MG’s fabled Competitions Department enjoyed near constant success on the international racing stage. With victories in road racing, rallying, trials and Land Speed Record attempts, the postwar competition and special tuning department in Abingdon, England, was synonymous with “Giant Killing” performance right up through 1967. However, the late ’60s brought about a groundswell of change in the British automotive industry that would severely test the resilience of many storied marques, including MG. With corporate change afoot, MG and parent company BMC placed their racing and corporate hopes on a lightweight, 6-cylinder version of the successful MGB sports car. The story of this MGC GTS is not only a fascinating tale of MG’s racing swan song, but also an interesting insight into the virtual collapse of the British automotive industry in the early 1970s.
The author and the owner put “Mabel” through her paces on a series of hilly roads reminiscent of those the car experienced during the Targa and the Marathon de la Route. Photo: Joon Lim
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