Thanks Robin for the concise history of MG clubs and their development in
the United States.
I wonder where the MG F will fit in? Will it be welcome into existing clubs
or will the new owners be forced to start new clubs.
As I understand it Rover have acknowledged the marketing advantage of the
club network and have gone to great lengths in the UK - as they will also
in Australia, when the car is released later this year - to promote the new
model to and through the MG car clubs.
It will be interesting to see if Rover seeks to limit the use of their MG
logo if they perceive the existing ad-hoc method of club establishment to
be working against their overall marketing strategy.
Martyn Wise, head of Rover Group's Trademark Division, is quoted in the
November 1996 issue of MG Enthusiast Magazine as saying:
"I am sorry that some of the more honest traders (who use the MG logo)
are being made to suffer but if people are prepared to co-operate with
us then they have nothing to fear.
"We do not wish to destroy an industry which does an excellent job in
serving the interests of people who own and run classic MG's, we merely
want to see the MG name used in teh proper manner."
The MG trademarked logo, after years of neglect and apparent unconcern, is
now seen as a valuable corporate asset of Rover, in protection of which
they are now going to considerable effort to protect.
Paul
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