The exterior catalogue covers the model-specific bodywork that distinguishes the MG ZR, ZS and ZT from their Rover 25, 45 and 75 donors, bumpers, sills, badges, spoilers, fog lamp bezels and the small fixtures and fittings that hold it all together. Most underlying body pressings are shared with the Rover donor (the Rover 25 tailgate, for example, is catalogued by MGOC as part BHA450310 fitting the Rover 200, 25 and MG ZR), but the MG-specific bumpers, side skirts, grille mesh and rear spoilers all carry their own part numbers and are the parts most often replaced after parking damage or sun-fade. The catalogue is divided into four sub-sections covering Badges, Panels, Fixtures & Fittings and Mudflaps, each addressed in its own dedicated section. Identifying the car (ZR, ZS, ZT or ZT-T), the body style (3-door, 5-door, saloon or estate) and the pre or post-2004 facelift status is essential before ordering any exterior part.
The 2004 Peter Stevens Facelift
The single most important production breakpoint in the exterior catalogue is the January 2004 facelift, led by Peter Stevens. Across the entire ZR, ZS and ZT range, this introduced redesigned front bumpers with revised lower cooling apertures, new rear bumpers (with model-specific heatshields catalogued for the post-2004 ZR and ZT, DQQ000050MMM and DQQ000020MMM respectively), single clear-lens headlamp units, redesigned tailgates and (on the ZR Trophy and Trophy SE) unique side skirts, rear bumper extensions and rear lamp clusters. Many bodywork pressings, fascia mouldings and fixings changed at the facelift point, which means that ordering exterior parts for any car built between summer 2001 and April 2005 needs the year and ideally the VIN to confirm pre or post-facelift fitment. The post-2004 specifications are now broadly the more common in the surviving UK car parc, as facelift cars saw the highest sales volumes in the ZR's most successful year of 2004.
Rover Donor Sharing and MG-Specific Differences
The exterior catalogue is the clearest illustration of where MG-specific content sits relative to the Rover donor. Bodyshells, doors, glass, rear quarter panels and tailgates are typically shared with the Rover 25, 45 or 75, the ZR's tailgate (BHA450310) is the same pressing as the Rover 200 and Rover 25, and front wheel arch liners (CLF000720) likewise share with the wider Rover Group of the period. The MG-specific content lies in the painted bumpers, the grille and grille mesh, the side skirts, the rear spoiler and any badges and brightwork. This split matters for owners sourcing parts: a damaged tailgate can be sourced from a Rover 25 donor at lower cost, but a damaged ZR-specific front bumper or Trophy rear extension must come from a ZR donor or be remanufactured.
Roof rails on the ZT-T estate (mounting brackets CAX100170 and bolts FT106257MA) are estate-specific and have no Rover saloon equivalent.
Ordering Considerations
The Exterior section sits at the centre of the MGOC Spares ZR, ZS and ZT catalogue because exterior parts are the most commonly damaged or weathered items on cars now 20 years old. UV degradation of black plastic trim, sun-fading of mirror caps, parking damage to bumpers, corrosion of bumper heatshields and panel-edge rust on tailgates all sit in this section.
When ordering, the priority information is: the car (ZR, ZS, ZT, ZT-T or modern ZS SUV), the body style (3-door, 5-door, saloon or estate), the year, the VIN cutover for pre/post-2004 facelift, the trim level on the ZR (base, 105, 120, 160, Trophy, Trophy SE) and the body colour for any panel that is supplied colour-coded. The four sub-sections beneath this parent, Badges, Panels, Fixtures & Fittings and Mudflaps, each address their own scope in greater detail.