An Incredible MG Car Unveiled in Beijing

The most beautiful tributes are those that take us back to the golden hours of the automobile. This is the case with the MG EXE 181.

When the Chinese giant SAIC bought the British brand MG in 2006, then on the brink of extinction, they must have suspected that its hundred years of existence would offer them great stories to tell. But perhaps not this much!

Let us tell you one of these little stories. It is 1957 when MG presents the astonishing EX181. This car was designed exclusively to set speed records. But with a very specific characteristic: doing so with a small 1.5-liter engine. The same engine that equipped the latest commercial model of the English firm, the lovely MG Type A roadster.

Small problem, to reach the targeted 400 km/h, more than the original 68 horsepower was needed. MG then added a volumetric compressor and a fuel based on ethanol, nitrobenzene, acetone, and ether. This would drive even the smallest internal combustion engine crazy and boost the power of the little MG block to 290 horsepower at 7300 rpm.

Next, a body with perfect aerodynamics was required. With its water droplet shape, wider at the front than at the rear, the MG EX181 claimed a air penetration coefficient of 0.12. An astounding feat. With its weight kept at 866 kg when fully fueled and with the pilot onboard, the MG EX181 was very light. Only 972 centimeters tall, the MG EX181 first reached a speed of 395.31 km/h in 1957 with Stirling Moss at the wheel, breaking the land speed record for a vehicle in this engine displacement class.

But dissatisfied with this brand staying below 400 km/h, MG revised its approach, notably adding 10 extra horsepower. Also, a small vertical dorsal appeared at the rear of the body to improve stability at high speed. Two years later, in 1959, at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah (USA), Phill Hill reached 410.23 km/h.

Now, in 2024, the 400 km/h mark continues to inspire all manufacturers. 67 years after this epic adventure, MG is preparing to pay tribute to this formidable record chaser, but by adding an E for electric to its name. The MG EXE181 will be unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show before heading to Goodwood for a sparkling appearance at the Festival of Speed. Will it then be tempted to make a small detour to Bonneville Lake?

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