At Bonhams & Goodman’s showrooms in all Australian capitals, crowds of twice the expected size attended the MG Rover Administrators Auction. The number reached 3,000 in total, filling the five venues. The auction aimed to sell off the last cars MG Rover manufactured in Australia. All the cars were sold, some representing great value. In particular, the Rover 75 Club and MG ZTs went at bargain prices, but the distinctive TF sports cars still held their appeal and drew competitive bidding, as anticipated.

The enduring popularity of Rovers and MGs couldn’t be denied. Most customers appeared to be genuine enthusiasts, either having been owners at some time or possessing good knowledge of the cars. A number of MG Car Club members were on hand and, during the extended 4 days’ viewing time, many people just came for the display. Some loyal visitors even stayed at the end of the auction to bid for badges and logos used on the walls of the dealerships. The success of the auction and the devotion shown toward the marques highlights the severity of this loss to car manufacturing in the UK.