Cecil Kimber (12 April 1888 – 4 February 1945) was a self-taught British businessman, engineer, inventor, race-car driver and the creative motor-car designer best known for having been the driving force behind The M.G. Car Company. Kimber's automotive design philosophy was simple: "A sports car should look fast even when it is standing still".^[1]

Kimber was a pioneer of affordable sporting automobiles, starting in the 1920s. Kimber's MG M-type (the first MG "Midget") became the world's best-selling sports car in 1932.^[2] His concept of the quick, nimble "open sports car" automobile continues throughout the world.^[3]

Kimber was born in Dulwich, Southwark, London on 12 April 1888 to printer's ink manufacturer Henry Frances and his wife Fanny (née Newhouse) Kimber.^[4]

In 1898, Kimber attended Stockport Grammar School for more than five years.^[4] His interests included photography and sailing.^[5] He joined his father's company and took an early interest in motorcycles, buying a 1906 Rex model. After buying the motorcycle, he immediately took the motorcycle apart and reassembled it.^[2] Kimber started repairing motorized bicycles and motorcycles at the age of 18.^[1]

Kimber was struck by a car during a motorcycle ride. One of his legs was shattered, nearly amputated and shorter than the other after healing from multiple surgeries.^[5] Kimber received a substantial insurance award. Kimber's father asked him to give the money to the struggling family business. Kimber refused as he felt the payment for his injury was solely his. In 1914 he left his father's business and struck out on his own.^[2]

Now unable to safely ride a motorcycle, Kimber became a motorcar racing enthusiast. Kimber bought a 10 hp Singer in 1913.^[6] This interest caused him to leave the family firm in 1914 and get a job with Sheffield-Simplex as assistant to the chief designer. During World War I he moved first to AC Cars and then to component supplier EG Wrigley. He made a large personal financial investment in Wrigleys but he lost this when the company lost heavily on a deal with Angus-Sanderson for whom he had styled a radiator.^[7] Wrigley had also been a major supplier to Morris Motors Limited and was bought by W R Morris in 1923.

In 1921 Kimber was hired as Sales manager with Morris Garages,^[8] a private company founded in 1909 by William Richard Morris. By 1923, Kimber was named general manager.^[2]

While at Morris Garages he developed a range of special bodies for Morris cars with coachwork of his own design. These cars were sold under the MG brand. In 1924 he modified a standard 14/28 "Bullnose" radiator Morris Oxford. He advertised the higher-performance cars as the "Morris Garages Super Sports", calling it "our popular M.G. Saloon".^[8]

Kimber felt success in auto racing was the key to building both awareness and demand that would make his cars desired around the world. To that end, he commenced building customized, lighter-bodied racing versions of his automobiles and entering them in contests.^[1]

In March 1925, Kimber won the 300 mile "London-to-Land's End Reliability Trial" while driving Morris Garage's "Old Number One". It was the manufacturer's first major racing win. Kimber was awarded a gold medal for his first place finish.^[4]

The M.G. Car Company was founded in 1928, specialising in the production of MG sports cars. The new company moved from Oxford to Abingdon in 1929 and Kimber became managing director in July 1930.

In 1932 Captain George Eyston set a new land speed record of 119.48 mph at Pendine Sands, Carmarthen Bay, Wales in the 750cc M.G. "Magic Midget" ^[9]

Kimber oversaw the development of a MG K-type K-3 Magnette into the 1100cc EX135. The car won many first place awards, including speed trials, trophy races, hill climbs, the 1933 Mille Miglia and the Index of Performance during the 1934 24 Hours of Le Mans.^[10] In 1939 the car achieved a record 204.3 mph for the mile at the Dessau racetrack.^[11]

The main shareholder remained William Morris. In 1935 Morris formally sold M.G. to Morris Motors which meant Kimber was no longer in sole control and had to take instructions from head office leading to him becoming increasingly disillusioned with his role.

With the outbreak of World War II, car production stopped and at first M.G. was reduced to making basic items for the armed forces until Kimber obtained contract work on aircraft but this was done without first obtaining approval and he was asked to resign and left in 1941.

Kimber's later career included working in 1941 at Coventry coachbuilder Charlesworth and a year later served as Director of piston manufacturer Specialloid.^[6][12]

Kimber was killed in the King's Cross railway accident on 4 February 1945, having boarded the 6:00 p.m. express to Leeds. Shortly after leaving the station and entering Gasworks Tunnel, the locomotive's wheels started slipping on a newly replaced section of rail laid on the rising gradient. In the darkness, the driver failed to realise that the train was no longer moving forward and had started to roll back at a speed of some 6–7 mph (9.7–11.3 km/h). The signalman noticed this and attempted to avert a collision with another train in the station by switching the points to an empty platform but was too late. The rear carriage was derailed, rolled onto its side and was crushed against the steel support of the main signal gantry. The first-class compartment where Kimber had been sitting was demolished; he and one other passenger was killed.

Kimber was taken to University College Hospital London where he was pronounced dead.^[13] Kimber's body was was cremated at North London's Golders Green Crematorium. His ashes were were scattered in Chichester Harbour.^[14]

His daughter said of his dying "His death was nobody's fault but MG had been his be-all and end-all. It was a merciful release. He never quite got over being fired".^[1]

Cecil Kimber married twice, first to Irene (Rene) Hunt with whom he had two daughters, Lisa and Jean, and after Irene died in 1938 to Muriel Dewar. He was elected as President of the Automobile Division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.^[7]

• 2019 - "Kimber Wing", New College, Oxford - A highly specified, fully accessible suite for two disabled students named for Kimber^[15]
• 2017 - British Sportscar Hall of Fame Inductee
• 2014 - Oxfordshire Blue Plaque, The Boundary House, Abingdon^[16]

• Kimber, Cecil (1993). "The Lure of Speed". In Haining, Peter; Cook, Jean (eds.). MG Log: A Celebration of the World's Favourite Sports Car. London: Souvenir Press. pp. 60–69. ISBN 0-285-63144-6.