By Matt Bird \/ Tuesday, 12 September 2023 \/ Loading comments<\/p>\n
All these years on, we\u2019re past the point of being mean about MG Fs – aren\u2019t we? Back when everything was cheap (it\u2019s almost 12 years to the day since the E34 M5 Shed of the Week) it probably was a good giggle to point at neglected MGs with expired head gaskets and wonky Hydragas suspension – then buy something else fun, also for a pittance. But we now live in the world of the \u00a3600k Sierra Cossie and \u00a315k apparently being the entry point for \u2018affordable\u2019 modern classic motoring. The landscape has changed almost beyond recognition in a very short period. Yet a low mileage, very smart MG F – a pretty, two-seat, mid-engined, rear-drive sports car – is still available for \u00a35k. Ignore the prejudice; this might be the F\u2019s time to shine.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s not forget, either, that the MG was highly rated as a new car. Autocar described it as an \u2018MG to make you proud\u2019 at the end of the 20th century, calling the F \u2018pretty and able\u2019. When it road tested a VVC, the 1,121kg roadster sprinted to 60mph in just 7.5 seconds, and could reach almost 130. Car magazine praised the F for its \u2018excellent performance\u2019, \u2018safe, grippy\u2019 handling and \u2018saloon-like\u2019 ride. It was a solid four-star sports car. It was only those maladies that came later that would tarnish the MG\u2019s reputation.<\/p>\n
But come on, there aren\u2019t many cars out there that haven\u2019t developed issues in the decades following their launch. And plenty that have seen values rise. It\u2019s hardly like the MG F is a Noble M10 or Caterham 21, either; they were popular back in the day and sold well, with a comprehensive support network around them. Almost 30 years on from launch, the MG F is well known; if something goes wrong, you won\u2019t be the first. It can be fixed.<\/p>\n
In addition, because so many of the poor examples did fall by the wayside, it feels like a lot of the Fs now remaining are the real good\u2019uns. Here\u2019s your evidence. A 1998 VVC in Nightfire Red, it\u2019s covered a mere 43,000 miles in 25 years and looks to be in great condition. There\u2019s rust in the MOT history (there\u2019s yeast in bread and fish in the sea, too), but that\u2019s been tended to a few years back and the recent tests have had much less to report. A period off the road between 2011 and 2018 might help explain the low mileage.<\/p>\n
The F also benefits from an \u2018Engine Temperature\/Coolant Control Indication System\u2019, a little dash display which should help warn against any looming K Series problems. And most of that engine\u2019s reputation came from it having to lug around heavy SUVs and saloons rather than sports cars, anyway. But probably a useful thing to have. Elsewhere there\u2019s a lot to be encouraged by: no unsightly tears, scratches or scrapes, a hardtop that fits perfectly and four very presentable alloys.<\/p>\n
The selling dealer says they specialise in sourcing and selling the very best modern classic Rovers and MGs, so you have to assume they pass on a lot of stuff. At the end of the day, this is still a 25-year-old British sports car, and just those words alone will be enough to put off some. But then a 25-year-old anything isn\u2019t likely to be free of problems. And be more expensive: if you want to buy an original MX-5 for less than \u00a35k now, it\u2019ll have a mileage well into six figures. Perhaps the biggest obstacle to MG F ownership remains as it was a quarter of a century ago: the second MX-5. There are NBs with comparable mileage to the F at similar money. And you don\u2019t need us to remind you of that appeal. But doing things just a bit differently never looked so appealing.<\/p>\n