MG Monthly UK Registrations

182347 Views 1254 Replies 39 Participants Last post by simcor, 7 h ago

patpending

Discussion Starter · Sep 25, 2017

This thread is to discuss, and make guesses about, MG monthly registrations in the UK which are generally on the up - but how much?

I'm not the only fan of MGs who's not here as often as they used to be and I don't think we have the quorum any more to run a separate thread for each month, but if we have a thread with no month in the title, then anyone can start the ball rolling for subsequent months and update the summary of who has guessed what in their own post.

161 - 180 of 1255 Posts

GSi

· #161 · Apr 2, 2018

Amazing photo Nick.

MGJohn

· #162 · Apr 2, 2018 (Edited)

NickTL said:
Lovely pictures above

Here is the Concorde's final flight, homeward bound over Clifton suspension bridge

Brilliant Image. Us Brits used to make some wonderful stuff. Where did it all go right ...

In the early 1970s. when I moved back to Gloucester, Concord was a frequent sight directly overhead on trail flights out of Fairford AirField in Gloucestershire not many aircraft miles away from my home. It crawled about the skies on trial with ugly undercarriage hanging down and the droop snoot deployed. Not a pretty or even the elegant sight when the production planes were in service.

That undercarriage almost certainly made in Gloucestershire. That reminds me, watched Guy Martin's Spitfire Build on TV couple days ago. He mentioned the Propellor Assembly was made by a Gloucestershire Company and cost a cool £140,000 to make!

Here's a snatch of that TV show.

The sound of a Rolls Royce Merlin overhead still has the hairs on the back of my neck moving. The last time that happened was when a Merlin powered plane was high overhead doing a fine series of aerobatics over me in a remote part of west Gloucestershire. It was not a Spitfire or even a Hurricane. Raising my binoculars revealed the identity. It was a North American Mustang... A very average plane until they put a Merlin in it...

Have to admire Guy Martin... yes, his "funny" accent is not everybody's liking but gives him a different broadcasting voice rather than the same old stuff. He's more than a tad useful when lapping the very demanding and dangerous Isle-of-Man TT Mountain Circuit on a silly powerful Motor Cycle too.

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batoutofhull

· #163 · Apr 2, 2018

Roverlike said:
I do like bridges!!! :broon:

Me too. Except when it costs me £13 quid tolls in my pick up to go to Wales. £6.20 in the MG.

batoutofhull

· #164 · Apr 2, 2018

I do like the photo of Concorde over the Avon.

I am spoilt for bridges in North Somerset and South Gloucester.
The original Severn Bridge is a no no in a 53plate TF though. The shockers can't take it. There are so many pot holes on the bridge coming back to England. I usually use the newer crossing.

If you fancy a day out in Patchway. ( not something I would normally suggest. The Rotweillers go around in pairs ) there is Aerospace Bristol. Aerospace Bristol | The new home of Concorde

Then you could nip down the M5 to Weston-super-Mare and pop into the Helicopter Museum.

This should be an MG day out? 'Wheels and Wings'

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MGJohn

· #165 · Apr 2, 2018

2

batoutofhull said:
Me too. Except when it costs me £13 quid tolls in my pick up to go to Wales. £6.20 in the MG.

Last time I exited Wales I was towing a stricken MG ZT 1.8T. Used the second crossing and it did not cost me a single penny. Crafty me, entered Wales via Chepstow so no charge there either. Saves a few quid and as the saying goes, every little helps.

Here's that stricken car on safe arrival home. Another one saved and now giving good service down in the deepest West Country.

Actually, this is a case of the camera lying. It was in fact closer to darkness than the image shows. The shutter stayed open a fraction longer than normal to allow more light to enter which being hand held, results in a poor shaky image.

With some TLC, that ZT-T 1.8T turned out to be the best ZT 1.8T perfromer I've ever driven. I had those nasty dark wheels refurbished back to bright silver. Gave the grey car, XPG not my favourite, a big cosmetic lift. Shady wheels not my taste...

You do get to see some superb countryside when out and about in the UK recovering old cars. Some parts of Wales remind me of Switzerland with the ravines and steep wooded hillsides. My kind of places. We have some really beautiful scenery right here on our doorsteps. Never tire of exploring such places. When my always skint younger son needed transport to Uni ten years ago, I bought a Rover 25 needing some TLC to restore it into good health. Towed it back from Anglesey. Made a day of it taking a scenic route up Central and North Wales. ... and why not. A grand day out..

:~

Managed to get a nice shot passing over the superb Bridge to access The Isle of Anglesey.

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Adam Dutch

· #166 · Apr 2, 2018

There does seem to be a lot of posts that have little (if anything) to do with predictions for March sales of new MGs.

MGJohn

· #167 · Apr 2, 2018

Adam Dutch said:
There does seem to be a lot of posts that have little (if anything) to do with predictions for March sales of new MGs.

For this observer, it is all the better and more interesting as a result...:cloud9:...:naughty:

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batoutofhull

· #168 · Apr 2, 2018

Adam Dutch said:
There does seem to be a lot of posts that have little (if anything) to do with predictions for March sales of new MGs.

Point taken, but you can't tell me you've never gone off on a tangent.

Not even once?

So to bring it back home:

The commute I did down the Wye valley from Hereford was beautiful ( going through Wales - like other posters). It was this route to work in Bristol that I first noticed the stock pile of new cars and vans at Avonmouth. The place where NYK transport carriers bring in the Asian imports. ( I can't say for certain but there is a good chance MG cars come in here)

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NickTL

· #169 · Apr 2, 2018

MGJohn said:
For this observer, it is all the better and more interesting as a result...:cloud9:...:naughty:

Agree with this John

batoutofhull said:
Me too. Except when it costs me £13 quid tolls in my pick up to go to Wales. £6.20 in the MG.

The Severn Bridge tolls are being scrapped by new years eve 2018 :smile:

The bridges went back into public ownership in January that prompted a price cut as the VAT was cut by the government

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MGJohn

· #170 · Apr 2, 2018

batoutofhull said:
Point taken, but you can't tell me you've never gone off on a tangent. Not even once?

So to bring it back home:

The commute I did down the Wye valley from Hereford was beautiful ( going through Wales - like other posters). It was this route to work in Bristol that I first noticed the stock pile of new cars and vans at Avonmouth. The place where NYK transport carriers bring in the Asian imports. ( I can't say for certain but there is a good chance MG cars come in here)

Last time I viewed that area from the M5 Bridge I was astounded by the number of imported cars to be seen there. In many ways a disappointment to see that and realise the implications for this Nation's longer term well being as a whole. As each visit to my local supermarket car parks confirm time and time again.

It did not used to be like that.

Mind you, so far I'm very pleased with the MG6 1.8 turbo engine I transplanted into my daily driver MG ZT-T. Old saying .. If you etc..

As I previously posted, this Nation used to make some very good stuff. Where did it all go right?

EDIT TO ADD @ 20:12

Just seen NickTL's 20:07 post.

Thanks for that. Good news is a very rare commodity nowadays but that most certainly qualifies.

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batoutofhull

· #171 · Apr 2, 2018

NickTL said:
Agree with this John

The Severn Bridge tolls are being scrapped by new years eve 2018 :smile:

The bridges went back into public ownership in January that prompted a price cut as the VAT was cut by the government

I remember the original date of dec 31st 2017 discussed in 2013. In fact the cost has gone up for small commercial vehicles like my L200. House prices are starting to rise in Cardiff, Newport and Chepstow too. Better not say too much about that as it has nothing to do with cars.

NickTL

· #172 · Apr 3, 2018

batoutofhull said:
I remember the original date of dec 31st 2017 discussed in 2013. In fact the cost has gone up for small commercial vehicles like my L200. House prices are starting to rise in Cardiff, Newport and Chepstow too. Better not say too much about that as it has nothing to do with cars.

Yep you are right. The government did put off scrapping the tolls for a year. To be honest I wouldnt mind paying a couple of pounds to cross, simply to maintain the bridges and keep the toll collectors in employment. I use a TAG. Go into South Wales at least three times per week... Very expensive at the moment, even with the VAT gone

A mate of mine who works at Avonmouth bought a new build two bed house last year for just £85k in Newport. He is laughing all the way to the bank now

I think the main reason the tolls are being scrapped is simply to keep the traffic flowing. It is not unusual during peak times for the westbound traffic to be tailed back half a mile at toll booths.

Any way I think my guess was 900 for MGUK March sales :laugh:

mattie007

· #173 · Apr 4, 2018

Sorry Pat, I had intended to do a list but didn't get around to it. Looking forward to the results!
A few MG people on Facebook reporting MG's best ever month.

patpending said:
*uses this post to summarise guesses so that someone does it*

For reference: Feb 2018 186. Mar 2017 750.

(The carsalesbase figures are accurate for the UK until Nov 2017 as they omit ZS. For MG, "Europe" = "UK" for the time being)
SAIC MG European and UK sales figures

200 G0MRL
360 gnu
420 batoutofhull
520 GSi
563 AdamDutch
603 Noblapod
763 MGJohn
818 nonamenoname
854 bopper
900 NickTL
1.000 adaveabbott
1,063 patpending
1,205 mattie007

I'm taking that as the first punt. Do you want to gather the guesses this month?

I note that registrations have only once ever exceeded 1,000, in September 2016 with 1,005 3 and GS registered.

SAIC MG European and UK sales figures

I agree, even if two models are arguably in run-off, it looks like an excellent month, and dealers will be registering everything in sight while they are exceeding their targets. I'll guess 1,063.

patpending

Discussion Starter · #174 · Apr 5, 2018

Adam Dutch said:
There does seem to be a lot of posts that have little (if anything) to do with predictions for March sales of new MGs.

Imagine having to trawl through it for new guesses lol! The contributors to this thread are likely all to be Top Ten Posters, I think.

Here are some Continental pictures of bridges...

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batoutofhull

· #175 · Apr 5, 2018

patpending said:
Imagine having to trawl through it for new guesses lol! The contributors to this thread are likely all to be Top Ten Posters, I think.

Here are some Continental pictures of bridges...

Any chance you can send me the originals of these please?:wink:

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patpending

Discussion Starter · #176 · Apr 5, 2018

patpending said:
200 G0MRL
360 gnu
420 batoutofhull
520 GSi
563 AdamDutch
603 Noblapod
763 MGJohn
818 nonamenoname
854 bopper
900 NickTL
1.000 adaveabbott
1,063 patpending
1,205 mattie007

Result was 1,114. I think I win. DS and Jeep have pulled away again but the car in front of the sporty Alfa and the rorty Abarth is the MG!

SsangYong 613 -36%
Subaru 761 +8%
Alfa 1004 -18%
Abarth 1107 +16%
MG 1114 +49%
smart 1201 -45%
Jeep 1322 -27%
DS 1656 -24%

And the marques ahead of MG are misfiring as the octagon-badged car accelerates!

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batoutofhull

· #177 · Apr 5, 2018

great result. stops me going down to the docks and counting cars, plus posting picks of bridges etc.etc.etc. :wink:

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patpending

Discussion Starter · #178 · Apr 5, 2018

In fact very few marques bucking the downward trend over 2017 for reg change month (total sales down 16%). Abarth we have seen up 16% or 159 cars. MG's 49% is 365 cars. Big seller Honda's 11,896 is 2% or 201 up. But Mitsubishi, the elephant to be chased if MG can overtake smart, Jeep and DS, is the elephant that's left the building on jet-powered rollerskates up 14% at 3,929 - an increase of 508 cars!

patpending

Discussion Starter · #179 · Apr 5, 2018

But can you believe that Mercedes A-Class and C-Class are 8th and 9th best sellers respectively? B*W X and Audi Q not in Top Ten.

MGJohn

· #180 · Apr 5, 2018

Very Interesting.

Yes very interesting indeed those latest figures. I am surprised and it would appear the good word is getting around as I have suggested would happen.

Back in the now distant days when I ran my own business, word of mouth recommendations generated as much new business and sales as advertising.

Looks like after a few years as a slow burner, Chinese MG sales have turned the wick up.

Good news for MG but, a tad sad news in some ways on a would or could have been basis.

Good word getting around gathering sales reminds me of the time when I bought a new MG Metro back in 1982. A close friend asked why I would buy a "tarted up" Metro. I tossed him the keys and we took a ride. Soon after he took delivery of a Black one ~ so soon after it had the next reg-no in the sequence...

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