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M.G. FAMOUS FACES

It seems that the MGF - the VVC in particular - has been attracting considerable interest from popular faces from the entertainment industry. One of the first big names to order a VVC was Mick Hucknall, the lead singer of the chart topping band 'Simply Red', who placed an order with Horners Ltd. of Eccles as soon as the car was first announced. Despite the rather obvious choice of colour which the name of his band might have suggested, Mick Hucknall chose metallic Racing Green - in common with 50% of M.G. customers. Hucknell
Turner Now Anthea Turner - late of the 'National Lottery Live' - has also taken delivery of a green VVC. However, unlike Mick Hucknall, Anthea Turner - whose car came via Edwards of Stratford - was able to take advantage of the new 'F Heritage Scheme' and had her car custom-finished in her own choice of solid Racing Green, with cream leather interior trim with parchment piping. The colour was chosen by Anthea to match the colour of her father's 1939 TB Midget, and she decided to have the hardtop finished in green too, rather than to leave it in the usual black. Update: April 2009

VVC SUCCESS CAUSES PROBLEMS FOR ROVER

At the Earls Court Motorshow last October Rover launched the new 200 range of 3 and 5 door hatchbacks, the first Rovers since the Montego to be designed with no direct Honda input. Top of the range was the 'hot-hatch' 200vi, which shares the 1.8 litre variable valve control 'K' series engine of the MGF VVC and was announced as being 'available later'. Early this year, Rover announced that the surviving 'niche models' from the old 200 range - the Cabrio, Coupe and Tourer - would be moderately revised and the 2.0 litre 'T' series engined versions of the Coupe and Tourer (including the turbocharged version of the former - as raced in the Dunlop Rover Challenge Cup) - would be dropped in favour of 'WC' engined versions. However, in May this year it became apparent that the unprecedented demand for the VVC version of the MGF - accounting by that stage for half the total MGF sales - was causing production headaches for Rover. Sales of the MGF VVC had originally been predicted at 30% but high demand - particularly from the all-important export market - saw this prediction fall well short of the mark: delivery on the MGF VVC rose to about 20-24 weeks despite an output of 360 per week. The only option which Rover felt able to do in the short term was to postpone sales of the VVC engined versions of the 200 Rovers, probably until early 1997, when it is hoped that production can be stepped up to suit demand. All this is rather ironic when you consider that the star of the recent 'Englishman in New York' TV commercial for the new Rover 200 series featured a 200vi hatchback, and the car has been receiving very good reviews in the motoring press.

'F HERITAGE' CONVERSIONS

If, as in Anthea Turner's case, none of the six standard MGF colours takes your fancy, you can now order one in any colour of the spectrum - at a price of course. Similarly, for the first time, you can order the £1,350.66 (including VAT) hardtop from the factory in finishes other than black; it can now also be supplied in Old English White or - at extra cost - can be coloured to match the body colour of the car. Sensibly, the hardtop comes complete with its own tailor made stand for safe keeping when not fitted to the car. Inside the MGF, a range of four leather interior trim packages are now on offer - Cream, Red, Ash Grey and Light Granite - each with contrasting piping and the M.G. logo embossed into the head restraints. Additional touches include a chromed ash-tray and deep pile over-carpets in cream, red or grey; all this can be yours for £1,174.98 including VAT.


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