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NEWS

The MG Returns to South Birmingham
    by Rob George from the Bromsgrove Standard

Car production returned to Longbridge on August 1 when work began on the new MGTF LE500, more than three years after the initial collapse of MG Rover.

The car-maker’s owner, Shanghai Automotive (SAIC), has met its target of restarting production by August 2008 and expects many of the new models to be in showrooms and with customers by the end of September.

It’s a major milestone after three years of uncertainty over the South Birmingham plant which began with the collapse of MG Rover in April 2005 with the loss of 6,000 jobs The LE500 is, fundamentally, a re-engineered version of the original TF design and owners of the new car will also have the services of a dealer network that will offer first class support for the LE500 – that will include a personal technician for each and every new MG.

The company has 55 dealers across the UK and Shanghai Automotive (SAIC) said it had already sold 70 per cent of the orders for its new model.

Corporate communications manager for MG UK Ltd, Eleanor De La Haye, said: "We are delighted to have reached this important point and are looking forward to seeing the cars in showrooms shortly."

Director of marketing Gary Hagan said: "Existing MG owners, our huge band of enthusiasts and fans of the authentic sports car driving experience have looked forward to this day for a long time."

When you own a collector car, you want to spend a little time in the garage and a lot of time out on the road enjoying your ride. How to Keep Your Collector Car Alive will help you to do just that. Author and car collector Josh B. Malks offers practical instructions, handy tips, and down-to-earth solutions to the day-to-day challenges of owning a classic car in the modern car world. Whether it’s choosing a motor oil, converting to modern tires, safety in your garage, or maintaining older electrical systems, How to Keep Your Collector Car Alive has the answers to your questions. With color photos and useful diagrams throughout, as well as information on the latest products and maintenance techniques, this handy reference is an essential tool for all collector car owners.  

Technical Sections Volume 3

A complete copy of all the Technical Sections, topics, questions and answers published in the OCTAGON from 1997 to 2007. Available on CD-ROM only for PC or Mac. It is indexed by category such as electrical, suspension, etc. for easy reference and accessibility and contains over 300 pages.

Available from the AMGBA by ordering on the website at http://orders.amgba.com or on the order form contained in each issue of the Octagon.

$20 plus $5 S&H. It can be purchased as part of a 3 volume combo that contains Tech Sections Volume I, II & III for $70 plus $10 S&H.

Technical Sections Volume I and Technical Sections Volume II are also available from the AMGBA. See the Club Regalia/Store area of Each volume is indexed by subject for easy reference and each contains over 300 pages and over 600 articles, topics, questions and answers.

Octagon Issues on CD

You can have the last 10 years of the Octagon easily accessible on your computer. Indexed by issue. These publications, which are no longer in print contain numerous and diverse articles and photos. Enjoy all the entertaining and informative stories that you can no longer get anywhere else and at a reasonable price.