A BRIEF HISTORY

The MTGS was founded in 1926 originally by some senior motor industry executives from amongst the manufacturer sector, prominent among whom was Lord Nuffield (William Morris). The aim was to attract kindred spirits from across the industry who had an interest in the game of golf and wished to meet periodically throughout the year for the recreation and amenity of playing golf together at some of the finest courses in the country.

As the Society grew, the meetings of the MTGS became important business networking events. Top executives and senior managers from the motor manufacturers, the retail dealer networks, the banks and finance Houses and the industry service providers became members and valued highly the business networking opportunities that membership of the Society provided..

The Annual Dinner of the MTGS, begun in 1927 as a ‘black tie’ occasion at The Dorchester. It became the premier motor trade dinner in London, attracting some of the most prominent influencers and opinion formers in the industry. Guests regularly have included Ministers of State, celebrities, academics, captains of industry and members of the Royal Family.

Society meetings have always been supported financially by a range of ‘sponsors’ principally motivated by the business benefits of being associated with the MTGS. The motor manufacturers and the motor finance companies have been the most prominent and longstanding sponsors in the past. Others sponsors come from the support services sector of the industry. Today, we would like to acknowledge with thanks the generosity of this year’s match sponsors :- AutoProtect, British Car Auctions, Lease Car Credit, Automotive Assets, and Grove Group.

There are five main meetings throughout the year. The first is at St Georges Hill in March which also hosts the AGM. Woking in May, Swinley Forest in June, Hankley Common in August and Walton Heath in September. The first meeting of the year is for members only and the others are open to members guests. In addition, members can put their names down to play in matches against other kindred societies and trade bodies. Annual fixtures against the Transport GS, the Members Vs the Committee, the Scottish MTGS, the Midlands MTGS and the Royal Logistics Corps have been held for very many years at such venues as New Zealand, Worplesdon, New Zealand and Tadmarton Heath. We play Kia at Worplesdon this year and a match against BMW at Betchworth.

The Committee of the MTGS have set up a membership review to encourage new members from across the wider motor industry. It has been agreed that, in the first instance, the Society will seek to promote new membership via the trade bodies that represent the various sectors of the industry. The SMMT, RMI, BVRLA, ICFM, FLA and ACFO are being approached with the aim of introducing and recommending the benefits of MTGS membership to their own members.

Membership of the Society is now open to executives from all sectors of the motor industry such as fleet operators, leasing and contract hire companies, daily rental companies and the wider service providers that have not been specifically targetted before. Alongside this, the leaders of major retail dealer groups and the motor manufacturers will be the subject of a direct and personal approach to gain support for membership. The Society will also be seeking to offer ‘affiliation’ status to other motor industry golf societies such as the Transport GS and the regional and Scottish motor trades.

The Committee will ensure that any activities engaged in will always be in keeping with the original and essential aims of the MTGS, ie to provide a means whereby executives within the wider UK motor industry can meet each other socially for golf at some of the country’s finest courses and benefit from the business networking opportunities that this presents. Anything that helps the Society to achieve these ambitions, and does not expose the membership to canvassing from outside parties for merely the promotion of their own products and services, will be considered.

PGL Feb 2011(updated July 2021)