There's nothing wrong with taking the news that the MG will be built in
the US with a grain of salt, or something like that. After all, it's not
reality until the assembly line's working and finished cars are rolling
off the end of it into nice dealerships where people are waiting to buy
them.
Just because younger people don't know about MG's doesn't mean that they
always won't, nor does it mean that they're disinterested in such
things. But there may be a perception in younger demographics that MG's
and similar cars are "old people cars," as the majority of them seem to
be driven by people with more than a few gray hairs up on top, if
there's hair there at all. I'm 32, and am the youngest regular attendee
other than my 31-year old spouse at our monthy car club meetings. The
other members range in age from a few years older than me, to people
with older children at home or in college, to those who have stories
about grandchildren, and maybe even a couple of great-grandchildren. The
MG brand might lack a certain type of hip cachet that the right car at
the right time at the right price could cure.
However, acceptance of the marque must come from both sides. In my time
of being involved with British car clubs, I've noticed quite a bit of
bigotry toward people who drive cars like the new MINI. Some of them
believe this way because the brand is German-owned, even though the car
is built in a British factory. The bigotry seems almost non-exisitant
when speaking of cars like the Caterham 7 and their ilk, even though
many of them are built entirely in South Africa. I find this to be an
incredibly inconsistent and close-minded approach, and it does nothing
good for the future of our hobby. If British car club people look down
their noses at the new MG's and their owners just because the company is
Chinese-owned and some of the cars are built in the US, then the
"hipness divide" could grow wider and the future of our hobby could be
even more in question. I'd also be willing to think that a lack of
acceptance of the cars could have a big negative effect on their sale
and presence in the US.
Just some things to think about in the first stages of something that
could be a very exciting addition to the automotive landscape. Hopefully
it makes sense.
Thank you,
--
William T. Killeffer
wkilleffer@comcast.net
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