CELEBRATING THE MG 1300 MK. II

The 1969 Motor test of the MG 1300 Mk II was headlined “At last – real performance”, and in the previous year, Autocar found it “great fun to drive”. They also regarded it as “refined and gentlemanly and will serve equally well the enthusiast driver and his not so enthusiastic wife”. Such attitudes were far from uncommon in the late 1960s, as well as conjuring an image of Terry Scott donning a cheese-cutter cap and string back gloves.

But for £925 11s 8d, the buyer gained what was essentially a larger alternative to the Austin/Morris Mini Cooper S MK. II. Anyone who needed to trade in their Midget Mk. III, due to family commitments, would be impressed by the 97-mph top speed and the comfortable interior. One advertisement promised “the sort of punch you worship in traffic and love on the motorways”, and the MG 1300 Mk. II was indeed a sports saloon in the tradition of the octagon badge. And the fact that it debuted six years into the ADO16’s production run says a great deal about the internal chaos of the British Motor Corporation.

The original Morris 1100 made its bow on 15^th August 1962 (there will be a 60^th Anniversary Blog later this year), followed by the MG 1100 on 2^nd October. The latter featured a twin carburettor version of the 1,098cc engine, and both were also available in two-door form “for export only”. Next, 1963 saw the launch of the Austin 1100, which was identical to the Morris bar the dashboard, grille and badging, and the very attractive Vanden Plas Princess. Finally, BMC introduced the Wolseley and Riley 1100 in 1965; mechanically, they were identical to the MG but sported a more opulent cabin.

So far, so complicated, and in 1967 the Corporation offered the 1.3-litre version of the A-Series engine on the MG, Riley, VDP and Wolseley; they used “1275” badging. When the second-generation ADO16 appeared in the autumn of that year – as recognisable by their cropped fins – the Austin and Morris were also available with this engine. Unfortunately, the MG was slower than cheaper stablemates due to its extra weight. April of 1968 saw the MG only available in two-door 1300 form, and by June, there was extra power for a twin-carburettor unit. October 1968 saw the MG and Riley gain a 70bhp engine and improved transmission - the latter essentially serving as a four-door alternative to the former.

This may read like a plot from a Hitchcock film or a particularly elaborate Inside No. 9 story, but what is apparent is how BMC were too concerned with marque identities instead of product development. Had the MG 1300 Mk. II debuted in 1965 rather than 1968, it might have further enhanced ADO16’s sales and provided an alternative to the Triumph Herald 12/50. As it was, UK sales ended in 1971, although the manufacture of overseas market cars continued until 1973. Today the MG is rightly sought after - as befitting a car that was “the suavest small saloon in the world”.