It is always fascinating to discover what cars motoring writers choose for themselves. After all, runs the popular theory, if they get to drive hosts of new and interesting cars in the course of a year, they must have something pretty stunning in their own garage.
Often, this isn’t the case at all. For although it sounds wonderful in theory, realism means that everyday wheels have to fulfil all kinds of functions from commuting and shopping, to family jaunts and holidays. There is the usual question of cost looming its ugly head, too. Even company vehicles are paid for in one way or another, not only in terms of tax, but as a portion of salary. And if, like the majority of us, you pay for your own fuel, suddenly a gas-guzzler loses its attractions.
For the past seven years, since I started a freelance career, the question of everyday transport has been crucial to my livelihood. Making the wrong decisions will cost me very dearly, so is it possible to combine my love of interesting cars with the demands of reliability, reasonable running expenses and driving pleasure? The fact that I drive well in excess of 20,000 miles a year means that it actually helps if I enjoy my time behind the wheel, but not at the expense of breaking the bank.

Handover day for the MGF, with Geoff Yeowart, Dealer Principal at Tanswell of Towcester (right) and a delighted new owner.

Having always had my feet firmly in the MG camp, owning T Series, modern Midgets and MGBs, and driven MGB GTs, MG Maestro and MG Maestro Turbo as company vehicles in my ad agency days, there is no doubt where my loyalties lie. But as anyone who has experienced the seismic financial shock when private wheels have to be substituted for company ones will know, it has to be a decision where commonsense and not blinkered marque affection wins the day.
In my case back in 1990, one of the best options seemed to be a late model Midget and so a 1978 car was sourced. But, I have to say, that despite double-figure Midget ownership in the past, I failed to spot a master-bodge on the passenger side that allowed the well to become flooded in time of heavy rain. The fact that this ultimately necessitated new sills and wings to put things to rights was a blow that could be ill-afforded, but no short cuts were taken and the work was carried out by a Heritage specialist.
That said, the Midget’s day-to-day performance was faultless and it regularly returned 35-37mpg and was enormous fun to drive. Being a dedicated open-top driver whenever the chance presents itself, I loved the ease of folding the hood back and driving the Midget in what was its natural mode, as a traditional sports car. But I did find that it wasn’t the best of drives on the motorway and I was always concerned about the strength of the 1500 engine in prolonged high speed cruising mode. It was also a little claustrophobic with such a small cockpit. But it did everything I demanded of it.

MGF is getting around to MG events and is seen here at Gaydon for the MGF’s Second Birthday Party.

It was my accountant who became alarmed at the running costs of the car. Analysing the motoring costs as part of my yearly figures, he said unequivocally that the costs of maintaining the Midget and running it on such an intensive basis were unrealistic. I had to agree. Whereas the Midget would have been great as a fun car, it was really well past its sell-by date for what was being demanded of it. My mileages were far higher than I had expected and much as I regretted saying farewell to the Midget, I knew that he was right.
What he then said surprised me. “You really should consider buying something new, where you have got a full warranty and a vehicle that will cost you nothing apart from fuel.” The problem was, what on earth do you follow something as individual as a Midget with? The need was for something economic, but fun. The Metro I had never really fancied, Euro-boxes didn’t attract, the Mazda MX-5 was well out of reach and so where did I turn?
The answer came, perhaps not surprisingly, in a Rover Mini Cooper. Enormous fun to drive, frugal on fuel – and unleaded to boot – and a car that everyone related to, this seemed the right choice. The fact that this was a dreadful example of quality was not helped by an unwilling dealer – who unsurprisingly is a Rover dealer no longer – made the decision initially seem the wrong one. Suffice it to say that the AA Relay which was part of the membership package with the car, was needed on two occasions and it was only direct intervention at Rover and moving the car to a main dealership that put things to rights. Thereafter it was a super little car that ran for some 44,000 enjoyable miles. What do you follow a Mini Cooper with? There was still nothing else that really appealed, so we went for another.

Thousands of miles of driving pleasure, but 1978 Midget proved costly to maintain given intensive usage.

This time it was as perfect as you could hope for and there was the added bonus of it being one of the 200 Monte Carlo Limited Edition cars. Red and white, just like the old Works cars from Abingdon and with special wheels, low profile tyres and extra lights, this was a very distinctive little car. For over 60,000 miles it did everything that was asked of it, never letting us down and always being totally reliable.
But as cars age, so the problems of keeping them up to scratch loom. We had prudently taken out the optional second and third year Rover warranty, which covered us on more than one occasion on component replacement, but soon we would be without that cushion. My thoughts turned to a second car. If we kept the Cooper, perhaps we could take on a larger classic for the longer journeys. The car in mind was a late model MGB roadster, ideally an LE, but in the event we fell for a superb 1972 fully restored MGB GT.

Pamela Roberts, one very happy new MGF owner.

In the past both Pamela and I had loved the MGB GT. It was the right kind of car for what we wanted, ideal for the journeys we regularly used to make to Yorkshire and shoe-horning the Jack Russells into. But what we had forgotten was that our last GT had left us over a decade before and good – or rather exceptional – as the new GT was, it did not seem the same.
The motoring world has moved on and the GT wasn’t as we remembered it. The road test MG RV8 and VVC MGF we had both enjoyed can’t have helped and we had to admit we made a mistake with the GT. Trying to turn the clock back didn’t work for us, but happily the MGB GT has now found new owners who are over the moon with it.
So the Cooper continued to serve. We still badly missed a sports car and, to the dismay of some of our MG-owning friends – looked seriously at the Mazda MX-5. The version that attracted us was the 1.6 and compared to the 1.8 was the better car to drive. But, at the end of the day, my heart was not really in the Mazda, good though it is. Pamela summed it up when she said, “Let’s be honest, unless you have an MGF you are never going to be satisfied.”

Superb 1972 MGB GT, which briefly joined the stable.

A late Saturday afternoon trip to our local MG dealers who are Tanswell of Towcester, proved the point. Geoff Yeowart, who is a tremendous enthusiast for the MGF, indicated a very smart, Flame Red 1.8i, with ABS and EPAS which had just arrived from Rover, being an N-registered ex Management car. Could we possibly afford it, we wondered. There was the money from the B which we had put in and there was the Cooper which would have to go. We might just manage it, we thought, if the right financial deal could be put together. Even so, this would easily be the most expensive car we had ever considered.
“Go and drive it,” said Geoff and the following morning we went and did just that. Having driven a number of Fs since the car’s introduction, I was immediately impressed by the quality of this one. It was very much one-piece, with no rattles or hood leaks – it was one of those rare wet days – and it drove and handled like a dream. I thought I was long past the stage of falling in love with a car, but this one captivated both of us. Suffice to say that with piggy-bank raiding, selling Premium Bonds and very regretfully trading the Cooper, we could just manage it. So, there is an MG in the garage again and it is an undeniably good feeling. No, let’s be honest, it’s absolutely great.
I can genuinely say that no car has ever given me more driving pleasure than the MGF. It is such a brilliant car to drive that every journey is fun. There is always somewhere that you can exploit that wonderful handling and responsiveness which makes it unlike any MG that has preceded it. Whoever wrote the brochure copy for the MGF must have driven and enjoyed it for mile after mile and probably resented giving the keys back. So many car brochures are either trite or bland, but the MGF one sums the car up like nothing else I have read.
There are so many things that impress about the MGF. The incredible balance of the car, the way it covers the ground faster than you realise, its superb chassis behaviour, its comfort on a long driving stint, the confidence- inspiring brakes and the fact that there is so much performance available. But what is so utterly staggering is the economy. This is no lightweight car – one of the features that attracted us was its strength and safety – so to discover time after time that the car is returning 40mpg is a tremendous bonus. It is not as if I hang about, because the F encourages you to go out there and enjoy yourself.
I don’t go along with the people who say the MGF is too refined, with not enough exhaust noise. On a long run a rasping exhaust note would be an unwelcome intrusion into the cockpit. Nor do I agree with those who say the car isn’t involving enough for the keen driver. No, this is a car you can really be at one with and enjoy as a pure driving experience.
The MGF is a sports car for today and I am glad it looks forward rather than back. After years of driving cars whose designs are rooted in the past – although the Mini is still unbeatable in my view – it is so good to come to a car with such superb dynamics, allied to original styling.
Brian Griffin has to take the credit for the handling, Gerry McGovern the plaudits for the looks. And after over 6,000 miles, the rightness of the MGF’s package impresses me even more. For, make no mistake, this is a classic MG design and a driving experience like no other. The fact that it meets my criteria of combining function with driving pleasure and performance with economy, is the icing on the cake.