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MG Mk 1 ZS 180 Saloon 2001

Owner: Richard Baker

This is my 2001 Y-registration MK1 MG ZS180 in Trophy Yellow.

It is number 135 off the ZS production line, ordered by a dealer on 1st July 2001 and manufactured on 4th July. I didn’t realize this when I bought the car but this makes it one of the earliest ZS180 MK1’s left in existence.

Ever since watching the British Touring Car Championships in the early noughties, there was always a soft spot for this British underdog. With the iconic Atomic Kitten, Xpower and later RAC liveries, there’s nothing like some aggressive close-quartered racing to get you interested in, what’s most regarded, as the car your grandad used to drive with a brightly coloured body kit.

However, the ZS proved itself to be more than that. With a multitude of suspension changes to improve handling, a bigger 2.5 litre V6 fitted on the 180 models and a whacking great boot spoiler to go with the Xpower body kit; this car proved to be a fighting tool on the British B road.

15 years on and, for me, that Xpower fire still burned within. Nostalgia is a powerful emotion and when you can’t buy a model of your childhood dream, you have to buy the real thing…it’s a rule.

Sadly, owing to rates on 17 year olds insurance and running costs of a modern classic performance car, this wasn’t to be just yet; but 4 years later the opportunity arose.

This MK1 ZS 180 in Trophy Yellow cropped up and within a few days I found myself pleading with the owner to hold it until the weekend so I could view it. I bought it and within the first year realized this was going to be a bigger project than I first imagined. Undeterred, I took it off the road a year after purchase and started working through a big list.

It has been cut up, welded and rust-proofed…extensively, had front adjustable coilovers fitted, some paintwork attention here and there and much more maintenance and servicing than I care to mention to help reverse the 20-odd years of daily abuse in British soggy weather.

I also replaced the manky old mesh air filter with a proper silicon pipe and pod setup with a cold feed from the fog lamp, retrimmed the headlining and doors and performed a repair to one of the rear outer door handles…if you know, you know!

Finally, after 8 months of blood, late evenings and cold brews it was back on the road with an MOT…and boy was it all worth it!

Finally realizing my dream, I now take this car to as many shows as I can so that everyone can appreciate this old gem. Driving the ZS is a joyous experience. Yes the gear stick is a bit sloppy, yes the interior is very dated and yes it will piddle oil onto your garage floor like an excited dog; but when you get the urge to put your toe down on a country road in the rare sunshine and hear the 6 cylinder chorus at over 6k rpm, this car is more than willing to oblige.