º£½ÇÊÓƵ

MG has celebrated landing its maiden manufacturers’ title in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship in the season finale at Brands Hatch.

The victory comes just two years after the Midland car-maker marked its return to motorsposrt and brings to an end Honda’s four-year dominance of the BTCC championship.

MG sales and marketing director Guy Jones said: “Everyone at MG is delighted with this victory and the team’s success in placing the iconic MG brand, with its rich history of motorsport, back at the top of such a prestigious, exciting and challenging championship as BTCC. 

“I want to thank everyone who worked so hard to make this a success both on and off the track. The team here at MG, Ian Harrison and the team and Triple Eight, the drivers Jason Plato, Sam Tordoff, Tesco, Castrol and all our other sponsor partners.”

MG’s return to motorsport was part of a drive by the Longbridge-based firm to re-establish the MG brand both in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ and across the world. 

The MG6 GT race car was designed to resemble the road car as closely as possible and BTCC race meets also proved an opportunity for MG to show off its current vehicles via a mobile showroom next to the track.

When MG’s BTCC participation began in 2012, the goal from the outset was to win the manufacturers’ championship.

MG’s win came during an action packed weekend at the final weekend of the championship at Brands Hatch, which saw MG drivers Jason Plato and Sam Tordoff deliver an impressive one-two in the first race.

Race two secured the manufacturers’ championship for MG before a rain-soaked race three in near zero visibility conditions, where Tordoff finished fourth and Plato seventh after starting from the back in the pit-lane. 

Plato also finished second in the drivers’ championship and remains the most successful driver in the history of BTCC.