NO LOSS! Honestly now, is there much that particularly says either "MG" or
"beautiful car" about the MGF? I guess its a nice car by the numbers sold,
but it doesnt' look like an MG or anything particularly special. Gerry
McGovern, in my opinion, wass not the biggest talent of Rover's current
designers. He just didn't really get what an MG looked like, to me atleast.
They had a good thread going with the RV8, but he dropped the ball. Well
bully for Lincoln.
Now some good designs for MGs have come out of the Rover Group, courtesy of
Roy Axe who did both the MG EX-E and the TVR-based MG/Austin Healey vehicle
with the neatest modern version of MGA/old XJ-6 rear fenders you ever saw.
He is certainly qualified to design future MGs.
The Rover 75 is a great looking car that draws on heritage without looking
pudgy or odd (hmm.. MGF?) and it was designed by Richard Wooley, another
Rover designer with good talent. Maybe he could do an MG.
Obviously Rover is not left in the lurch as much as we would imagine.
Rover, I think, was so dissapointed that the MGF was not designed as well
as it could have been by McGovern, you'd notice that the recent re-fresh
design, of a new front end, etc, was not done by McGovern. I think he fell
out of favor with Rover.
McGovern was never the man to design MGs. He designs trucks. He designed
the Land-Rover Freelander.... not the most attractive with those large front
bumpers, but the Freelander is still more of a Land Rover than the MGF is an
MG... Maybe Lincoln wants him to do future Lincoln trucks???
Could the MGF's rear end be more ananymous?
Who did the MGR-V8 redesign? It was FANTASTIC.
Did you see the Roy Axe design for an MG that was built off a TVR to save
time? You'd like it... pictures are in MG the Untold Story, on page 212.
Its description is terrible, I guess it was supposed to be a "boulevard
cruiser" but it looks great. Thats the one with the really cool rear fenders.
Just looking at this book again, there is someone at Rover named Don Wyatt
who seems to have the MG look distilled... look at the Advernturer 2
prototype on page 215. Also the updated Midget bodyshell (a la MGR-V8)
concept on page 211. Looks like an MGA, but entirely feasible for today in
terms of styling, I'd say. Nothing more outrageous than the BMW Z was to BMW.
So, I'm not too upset. They've got lots and lots of talent to fill the
"void".
Admittedly, the MGF was a tough project.... Hey Gerry, here's your budget :
$0 And you have to make a sportscar out of two Metros turned on end, and use
Hydragas, and oh yes, make it Mid-engined and make it look like an MG. No
wonder he didn't get it quite right, too many forces.
But I don't see the MG world going into mourning over this one!
John
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