MG Saloon Day 2015 - Sunday 19th July

[Tanya]

While M&MOC are not having a club stand at MG Saloon Day this year, all Maestros and Montegos are very welcome.

If you require anymore information, please contact the Zed Register of the MG Car Club.

[The Express Valeter]

Why is there no stand there? Saloon Day was originally THE event for our cars.

[Tanya]

Why is there no stand there? Saloon Day was originally THE event for our cars.

I'm away so already having to rely on the MG FWD Register people to organise that stand. I did post in the committee section on here to see if there was a committee member who would do it. Jeff's not sure if he can make it, and if he did he'd bring his ZS. I don't think any other committee members are planning to go to this one.

However, I agree Andy and it's important to showcase our cars wherever we can, and this would be a great show to do it at. I know that you can't organise the stand as you're weather dependant, but if there is another member who would like to organise a stand (it's very straightforward and I will help and make sure the stand equipment is got to the person/the show) that would be great. It's really just a question of on the day finding the stand, putting up the gazebo (if we have one) and flags, then looking out for our cars, making sure they find their way to the stand and making them welcome.

[The Express Valeter]

I need an MM car that I am not so fussy about lol that I would use in the rain (shows only).

[Tanya]

I need an MM car that I am not so fussy about lol that I would use in the rain (shows only).

Yes you do! Maybe you could ask Santa very nicely

Concours cars are lovely but a nightmare too. My husband has two of them, but none of my cars are concours which makes life a whole lot easier

[G51 NAV]

Shame to see an event that began as a showcase for MG MMMs no longer even has one solitary dedicated category for them in their Show & Shine. Would it have hurt to have had even just 'Best pre-2001 MG' as at least a nod to this event's heritage? MGM Group used to have 'Best pre-1980'.

[Tanya]

Shame to see an event that began as a showcase for MG MMMs no longer even has one solitary dedicated category for them in their Show & Shine. Would it have hurt to have had even just 'Best pre-2001 MG' as at least a nod to this event's heritage? MGM Group used to have 'Best pre-1980'.

With my MG FWD Register hat on, I am happy to ask the MG FWD Register to supply a trophy for a MG FWD class (which would be for MG FWD models, so Montego, Maestro, Metro, 1100 & 1300). I would suggest that they buy a main trophy which is to be handed back each year and a smaller one for winner to keep. It's a good way for the MG FWD Register to promote the cars, and the Register itself. I would also need to check with the organisers of the show if they were happy with that idea - what do you think?

Also, there is nothing to stop the M&MOC doing the same for Maestros and Montegos, as that too would raise the profile of both the club and the cars. I'll ask the committee and see what they think.

[The Express Valeter]

Shame to see an event that began as a showcase for MG MMMs no longer even has one solitary dedicated category for them in their Show & Shine. Would it have hurt to have had even just 'Best pre-2001 MG' as at least a nod to this event's heritage? MGM Group used to have 'Best pre-1980'.

And Best Post 2000 MG as I won it a few times lol. I agree with John. When the MGM Group merged with whowever is doing it now it was supposed to be IIRC a joint venture. Seems to have gone the same way as most large businesses that take over the smaller enterprise!

Hardly any point in going in a Maestro or Montego if there is no category. I didn't realise that = Very Poor Show!

[G51 NAV]

MG Saloon Day 2015 - Sunday 19th July

Sorry I didn't mean to come across negatively and provoke angry responses. Just a bit sad that a show which started off as entirely 'ours' doesn't even have one solitary category for our cars. I can understand no longer having separate categories for each 80s MG because the numbers no longer warrant it. But it would be good not to have been entirely forgotten so quickly. Or am I just being daft? To be fair if it was nearer to me and I had planned to attend, I would still do so, I don't feel so strongly about it to boycott it. More sad than angry.

[G51 NAV]

With my MG FWD Register hat on, I am happy to ask the MG FWD Register to supply a trophy for a MG FWD class (which would be for MG FWD models, so Montego, Maestro, Metro, 1100 & 1300). I would suggest that they buy a main trophy which is to be handed back each year and a smaller one for winner to keep. It's a good way for the MG FWD Register to promote the cars, and the Register itself. I would also need to check with the organisers of the show if they were happy with that idea - what do you think?

Also, there is nothing to stop the M&MOC doing the same for Maestros and Montegos, as that too would raise the profile of both the club and the cars. I'll ask the committee and see what they think.

Very good ideas there. And many apologies, as someone who won't be attending anyway. I probably had no right to be seen as complaining. I hope the event is very successful for them.

[Tanya]

Very good ideas there. And many apologies, as someone who won't be attending anyway. I probably had no right to be seen as complaining. I hope the event is very successful for them.

I didn't take your post as a complaining one and I thought you made a very valid point. I'll look into getting classes and trophies for our cars.

[G51 NAV]

Sounds great Tanya.

[David3500]

And Best Post 2000 MG as I won it a few times lol. I agree with John. When the MGM Group merged with whowever is doing it now it was supposed to be IIRC a joint venture. Seems to have gone the same way as most large businesses that take over the smaller enterprise!

Hardly any point in going in a Maestro or Montego if there is no category. I didn't realise that = Very Poor Show!

Here's a quick history lesson on what happened:

The MG 'M' Group did of course establish the MG Saloon Day as their own national day, with the first event under that particular banner being in either 2000 or 2001 - there had of course been MG 'M' Group national days before then.

Under the MG Saloon Day banner the club also invited other clubs to attend covering more recent models under the MG and Rover marques, as well as the Maestro and Montego Owners Club and various Metro-specific clubs, too. This worked well and numbers attending were certainly healthy. When the MG Z saloons were in production the MG 'M' Group also welcomed these along and also had a special Award for 'Best MG Z', which I had the pleasure of judging in 2004.

With the MG Car Club's Z Register becoming more vibrant and proactive in the last six years they soon made MG Saloon Day an official event on their calendar. Discussions between the Z Register and MG 'M' Group saw the former club also providing support (e.g. aiding with promotion/publicity) for the event as the MG 'M' Group was struggling to find sufficient volunteers within its own membership.

Sadly the situation within the MG 'M' Group did not improve as time progressed, due to the number of current members in the club gradually falling (no fault of the club) and the majority of those remaining members not volunteering to offer their services to assist; this latter point also applied to other MG 'M' Group events, including the annual Classic Motor Show held at the N.E.C.

Eventually a discussion between the two clubs saw an amicable arrangement whereby the MG Z Register would assume the main running of this event which the MG 'M' Group would continue to be involved in. However, this became a relatively short-lived aspiration as there was no new blood coming forward to assist in the running of the MG 'M' Group itself and with other commitments taking up the daily lives of the current committee (work, families, etc.) they decided that they were no longer able to devote sufficient time for the ongoing running of the club. This naturally meant there would be no ongoing assistance to the MG Z Register with the running of MG Saloon Day from 2014.

The MG 'M' Group officially ceased to exist at the end of 2014, following a decision made at their A.G.M. held in November 2014. All funds in the account were donated to various worthy charities in the first quarter of 2015.

[The Express Valeter]

That IMO is a shame. I wonder if some of us on here couldn't rekindle the allegiance?
My first Saloon Day was 2004 so you would have judged my ZT260SE probably. IIRC I won that class.

[Tanya]

There is a FWD category

Firstly, thank you David for your explanation of the history of this show which is informative and helpful.

I've been in touch with the show's organisers who tell me that there is a FWD category in the Show and Shine. Not sure if that covers non MG versions or not.

As there is already that category, I see no point in the MG FWD Register also awarding a trophy (although the organisers said the MG FWD Register would be welcome to do so if they wanted to). However, I think it would be good to have a Maestro of the Day and Montego of the Day trophy, sponsored by the Maestro & Montego Owners Club. This helps raise the profile of both the cars and the club.