Event Reports and Photos 2019
ZED REGISTER OPEN DAY ATTRACTS OWNERS FOR EXCLUSIVE VISIT TO CLUB HEADQUARTERS
An unforecasted break in the wet weather was enough to encourage a great attendance at the second ZED Register Open Day at Kimber House on Sunday 6th October.
For some members, it was the first time they had visited the club’s home, and tours of the house and the archive proved very popular together with a visit to the well-stocked club shop. We were fortunate to have Lauran Gallagher, Assistant General Manager, Colin Grant, Safety Fast Deputy Editor and Ineke Sherman, Merchandise Coordinator representing Kimber House alongside members of the ZED Committee.
Our Speaker during the event was Mark Stacey from Kmaps, who runs a very successful ECU remapping and tuning business. Mark had been employed with MG Rover for many years and was involved in the development of the ZED Range. Mark’s very interesting talk included details of his time with MG Rover including a few unknown facts, as well as the purpose of remapping and the advantages in terms of performance and economy that is gained.
Mark also offered his remapping services during the day, and a number of members took advantage of the discounted event offer and had their cars remapped.
Nathan Hall and his Father decided to have their ZR’s remapped and have been pleased with the outcome;
“ I’d say the throttle response is definitely improved which is the most noticeable difference in general normal use and on the motorway. I’ve not really done enough miles to check the economy, or had the opportunity to assess the feel of the power increase at maximum revs, but so far, it’s been well worth having the cars remapped”.
Refreshments were served throughout the day and members enjoyed a buffet lunch. ZED Register Chairman, John Thompson declared the day a success; “ It has been great to welcome members to Kimber House, many of those for the first time, and show them around the club’s home and all that Kimber House has to offer! Many members expressed surprise at the size of Kimber House and all the history that goes with it, so a real eyeopener for many”.
MG SALOON DAY HELD AT THE POPULAR SHUTTLEWORTH COLLECTION
The very wet conditions at Shuttleworth failed to dampen the enthusiasm of around 70 owners and their cars that attended MG Saloon Day on Sunday 28th July at this very popular family attraction.
It was wonderful to see a great display of ZEDs including some of the older MG saloon types that were in total contrast to the latest MG ZS.
It was also a pleasure to welcome members of the MG Owners Club along with enthusiasts from a number of online forums, together with our colleagues from the 635 register and the Young Members Branch. Many members enjoyed the very interesting museum collection and a wander around the Swiss Garden, and took advantage of the discounted food and refreshment in the cafeteria.
The Show and Shine competition proved very popular and we were delighted to welcome our club president, John Day, who presented the show prizes. We were very grateful to members of the Kimber House team who joined us with the club pop-up shop that proved popular with visitors.
FINE WEATHER WELCOMES MG OWNERS TO ZEDS IN THE WEST AT HAYNES MOTOR MUSEUM
Around 30 cars headed to the Haynes Motor Museum in Somerset for the ‘ZEDs in the West’ event on Sunday 12th May on what was a glorious warm spring day – something you can never plan for! We were fortunate to be able to park in a self-contained area of the car park with an overflow area in the middle of the parking area.
We had a real mix of models and colours including a spotless Tomcat and a lovely late Rover 75. It was good to see a great turnout of ZEDs which made for an impressive display for members of the public to view.
A number of members enjoyed the guided tour of the museum and made use of the refreshment facilities in the 750 Cafe. The staff at Haynes Museum made us all feel very welcome and many members commented on what a great day they’d had at this popular west country venue.
STUNNING BRAXTED PARK ESTATE HOSTS PETER BEST INSURANCE SERVICES DRIVE-IT DAY EVENT
‘Begin your Drive-it day in style’ is how the event was billed, and it certainly lived up to expectations!
The Peter Best Braxted Breakfast meet took place in the stunning Braxted Park Estate on a bright, yet chilly Sunday 28th April. In excess of 350 vehicles of all marques and eras attended along with static vehicle displays at the new home of Peter Best Insurance Services. A number of Car Clubs joined the event and the ZED Register attended with the ZR Express Club Van and the ‘Save our ZEDs’ campaign car. Complimentary bacon rolls and refreshments were served between 8.30am and 12.30pm and the incredible setting and photogenic surroundings made for a great morning event
Stephen Best, Business Development Manager at Peter Best Insurance Services commented ” What an incredible event this has been! we really didn’t expect this number of vehicles when we started to advertise the event, and it’s lovely to see some familiar faces among the visitors today. We’re already thinking about repeating the event next year”.
Many models of MG made an appearance at the event, some en-route to other meetings having made a quick stop-off at Braxted and the sheer range of vehicles that arrived during the morning was very impressive. Even Chitty Chitty Bang Bang made an appearance!. Certainly an event for the calendar next year.
REGISTER SUPPORTS EXCITING RACE WEEKEND AT BRANDS HATCH
Brands Hatch welcomed the MGCC Championship on Sat/Sun 27th and 28th April in much cooler conditions that had been experienced at the first meeting at Silverstone.
The occasional rain made for interesting track conditions and exciting viewing from great vantage points around this iconic circuit.
The Maidstone MG Trophy races took place on the Saturday and reigning champion Graham Ross won the first race after starting seventh. The Class B win was taken by Richard Marsh who was awarded Driver of the Race. The second race in the afternoon was a four car battle with 0.8 seconds covering the first four at the chequered flag. Doug Cole won the race resisting huge pressure from his fellow competitors. It earned Cole Driver of the Race and Driver of the Day on Saturday.
A number of ZED members joined the register at the event and enjoyed the complementary refreshment in the welcome centre. Although it was a very windy day, the parade laps encouraged members to take to the circuit in their MGs to experience this great circuit first hand. There was a little less wind on the Sunday and thirteen cars took to the track during the lunchtime parade lap session including an MG YA and YB.
THE 14TH PRIDE OF LONGBRIDGE BETTER THAN EVER!
Over 3000 vehicles formed a fine display in Cofton Park for the annual Pride of Longbridge event that took place on Saturday 13th April. This years event celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Mini and the 30th anniversary of the R8 200 series with a superb display of each model.
The event, now in it’s 14th year, was founded and is still organised by Gemma and Andy Cartwright (Andy worked at the Longbridge plant until it’s closure) and celebrates the automotive production from the Longbridge plant between 1905 and 2005 which included badges such as Morris, Wolseley, Vanden Plas, Mini, Rover and MG.
The fine weather encouraged the crowds and Cofton Park came alive with stands and car clubs covering everything from the early Austin’s through to the current offering from MG Motors, together with community stalls and plenty of food and drink outlets!
The MG Car Club joined the event with the club shop and the ZED Register attended with the ‘Save our ZED’s’ Campaign Car along with Nick Ashman’s ZR Race Car which attracted great attention. Many visitors purchased the campaign merchandise and made welcome comments about the campaign and the positive impact it’s having to safeguard the future of the ZED’s.
A great event made even better by the sunshine and wonderful atmosphere.
SUNSHINE AT SILVERSTONE FOR MGCC SEASON OPENER
Several MG Car Club Championships kicked off the 2019 racing season at Silverstone’s National Circuit on Saturday 30th March in warm and sunny weather!
The MG Cup supported by Peter Best Insurance Services provided exciting racing action. Richard Buckley won both season opening races in his Rover 220 Turbo with a third place for Peter Burchill in his ZS180. MG Trophy regular Tyler Ballard was classified second in class B while Jon Gill in a ZR160 won class A.
The opening race of the MGCC Cockshoot Cup was won by Paul Clackett in his ZS 180 with second place going to Keith Edgar in his MG Midget who started seventh on the grid. Michael Ashcroft completed the top three in his ZR 190 while Adam Jackson crossed the line in fourth place in his ZR170.
The ZED Register attended with the ‘Save our ZEDs’ Campaign Car along with gazebo and club banner. The campaign car attracted considerable attention and it was good to hear stories from members of ZED’s they used to own that are still on the road today. A number of members took part in the parade laps that are organised by the register and it was good to catch up with familiar faces at the season opener on such a warm and sunny spring day.
SPRING SUNSHINE BRINGS CARS, STARS AND ENTHUSIASTS TO THE 2019 NEC PRACTICAL CLASSICS SHOW
This year’s Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show with Discovery was bigger and better in every way with more halls, more clubs and more visitors than every before. An incredible 28,846 attendees enjoyed live working demonstrations and over 1300 vehicle displays.
The ZED Register stand was located right at the entrance to Hall 5 and visitors were met by the Trophy Yellow ‘Save our ZED’s’ Campaign Car which attracted a great deal of interest during the three day show. The MG Car Club ZR Express Van made a second appearance this year and our members car on display was an MG ZT V8 Supercharged 385 in Trophy Blue belonging to Tony Cotter. All three cars attracted huge attention and many existing ZED members visited the stand and viewed the new range of clothing which launched at the show together with ‘Save our ZED’s ‘ campaign merchandise.
Our campaign car suffered a brake caliper failure on the journey to the NEC, so with the help of our colleague Mike Stafford from MJS Auto and Marine, we staged our own live working demonstration when Mike replaced the caliper and pads which attracted a small audience. There’s always someone willing to lend a hand at the Practical Classics Show!!
MG SPARES DAY 2019 DRAWS RECORD CROWDS TO STONELEIGH SEASON OPENER
An impressive turnout of classic car enthusiasts filled the Halls of the National Agricultural Centre at Stoneleigh for the MG & Triumph Spares Day on Sunday 10th February. The chilly and wet start to the day didn’t deter the crowds who were treated to a show filled with specialists, professionals and all the best clubs with displays, projects and plenty of advice available. The show organisers had introduced undercover dedicated MG & Triumph parking for visitors which made for a great display of some interesting cars.
The ZED register stand attracted a number of visitors who admired the vehicle display; The MG Car Club ZR Van made it’s first appearance at the show – a rare 160 VVC model in silver and signwritten in the clubs livery. Ray Kembles restored ZS 180 in Trophy Blue prompted discussion on the rarity of the ZS range and Paul Field kindly displayed his immaculate ZT-T in Garnet Red, one of only nine produced and a former MG Rover directors car.
Members of the ZED committee were on hand to assist members with vehicle issues and discuss the register events schedule, and it was encouraging to see an increase in the number of people taking an interest in the ZED Range.
Event Report and Photos 2018
EXCITING RACING ENTERTAINS AT PENULTIMATE RACE MEETING AT OULTON PARK
A variety of MG Car Club races were packed into a hectic one day event at Oulton Park Circuit on 1st September, held in great weather at this spectacular circuit.
Jason Burgess won both The Knight Industries MG Trophy races and took maximum advantage in the championship table. Richard Buckley in his Rover 220 Turbo took his fourth win of the season in a dramatic Peter Best Insurance MG Cup with Ian Boulton, David Thompson and Darren Harris taking class wins.
Ray Collier continued his domination of the Cockshoot Cup by taking another win in his ZR 190 and our own Peter Burchill took two thirds in class.
It was great to see the parade laps being well supported, despite being brought forward by 45 minutes (at ten minutes notice) which resulted in 27 vehicles enjoying a drive around this wonderful circuit.
MG SALOON DAY JOINS THE MGCC DONINGTON RACE MEETING
MG Saloon Day made a welcome return to the club calendar on Sunday 15th July and despite coinciding with two major sporting events, summer holidays and extremely hot weather, over 70 cars arrived during the morning.
This year marks a number of anniversaries including the 15th anniversary of the launch of the MG ZT V8, the 30th anniversary of the MG Maestro Turbo and the latest model in a long line of hatchbacks, the MG3, celebrates it’s 5th anniversary. There were some great examples of all these models on show, including an incredible 16 ZT V8’s which made an impressive display.
Elsewhere on the infield, the T Register, MGB, MGF and Midget Registers joined the event along with MGs on Track and the main club marquee with staff from Kimber House in attendance. The infield made a great vantage point to watch the exciting racing, especially the trophy and cockshoot cup races!. With so many superb ZEDs attending, judging the ‘Car of the Show’ event wasn’t an easy task, but the winners, both with stunning cars, were Peter Fitzwater and his MG ZT 260 in X Power Grey and Anthony Kerr with his ZR 160 in Biomorphic.
Feedback from the event has been very positive, so plans are already underway for MG Saloon Day 2019!.
ZED REGISTER OPEN DAY AT KIMBER HOUSE
A warm and sunny Sunday in June welcomed a number of ZED members and their cars to Kimber House for the first ZED Register Kimber House Open Day.
During the day members had the chance to take a tour of Kimber House and view the club archive, browse the club shop and take time to enjoy the history and atmosphere of the club headquarters. Peter Andrews, Design Manager at SAIC Design’s UK Studios, and one of the original design team at MG Rover, gave an interesting talk on the creation and development of the ZED range, after which members enjoyed a buffet lunch and the opportunity to chat with members of the ZED committee and staff from Kimber House.
For those members that missed the event ( England happened to be playing a match during the day!) we plan to repeat the event during 2019.
ZED MEMBERS SOAK UP THE SUN AT MG LIVE 2018
The weather couldn’t have been better for the Worlds largest MG Event! and the ZED register stand was busy all weekend with visitors admiring the two ZED’s on display, an immaculate MG ZR in Celestial Blue belonging to Jonathan Cockburn and the amazing MG ZT V8 260 finished in Bittersweet and owned by former committee member Darren Broxup. Even a delegation from MG India that were visiting MG Live as part of its visit to the UK were taken aback by the unusual monogram colours!.
The new marquee arrangements for registers was a welcome improvement with a bigger area to display our merchandise, regalia and publicity. A number of new ZED owners joined the register and visitors were treated to live activities on the Duckham’s Village Green with music from the Candy Girls (back by popular demand), a variety of food and drink outlets, a lifestyle marquee and the impressive Pride of Ownership and Concours competitions that attracted some of the finest examples of all MG Models.
A fantastic weekend and great to see the register parking area so full of ZED’s!.
ZEDS AT THE MUSEUM…..
Coventry Transport Museum was the venue for the recent ‘ZED’s in the City’ event on Sunday 13th May. Thirty cars and their owners joined the event and made a colourfull display on Millennium Place outside the museum.
Members enjoyed looking around the fascinating museum which tells the story of Coventry and its people through the rise and fall of its biggest industry, together with housing some amazing vehicles. Many members took the opportunity to visit the ruins of the old Cathedral that was bombed during the blitz in 1940.
The ZED gazebo provided some shelter from the glorious sunshine that made the vehicle display look even better!.
ZED’S AT BRANDS HATCH….
A packed schedule of MG Car Club motorsport took place at Brands Hatch on 28th/29th April with fantastic grids of MG’s of all ages taking to the venues iconic Indy Circuit.
The Classic Fuels Solutions MG Trophy race had some exciting racing, but was red flagged twice after heavy crashes at the foot of Paddock Hill bend.
ZED Register members enjoyed the complimentary refreshment in the club welcome centre during the weekend, and thirty one members took part in parade laps on Saturday and Sunday including members from Belguim and the Netherlands. A chilly weekend but enjoyable nonetheless.
ZED REGISTER ‘RAISES THE BAR’ AT NEC PRACTICAL CLASSICS EVENT
A record 28,000 classic motoring enthusiasts headed to Birmingham’s NEC for the Practical Classics Classic and Restoration Show with Discovery in March and were treated to amazing vehicle displays, live working on projects and helpful advice from a record number of car clubs.
The ZED Register displayed three models from the ZED range; a ZR Monogram in Sunspot Yellow, an MG ZS 180 in Trophy Blue and a ZT V8 Monogram in Shotsilk by special invitation to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the launch of the ZT V8.
The extended stand also included a range of regalia and merchandise, and members of the ZED committee were on-hand throughout the three day show to meet and chat to ZED owners and members,old and new, to offer help and advice where needed.
During our display preparations, the sunspot ZR developed a battery fault and refused to accept charge, so a new battery was purchased from nearby Halfords, and what should have been a simple job turned into a bit of a nightmare!. The bolt that holds the battery clamp in place had seized and was spinning, which involved removing the battery tray and locating the bolt from underneath the car.
The car’s owner, Louise Allen, tried in vain to remove the bolt, even the clubs General Manager and newly-appointed Brand Executive joined in but to no avail!. However, the newly crowned Young Member of the Year and FWD Register Chairman, Ben Hatton came to the rescue and after jacking the car up and assessing the situation, it wasn’t long before the bolt had released and the job was completed, with smiles and high-fives all round!.
A number of show visitors gathered round to watch the problem unfold which, in the end, turned into our very own live working ZED Register display, thankfully with a happy ending!.
BAD WEATHER FAILS TO DAMPEN 2018 PRIDE OF LONGBRIDGE SPIRIT……..
Heavy rain in Longbridge prevented Pride of Longbridge being held in Cofton Park, but the event went ahead on a smaller scale around the factory gates and along Lowhill Lane. However, hundreds of cars and their owners still made the pilgrimage home to gather outside the factory perimeter and provided a spectacular display celebrating the heritage of the site.
An amazing selection of ZED’s of all models arrived during the day and owners were happy to chat about their cars and admire the many other models that had been produced at Longbridge over the years.
MG Motors opened the sales centre and offered visitors the opportunity to view the new range of MG models on offer, plus the welcome use of their facilities!. It was encouraging to see many younger owners of ZED models attending the event which confirms the appeal of the ZED range to this age group.
Even the weather decided to cheer up and it was great to have some warm sunshine in mid April which no doubt contributed to the great turnout for this fantastic annual event.
ZED REGISTER’S SUCCESSFUL RETURN TO MG SPARES DAY AT STONELEIGH
Not even a chilly weekend in February could dampen the enthusiasm of the ZED Committee at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire. This one-day show is always popular with the MG Enthusiast and the ZED Register stand attracted a number of visitors who paused to admire the cars on display.
Ray Kemble’s recently restored ZS 180 in Trophy Blue took centre stage with Louise Allen’s immaculate Sunspot Yellow ZR and John Thompson’s stuuning Starlight Silver ZR also on display.
Many visitors enquired about club membership together with the register’s forthcoming events, and browsed the range of regalia and merchandise on offer. As the season opener, the event was judged a success and definitely one for the calendar in 2019!.
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