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#weirdcarmastodon

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Today we move forward to 2003 and another attempt by MG Rover to boost the appeal of the now aging Rover 25. After introducing an MG variant, the ZR, in 2001, the company tried to give the core Rover version a bit of attitude as well by offering the (optically at least) toughened up Streetwise model. Once more, quite a lot was achieved with inexpensive modifications. I can offer you a choice of red (2018 NEC Classic Car Show) or green (#FOTU 2023).

After the recently featured smaller MG ZR and MG ZS, here, to complete the set is the Rover 75-based MG ZT. The 75/ZT isn’t itself part of the small Triumphs and Rovers branch of the BL family tree covered in this sequence of posts but it does, as I shall explain, become relevant to the story later on. The ZT was also available in ZT-T estate form. I captured this lovely ZT saloon/sedan at the NEC Classic Car Show in 2023.

Continued thread

Alright, eight hours without a damn break and this came out of it. It's pretty cool. Upper section looks like lightweight galvanised, because it is, but the bottle is strapped on to two lengths of about a foot of 1"x2" 3mm thick box section at the bottom; the upper part is just for organisation.

Need to hook up the new bottle, tidy up some rough bits, add some paint, and maybe add a tiny toolbox on it for consumables, but that's enough of that for today; I need a kebab.

Like its 25 stablemate, the Rover 45 also got the MG treatment. Meet the MG ZS, here in vivid Trophy Yellow at the 2023 NEC Classic Car Show. Despite its staid looks, the 45 was a great basis for a sporty version thanks to its comparatively sophisticated Honda-derived suspension. The top of the range ZS 180 model featured here also had Rover’s 2.5-litre KV6 engine, so it was quick as well. The 45 still needed replacing but this was a decent stop-gap.