Message below forwarded from a fellow MGF owner.....
From: "Caroline Woodley" <woodley@dpg.rnb.com>
Organization: Republic National Bank of New York
To: alan@picotech.co.uk
Date sent: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 14:41:31 +0000
Subject: Re: (Fwd) Re: MGF in US
Send reply to: woodley@dpg.rnb.com
Priority: normal
>I contend that they would be treated as totally separate animals,
<snip>
>On top of that, you don't even get the
>pleasure of viewing the engine in its entirety. Maintenance is
>conducted through a small slot behind the rear window, a la Porsche
>914.
It's worth saying that Rover created the F to bring a new generation
of people into sports car and MG ownership - although of course its
heritage was considered and built on, it was to be sold in the
highly-competitive 2-seater sports car market. It was thus intended
to be a totally new car in its own right and was designed as such.
Many potential MGF owners were not expected to have much knowledge of
the MG marque and were expected to choose what car to buy on the
basis of things like performance and handling rather than the
particular fact that it had an MG badge on it. That was certainly the
initial reason I chose to buy an MGF over the Mazda MX-5, anyway.
However, for many, including myself, interest in the MG heritage and
joining the clubs comes after buying the car, and that's where I've
found the greatest (and most pleasant!) difference from buying
something like the MX-5/Miata - so much so that I'm now involved in
the MG Car Club (I'm on the F Register committee). Unfortunately if
Rover's intended customers don't know anything about the clubs and
heritage to start with, or perhaps may not even be interested, then
they can't be expected to sell as many cars as they would like just
on the basis of the MG badge or obvious retro looks (yearly sales of
the MX-5 before the F's launch were - at least in England - quite a
bit less than the numbers that Rover wanted to sell). In a commercial
world car companies have to sell to a more general market - which
means keeping up with the latest styling trends as well as looking at
which overall engine/drive configuration gives the best performance,
with heritage taking a less important role. Hence the mid-engined
route and more 'modern' looks which seem to offend some MG purists
but which certainly have hit the mark amongst the 'general'
sports-car buying public judging by the length of the waiting list!
(6 months at the last count). If you then think how many of them will
join the MG Car Club or MG Owners Club and get keen on the marque
then what we have is a whole new generation of MG enthusiasts - who
no doubt will take one look at the MG-'Z' in future years and bemoan
that it looks ugly and modern and nothing like the real MGs such as
the MGF!!! ;-) ;-)
I'm not trying to berate the poster's opinion of the car's styling -
yes, it *is* modern and that was actually intentional - and as he
said it is a also a matter of personal taste (personally I do like it
- after all I bought a 1.8i and have a VVC on order!). I just thought
I should point out that the MGF was designed and styled as a
thoroughly up-to-date car which takes its heritage and looks forward
from it rather than as an attempt to resurrect any sort of 'golden
age'. In that sense I suppose it *is* a different animal - but one
that is still an MG nonetheless and which, I hope, defines a new
beginning in the marque's history.
Caroline.
Caroline Woodley
Financial Engineering Group
Republic National Bank of New York
30 Monument Street, London EC3R 8NB.
Tel: +44 171 860 3387
Fax: +44 171 860 3389
> From: Franky Obus <fobus@glo.be>
> To: "KILE_PAUL@aphub.aerojetpd.com"
><KILE_PAUL@aphub.aerojetpd.com>,
> "'David C Littlefield'" <dmeadow@juno.com>
> Cc: "mgs@autox.team.net" <mgs@autox.team.net>
> Subject: RE: MGF in US
> Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 10:20:33 +-100
> Reply-to: Franky Obus <fobus@glo.be>
> I have to disagree with Paul. For me the MGF is already a classic and is
>ready to attract a large number of MG enthusiasts from all over the world. The
>fact that the car is not being sold in the USA
> may not be to an influence in making up your opinion, which I can make out of
>your message. I have driven a VW Polo for the last 2 years, and while the MGF
>is as 'modern' like my VW Polo, it has muc
> more character and reminds me more of a MGB then it reminds me of a modern
>car. Last year only 112 MGF's were sold in Belgium, rather disappointing for
>Rover management, but may be related to the p
> ice. Here in Belgium you need about $33,000 for buying one, what was the only
>reason for me to hesitate to go out and buy one. As being a mid-engined car,
>the MGF will bring a lot of driving pleasur
> . Maintenance of the engine is not easy, but I am not expecting that the car
>will brake down, in let's say 10 years from now ,-)
>
> Franky Obus
> Antwerp - Belgium
> MGF '96
> VW Polo '94
> (looking for an MGB and time to restore one)
>
> ----------
> From: David C Littlefield[SMTP:dmeadow@juno.com]
> Sent: 29-jan-97 2:58
> To: KILE_PAUL@aphub.aerojetpd.com
> Cc: mgs@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: MGF in US
>
>
> This being a matter of opinion and taste, I am sure you will get a number
> of disagreements and will not change your mind because of them. I, for
> one, like the styling of the MGF. I will say that I didn't like it at
> first because it seemed such a radical departure from the last MG, the B.
> It just looked to damn modern and George Jetson to be an MG. If you
> think about it, though, the B was designed in the late fifties and
> produced largely unchanged from the early sixties on. Therefore, you
> have *35* years between models, or thereabouts. It is almost analogous
> to the guy who bought the Bugatti name and came out with a space
> ship/Mclaren/XJ220 type supercar, compared to everyone's image being the
> twenties-era road racer. It is just hard to associate the name with the
> product.
>
> However, I went to England this past year and attended MG International
> at Silverstone, where there was the largest gathering of MGF's in private
> hands to date (about 60). I got a close look at the cars and really
> liked them! Rover had a special display with a couple of racing specials
> as well as road-going cars. I had been driving those lovely, twisty
> English roads for the past couple of days. I had rented a VW Polo, which
> was actually a hoot to drive in those conditions, and when I was standing
> over the MGF's I was literally *aching* to grab one and take it out on
> those roads.
>
> I won't presume to say that you would like them more if you saw them in
> person, but I certainly did.
>
> David Littlefield
> Houston, TX
>
>
> On 28 Jan 97 07:20:41 PST KILE_PAUL@aphub.aerojetpd.com (Paul D Kile)
> writes:
> >Yesterday, Michael Ohleger pondered whether the MGF would affect the
> >value of older MGs if Rover were to let it into the US.
> >
> >I contend that they would be treated as totally separate animals, for
> >one thing, the MGF is UGLY! I have been peering at photos in Safety
> >Fast for over two years, and the rear end looks kicked in, the nose
> >has too many nostrils, and the whole thing looks like it was
> >engineered by a committee. On top of that, you don't even get the
> >pleasure of viewing the engine in its entirety. Maintenance is
> >conducted through a small slot behind the rear window, a la Porsche
> >914.
> >
> >I know there is a loyal band of MGF owners in the UK, and I'm sure
> >the cars drive better than they look. But I can't get over the
> >styling. And don't assume that I am an old codger who hates anything
> >automotive made after 1967. I was entranced enough by the M*a*a in
> >1990 that I bought one (but sold it later to get my BGT V-8).
> >
> >I'm sure Rover would sell a lot of them here if they brought them in,
> >after all, look at how many people are buying the new Taurus Wagon.
> >EECCCCHHHH!
> >
> >There, I've said it. I couldn't help it. Let the flames begin...
> >
> >Paul (shun him for he is a blasphemer!) Kile
> >
> >Paul D. Kile
> >
> >kile_paul@aphub.aerojetpd.com
> >
> >(916) 355-5162
> >GenCorp Aerojet
> >POB 13222
> >Dept 5784 Building 20019
> >Sacramento, California 95813-6000
> >
>
>
>
>
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