MG stands for Morris Garages, a companion company to Morris Motors—one of the first British manufacturers of mass-market cars. MG took components of the humble Morris passenger cars and used them to make sports cars.
The first Midgets were produced before the Second World War but the name was revived in 1961 as a somewhat restyled version of the Austin-Healey Sprite. In 1974, the Midget received the 1,491 cc Triumph Spitfire engine as its powerplant, creating something of a Frankenstein monster in the eyes of MG purists.
Growing up 30 years ago in the relatively mild climate of British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, Roland Gotzke was well aware of the MG brand.
“When I was a kid in high school, MGs were the sports car, ” he says. “They were all over the place. “
While he appreciated the charms of the little roadsters, Gotzke never got around to owning one.
Twenty years later, Gotzke began thinking about MGs.
“I’m not sure if old guys around the 40-year mark don’t begin to obsess about those sorts of things, ” he says. “I was frequenting various MG (Internet) sites and my wife happened to take note of it. “
On a business trip to Portland, Ore., Gotzke’s wife, Roselle, saw a yellow MG Midget on a dealer’s lot. When she found out the car was a ‘78, she took it as a sign since the couple was about to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.
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