The LOST MG ROVER PROTOTYPE CARS! How YOU Saved Them! - From Abandoned To MUSEUM EXHIBIT! RESTORED!

In this video we explore some of the most incredible and mysterious MG Rover prototypes ever made and the story of how what is probably the greatest barn find ever came to be a museum exhibit thanks to the community and brilliant British Motor Museum including how they restored these cars to their former glory.
I have credited where possible these works are transformative.
Check out these great videos for more coverage of the event:
Beards and Bangers: • LONGBRIDGE LEGACIES: U...
Smashing Pistons: • Rescued from the jaws ...
ARonline is a great source for information; www.aronline.co.uk/
the best place to visit if you enjoy these videos and history: britishmotormuseum.co.uk/
Follow me on Instagram for more cool stuff: / tomisdrivingcars

[@h.niemeyer6651]

Thanks Tom for your involvement in saving these prototypes. The MGTF GT is wonderful. This could have been a popular version if produced.

[@markwilliamson2864]

The MGTF GT looks absolutely exceptional, even today. Congratulations to everyone involved in saving these vehicles, especially you Tom.👍

[@chrisblay]

What a result, saving those prototypes. 👍

[@tomdrives]

We all did a great job

[@forestghost7]

Thank you Tom! As owner of 2 show cond. REAL MGs (80 MGB roadster, 72B GT) I'm very grateful someone still cares! 🙏. If I wasn't stuck in USA I'd be with you blokes right now ... cheers! 🇬🇧

[@Franface31]

If it wasn't for you, those cars would've been in scrapped. Thanks for preserving British motoring history. From a Spainard.

[@tomdrives]

Thank you, it was a team effort.

[@neilmustow368]

Just great Tom these prototypes are now in safe hands all thanks to you Tom👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌

[@tomdrives]

Thanks Neil, we all did a great job.

[@davidbarnsley8486]

Well done Tom and all the other people who helped to save these vehicles And thanks to the museum for taking them in 😍😍🇦🇺

[@Retrorickmg]

Was there last night , was so good to see the cars , well done everyone!

[@doctordapp]

You've done well, thank you for help woth saving these cars for future generations.

[@daveowen9481]

Such a shame they never got produced, they’re all really strong designs. Thank goodness the prototypes have been saved. Thanks Tom, fascinating as always!

[@tomdrives]

Thanks David! I think they look great as well, especially the GT

[@Hairysnid]

Thanks again Tom for your campaign to save these cars. Well done mate! 👏

[@4RingsRetro]

You're a bloody good lad helping save these with the community. Love that GT!

[@gafrers]

Interesting. Great work and glad they are saved. You Must be proud of what You and other achieved. 👌👌👍👍

[@a11csc]

there because of you tom

[@StepsOfStPhilips]

Thanks to you and the enthusiast community for saving these historic prototypes. I’m sad that I just missed them, having visited the British Motor Museum two weeks ago. But I did have a “wow” moment when I saw the crushed Mini 1275 from the Longbridge tunnel that I saw in one of your recent videos!

[@goblin457]

Awesome work Tom 👏👏

[@michaeljohnson1006]

You did a great job Tom at saving some very unusual prototype cars that would normally be put in a museum by the manufacturer so it's fitting they ended up at gaydon and not the scrap yard crusher!

[@CortinasAndClassics]

Absolutely brilliant Tom. Can't wait to see the cars.

[@tomdrives]

Thanks Simone, they look brilliant!

[@CarzwithJC_]

Cracking Video Tom! 😊 Thanks for showing us the reveal event. Wasn't even aware it was happening 😅 other wise I'd have gone 😞 A big, big, well done to everything you did to save them and get them in the museum 👍 👏

[@gryfandjane]

That TF GT is a gem for sure! So glad to see this lot has been rescued. From an MG owner in the US.

[@matthewc.419]

Nice one @Tom Drives , well chuffed 😊 Thanks for your dedication

[@BritishCarsandForecourtsGroup]

Thank you Tom, this is superb and historical cars saved.

[@paulelverstone8677]

You should all be rightly proud of what you've done here. Not only do we get a glimpse of what might've been but we keep them in the flesh, so to speak, and not from pictures and video. TheTF GT has real presence. If that was manufactured to accept the V6 then somewhere out there, there must be the tooling for that. A V6 conversion for the existing MG-F would be an interesting project...

[@badbooks476]

Thankyou for sharing & that must have been a proud moment, when they were unveiled last night

[@tomdrives]

It was for all of us yes! They are saved!

[@edgarbeat2851]

Great work

[@tomdrives]

Thanks Edgar, we all did a great job

[@HLife719]

Great work, chaps!

[@ratty383]

Great job, It’s good to know they’re now in safe hands..

[@SmashingPistons]

Great stuff Tom. And to know the others are awaiting their turn to come to the front is amazing! Can't wait to see these things close up. (also thanks for the mention).

[@ukman9797]

Well done Tom.

[@nickvh3161]

The RDX looks so good, they really restored it well. I was wondering where the rest of the prototypes are, especially the TCV. Good to hear they are safe as well, looking forward to see them!

[@yuglesstube]

Great stuff!

[@GentilsGarage]

Well done Tom, this was a great achievement. I saw it lurking in the back when I went to Rustival on Saturday, but I need to go back to have a proper look now.

[@laurentgully267]

What an amazing video and amazing news 🥰 congratulations !!!!!

[@Gwril76]

Brilliant 👍🏼 Great work too all involved 🇬🇧

[@jamesmcauliffe3762]

Well done for preserving our lost opportunity it could have been so different for our car industry shame and well done for your efforts

[@pear7869]

lovely vid, keep it up

[@andrewbell4332]

Great news, will have to pay a visit now

[@aston-martin-internationalist]

I'm up at the BMM next week, very much looking forward to seeing these. Great work!😊

[@peterriggall8409]

Top job Tom. 👍

[@CheeseScout]

As someone with a close connection to an engineer working on brand new MG Roadster, I am glad this missing link of history is reconnected. The story will have a void if those cars aren't kept!

[@normanmcleod7169]

Great top Tom ... really suits you

[@garymorris801]

Tom great work

[@pizzalover3]

Well done

[@OwainPreece-ie6bb]

Id have bought a TF GT, great looking car!! Good job

[@MarkGory]

Wonderful

[@tomdrives]

Certainly is Mark

[@MarkGory]

My mgzt190 languishing until I can rebuild the Kv6 motor gasket again….. wonderful cars but so badly built. Still so handsome

[@mattluxton8802]

Amazing story and a huge effort. The RDX60 realliy reminds me of early to mid noughties Vauxhalls. Signum etc. The GT would've sold like.hotcakes with the V6.

[@richardrobinson9084]

keep it up tom

[@leefaulkner4075]

Great tom, hope to see you at pride of longbridge

[@tomdrives]

You will! Thanks again for the footage Lee

[@leefaulkner4075]

May I ask what car your taking

[@tomdrives]

@@leefaulkner4075 75 as always, SD1 won’t be done sadly.

[@leefaulkner4075]

👍 thanks

[@bentullett6068]

All those cars were fantastic to see at the event at Gaydon. Tried to talk to you but you were busy. The museum curator though was very knowledgeable on both the cars and whats left of buildings at Longbridge, which don't sound like they are in great condition. I think I remember her saying that the elephant house roof is in disrepair. The only worry is that what is left of that historic site is now in the firing line to be demolished and made into more flats, homes and retail parks.

[@martinbaldwin1906]

I'm glad they are safe....I need to do another pilgrimage to the BMI this spring....

[@raymondrichardson6061]

Great stuff, really. You are great at lobbying. MG are not universally loved now, but let’s be honest, they are on a bit of a roll. The newer models, look terrific. They are expanding, and will need a production base for their inevitable European expansion. For nothing more than sentimental reasons, that base should be in their “ spiritual” ( mythical ??? ) home, the UK. Even if it is just a marketing exercise, think of the jobs, and livelihoods that could be supported, if MG were to return. It would be a win for the UK, and a win for their credibility. Tom, you have the platform, let’s get a conversation started. May well stick in the throat at first, but there is little room for sentimentality in economics.

[@jimdieseldawg3435]

Oh the foreshadowing… “Taking a whole washing machine in the rear” was basically what then happened to the group courtesy of the Phoenix Four.

[@rabit818]

These MG/Rover need to visit the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles.

[@James-cs2wi]

Shareholders was the Demise of British Leyland MG Rover they stole 140 million .. back in those days that was a lot of money 0:36

[@nickb5391]

The Phoenix Four has a lot to answer for, the 'Austin' & B.M.C as a whole was a very big concern, it started to be sold down the river by Donald Stokes in the late 60's firstly by British Motor Holding which by then included J.R.T where too many simular models were competing against each other within the same group

[@jonathanpatterson2798]

Good on yaz

[@mrmitch5054]

“Taking a washing machine in the rear” I wouldn’t like that!

[@jeremywentworth1833]

As an attachment x Rover Foundry quality engineer if the TF GT had gone into production id definitely have had 1. In my 15 years ot so only car i wanted was a Rover 220Turbo .lots of people at work bought 75s ZTs & the odd ZR ZS & TF etc.

[@DWboy14]

Can't wait to see pr1,2 and 3 at gaydon

[@edgarbeat2851]

The mini Maximum is that the actual car Jeremy drove? Does it exist still? I watched that test on TV loved that Mini. I might even still have the Mini World with the feature on the Mini Maximum. I loved it as a kid.

[@tomdrives]

It is the car yes, that’s the actual one.

[@knutarneaakra6013]

Guess they lost the path. Rover sd1 3500 (one of my most beloved cars that i still got in my garage) was an iconic model an iconic shape of pure beauty. Later on models like the 75 were more like a desperate trying to be. I loved the rover brand with all my heart but something went wrong along the way. Sorry for my somewhat bad english😢 😊

[@AFExploration]

what do you know about the 6R4 equipped Montego tested/driven by tony pond

[@420somewhereG]

👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@b.2221]

These cars are thankfully like Jeremy Clarkson things of the past.

[@joejoejoejoejoejoe4391]

I think the MGF was based on a kit car, or perhaps inspired by one.

[@ErikB750]

Is the MGTF Coupe on permanent display now ?

[@tomdrives]

Yes it is

[@bilbobaggins4366]

Like all the oyher cars and trucks , swept under yhe carpet so that german japanese and american comlanies can profit from our creativity ...some of these cars look like oyher marques ,onelooks similiar to audi a3

[@deanstevenson6527]

🥝✔️

[@damoshort76]

With such good looking cars being lined up for production the Labour government could have easily saved the company. Instead they just sat back and watch it collapse. Given more time MG Rover could have been a great British company making great British cars. Shame on Blair.

[@DSPrints_]

Might need to go to the museum one day