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What is PR3 ?
The PR3 was the project name
for the car that eventually became the MGF. It originated as long
ago as 1985 when Gerry McGovern produced the original F-16 design
which in turn led to three projects being considered - PR1 to 3.
Rover decided to develop PR3 thorugh to production.
To confuse things further
there was also a PR5 (Adventurer 1 & 2) sports car project and
another code named Adder. None of these came to production.
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What is the BMIHT ?
The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Museum is at
gaydon in Warwickshire next to the Rover testing facility.
The museum was intended as repository for all documents,
drawings etc and historic examples of the cars including
concepts that made up the then Rover Group
It is now known as the Heritage Motor Centre
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What were the cars
at Gaydon ?
A flame red and a
British Racing Green car were used for the display at Gaydon.
Both were drawn from the D1 stock of twenty six cars.
The VIN numbers were:-
SPL2038M228D1V428
(RED)
SPL2037M227D1V428 (BRG)
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| Years of work by the Project Phoenix team were about
to be put to the public test.1995 was the year that the MGF would
finally be revealed. A vitally important car for both
MG and the British Car Industry. The first all new MG Sports car for
33 years to roll off production lines at Longbridge , albeit under BMW ownership, was about to hit the headlines. |
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The PR3 was up against BMWs own sports car the Z3 and
there was some doubt as to whether the project would reach fruition.
However BMW reassured Rover that they believed in "marque
values" and would carry the project through. After all PR3 was
not going to the American market and would not bother the Z3s sales
in that respect. Also the Z3 had a more traditional front
engine/rear wheel drive layout against the PR3s more radical mid
engined set up. The MG would be sold to a much broader customer base
in the UK - one steeped in tradition and affection for the MG marque |
The red MGF at BMIHT surrounded by dealers
| The new MG was tested for customer reaction at
special customer clinics held throughout the world in June &
July 1994. The
results were a positive thumbs up from all countries but
particularly the UK where marque recognition was very strong. People
were expecting MG to redefine the modern reasonably priced sports
car for a new generation. The car used for these clinics was one of
the twenty six DO2 cars. Most of these cars were disguised but this
one obviously had to be undisguised. It was used in comparisons with
rivals such as the MX5 and MR2.
From July to August 1994 thirty four "D1" cars
were built and they were much closer to production specification. It
would be two of these cars that were used on the first occasion that
the MGF would be seen outside of the close environs of a select few
at Rover.
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| In 1995 Rover had a network of some
1500 dealers. With MGF production at 15000 a year there would
clearly not be enough cars to go around this many dealers.
With this in mind and to ensure more "exclusivity" of
the MG Marque the number of MG franchises would be limited to just
120 dealers in the UK.
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The dealers had to submit business
plans to Rover to determine which would be the "chosen
few" able to sell the new car
Rover set up the MG Car Company to handle sales and marketing of
the new MGF and were at pains to ensure that all publicity bore the
MG brand as separate to that of Rover.
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| How to introduce the car was the
next problem. There was no doubt about the venue for the official
launch of the car however Rover wanted to give a preview to their
dealer network prior to the official date. The BMIHT Museum next to
Rover's Technical centre at Gaydon was chosen as the venue. All the
UK dealers were invited as well as those from such far flung markets
as Japan and South America.
The lower exhibition area was transformed with a false floor
beneath which the two cars were hidden until the dramatic moment
when the floor slip back and the two cars rose on turntables to a
rapturous reception. This two day event told the dealers about the engineering
details (a talk by Nick Fell) and marketing (Rod Ramsay). In depth
training was given to the dealers on the second day so they could field
all enquiries by the public. The cars were in Flame Red and British
Racing Green and both were dawn from the D1 batch of cars.
Shortly before the official launch a select group of MG
enthusiasts, writers and club representatives were invited to a
special preview at BMIHT . Some of these people took part in a
special MG convoy organised by the MG Car club from Abingdon to
Geneva to celebrate the official launch still to come......
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DO2 car in black & White Mule disguise
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What's a DO2 car ?
Twenty six "DO2" cars were made. They
were very close to the final production design and were used to test
parameters that could not be done with the earlier prototypes. This
included Crash Testing and engine cooling. These cars were heavily
disguised and finished in NATO green or striking black and white
stripes !
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What was a D1 ?
Thirty four of these cars
were built in July to August 1994. They were the first "off
tools" prototypes. In November 1994 a D1 was heat tested in the
Arizona Desert but in disguised form wearing a GRP "Bra".
The D1 testing would continue well into 1995 after the official
launch date - the car could then be free of extra bodywork after
that.
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