SOTW: MG ZT+ 190

Shed spies a bargain-bucket example of MG's sporty take on the Rover 75

Shed has gone all modern this week, with possibly the newest SOTW ever - and a very rare foray into the 21st century with this (gasp) 52-plate MG ZT.

Now, the ZT might not have had the most illustrious background or glamourous sire - the rather fuddy-duddy Rover 75 is not exactly an obvious choice for a sports saloon and a newly independent MG Rover only recently divorced from BMW was hardly brimming with funds for new models.

Yet somehow the MG ZT is more than the sum of its parts. The Peter Stevens styling (he's the man who shaped the original McLaren F1 don'tcha know) is clearly a shoestring effort, but does a fair job of tidying up the 75, and Rover's chassis engineers, finally given a brief to do something sporty, proved that the 75 could be turned into a pretty sharp handler with only relatively minor tweaks to the suspension.

The 2.5-litre KV6 engine took to the sporting saloon role pretty well, too, mustering a respectable 188bhp - good enough for a 7.8secs sprint to 60mph and a 140mph top speed. It was eager and keen to rev, too.

Best of all, the ZT was far enough up the MG range to (mostly) avoid falling into the grubby mitts of the Barry Boys and so, unlike its ZR and ZS siblings, the majority of ZTs have so far largely escaped trial-by-modification.

Of course, if you really want a fast MG ZT you'll have to go for the 4.6-litre V8, rear-drive 260 model - but you're not going to find one of them for less than a grand, and there are hardly any about anyway.

It's pretty hard to find a ZT 190 for this price, too - most of a similar age and mileage seem to be fetching at least £2k. So it's a bargain of the century for one of the last-ever genuinely British high-volume performance cars to be produced, right?

Er, maybe. There is a bit of a catch (well two, actually). This particular MG, well-specced and relatively reasonable mileage as it is, has at some point been declared a category C write-off, although the vendor says the damage was purely cosmetic. More ominously there is also no history with the car.

But don't let us put you off - if you're feeling brave or have a good eye for the oily bits, then this MG could be quite a find. It's a gamble, then, but go in with your eyes open and this sporty slice of latter-day British motoring history could well be a bit of a steal.

Advert is reproduced below

MG ZT 190 +, 75,000 miles, £1000
MOT - 11/12/10
TAX - 30/06/10
75000 miles (will increase daily)
For sale is my mg ZT 190+, the car has previously been registered as cat c beacause of damage to the passenger side wing, bonnet, bumper and headlight.

All repair work was done by the previous owner to a very high standard using original parts and you cannot tell it has been damaged before.

There was no mechanical damage to the car just cosmetic.

All the electrics work as they should and this has the rare option of cruise control which makes longer journeys that bit more relaxing.

The individual climate control works perfectly and blows hot and cold just as it should.
The car is completely standard apart from a stanless steel replacement exhaust which was also done by the previous owner, its no louder than standard and looks pretty much the same as a standard unit but will last for many years longer than standard dealer sourced exhaust.

There is also an aftermarket headunit with bluetooth connectivity for your mobile phone so you can use it handsfree which works very well and comes in handy.

The body work of the car is in very good condition for its age with no sign of rust and very few stone chips on the front, I wash the car twice a week to keep it looking clean and tidy.

I have priced the car so low as it is due a timing belt change and I think a wheel bearing may need changing as a slight rumble can be heard when driving at motorway speeds, the tyres are also nearing the legal limit

There is no history with the car, and only one key!

The car drives perfectly fine, Its my daily driver and I use it every weekend to drive to bradford and back (200 mile round trip) its large,comfortable,powerfull and surprisingly economical.

Im looking to sell asap as ive taken delivery of a new car.

Im looking for £1000 no offers

Car is located in washington tyne and wear

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