

 

I made may way back to my accommodation. Part of the redevelopment of the old factory site.

 

My Premier inn and the adjacent poundland had previously been the site of the machine shop for the O series engine. I mused on this whlist nursing a beer. Theres a common ancestry with the L series diesel in the MG van and the T series turbo in my vitesse; The O series was the starting point for the perkins prima which became, in a triggers broom style fashion the L series. Similarly the T series turbo has lineage through the M series that debuted in the mk1 800 back to the O series. Anywhoo. Had a nice day wandering around the field of broken dreams and all in all had a great day out. This MG van flies as it basically is a stripped out mg zr hatch with said L series diesel providing loads of lazy torque. Very addictive!

[holbeck]

 

My Premier inn and the adjacent poundland had previously been the site of the machine shop for the O series engine. I mused on this whlist nursing a beer. Theres a common ancestry with the L series diesel in the MG van and the T series turbo in my vitesse; The O series was the starting point for the perkins prima which became, in a triggers broom style fashion the L series. Similarly the T series turbo has lineage through the M series that debuted in the mk1 800 back to the O series. Anywhoo. Had a nice day wandering around the field of broken dreams and all in all had a great day out. This MG van flies as it basically is a stripped out mg zr hatch with said L series diesel providing loads of lazy torque. Very addictive!

 

Putting my anorak firmly on.....

 

The O series starting point was the crankshaft from the B series engine. New machinery to make the 1800 B crank was expensively installed at Longbridge in the early 70's and it was decreed that the money could not be wasted. So, the O used this item (although machined up slightly differently).

 

Lindsay Porter wrote a great article called "The story of "O" about the development of the engine in one of the '80's car mags.

 

I love all that sort of stuff.

[Lacquer Peel]

Longbridge today brings a tear to a glass eye. I love the MG Express especially with Rover's best modern engine fitted.

[155V6]

Lovely looking Express,even if it does have the wrong engine   .Now the weather's getting better,I'm trying to get on with getting my Express 160 back on the road after I crashed it last year.I've already taken the front bumper off & pulled out the radiator mounting panel,today I pulled the rear beam out of the donor car.

[Six-cylinder]

You missed my ZR and for me these were the highlight of the day.

[RobT]

This event gets bigger every year, and there's always some interesting oddities turn up. One of my favourites today was an Austin Apache which made me do a massive double-take. Only two 600s turned up, which made them appear rare against a sea of 75s.

 

The Metro did the 300 miles today without complaint, even if it did take 4 hours each way. Been a long day, but a good one.

[trigger]

I really fancied doing this event in the 600 this year but the thought of taking a car thats been in a barn for 2 years until Friday all the way to Birmingham and back might have been pushing my luck somewhat.

[Six-cylinder]

I really fancied doing this event in the 600 this year but the thought of taking a car thats been in a barn for 2 years until Friday all the way to Birmingham and back might have been pushing my luck somewhat.

You should have just done it and given the AA a job if need be!

[Pillock]

Saw a couple of cruises towards Longbridge, plenty of chod... I mean "fine British vehicles". I was headed the other direction towards Worcester way.

 

Bonus points to the guy in the TF who was properly hooning it down the A46, looked like he'd been left behind and was trying to catch up as he was 5 minutes behind a long line of MGs. He'd mistakenly* put the PoL plaque things over both his front and rear numberplates.

 

Sent from my VIE-L09 using Tapatalk