This Day In History - Founder of classic British sports car company is born on Apr 12

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Founder of classic British sports car company is born - Apr 12, 1888 - HISTORY.com

On this day in 1888, Cecil Kimber, founder of the British sports car company MG, is born in England.

In 1921, Kimber went to work for British auto tycoon William Morris. A year later, he was made general manager of Morris Garages, the Oxford, England-based distributor of Morris autos. Kimber soon began selling customized Morris cars, lowering the chassis and fitting sportier bodywork, and by 1924, these small, high-performance sports cars bore the now-famous octagonal MG logo. By 1929, the MG Car Company was headquartered in Abingdon, England. The early 1930s were glory years for MG sports cars, as the company’s road cars were promoted by its successful racing endeavors. In the mid-1930s, William Morris, by then known as Lord Nuffield, sold his private companies, which included MG, to the public holding company of Morris Motors. Morris ended MG’s racing activities and even placed the MG badge on company saloon cars. In 1941, after a falling out with Nuffield, Kimber was fired. On February 4, 1945, he was killed in a train accident at the age of 57.

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