The MGF was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on 8 March 1995, the first entirely new MG sports car since the MGB had entered production thirty-three years earlier. Developed under the project code PR3, the car had progressed through an extensive prototype programme at Rover Group: running simulators using Metro Van bodies with mid-mounted K-series engines (the first built by ADC, the remainder by Rover Group), four Toyota MR2 mules fitted with K-series powertrains for emissions development, and then successive waves of hand-built prototypes designated DO1, DO2, D1, QP and finally M-build cars before volume production commenced at Longbridge in July 1995.
The first production MGF, VIN 000251, was completed on 24 July 1995, and deliveries to customers began that September. The design, led by Gerry McGovern within Rover Group's styling team, was judged to strike the right balance between heritage and modernity, a mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive two-seater roadster powered by the all-aluminium Rover K-series engine in 1.8-litre form, with the innovative Hydragas interconnected suspension system providing both ride quality and pitch control. The car came in two variants at launch: the 1.8i producing 120 PS at 5,500 rpm and the 1.8i VVC producing 145 PS at 7,000 rpm, the latter using Rover's Variable Valve Control mechanism to vary inlet cam duration continuously. A 1.6-litre variant producing 112 PS followed in 1999, and a Steptronic CVT automatic transmission option was introduced with the 2000 Model Year facelift.
MGF Production and Evolution (1995 to 2002)
Total MGF production reached 77,269 cars across the original specification and the revised 2000 Model Year (MY2000) variant. The MY2000 facelift brought smoked indicator lenses, body-coloured windscreen pillars in place of the original black, electrically adjustable door mirrors, a more adjustable steering column, improved interior trim quality, and the Steptronic CVT gearbox option. Under the skin, a double-skinned petrol tank and improved electronic power steering calibration were introduced. Engine management progressed from MEMS 1.9 on early 1.8i cars and MEMS 2J on VVC models to MEMS 3 across the range from the MY2000 revision.
The MGF also established a tradition of limited-edition special variants that would continue throughout TF production. The Abingdon LE of 1998 introduced Brooklands Green paint, chrome door handles, polished stainless steel grilles, and the first non-black hood colour on an MGF. The 75th Anniversary of 1999 was limited to 2,000 cars worldwide with Grenadine Red leather interior, Minilite-style 16-inch alloy wheels, and a chrome exterior trim package. The Trophy 160 raised the performance bar with 160 PS from a further-developed VVC engine and 304mm AP Racing four-pot brake calipers as standard.
The MG TF: A Thorough Re-Engineering (2002 to 2005)
The MG TF was launched in January 2002 as a substantially more thorough evolution of the MGF platform than its designation as a facelift might suggest. The most fundamental change was the complete replacement of the Hydragas suspension with conventional coil springs and telescopic dampers. At the front, the double-wishbone geometry was retained but with reduced camber, parallel tracking in place of toe-out, revised pivot bushes, and a stiffer anti-roll bar increased from 19mm to 20mm diameter. At the rear, an entirely new multi-link suspension was engineered to provide precise control of rear wheel geometry, addressing the MGF's tendency towards a low polar moment of inertia and abrupt breakaway at the limit, as the engineering team's Adams software modelling had identified.
The bodyshell was stiffened by approximately 20 per cent in torsion through the introduction of a single one-piece sill section running front to rear, contributing to reduced scuttle shake and excellent Euro-NCAP crash test results. The steering rack was regeared to a 10 per cent faster ratio, and the exterior was comprehensively restyled with projector-type headlamps incorporating integral indicators, a new grille with a body-coloured central vane, reshaped side air intakes, and a longer boot-lid with an integral rear spoiler. The TF engine range used the same K-series family but with revised induction and exhaust systems. The core TF 135 combined TF 160-style inlet manifold and air induction with high-lift camshaft profiles, raising the output of the 1.8-litre non-VVC engine from the MGF's 120 PS to 136 PS.
The range comprised the TF 115 (1.6-litre, 116 PS), the TF 120 (1.8-litre with Stepspeed CVT, 120 PS), the TF 135 (1.8-litre, 136 PS), and the TF 160 (1.8-litre VVC, 160 PS). Total pre-collapse production was 39,249 cars.
The NAC/SAIC Revival (2008 to 2011)
Following MG Rover's collapse in April 2005, the MG TF was revived under Nanjing Automobile Group (NAC, later absorbed into SAIC Motor) ownership.