COLUMN: MG's 'Golden Jubilee' sports car, the latest TF, took part in a charity cavalcade in central London yesterday as part of the Queen's golden jubilee celebrations.

That's quite appropriate. MG is part of Britain's motoring history and is proud of its royal connections.

In 1947, the Duke of Edinburgh bought an MG TC and in 1969, Prince Charles took delivery of a GT version of the three-litre MGC. The car has recently been passed on to Prince William.

So if you buy the latest TF, you're in good company.

In the current catalogue, the nearest thing you'll find to the classic sort of sports car is the MGF, now renamed the TF.

The TF name was originally used on a rather smart sports roadster made between 1953 and 1955. In all, 9,600 were produced.

On Tuesday April 16 this year, one of the latest MG TF 160 roadsters became the 1.5 millionth MG ever produced in the company's 78 years (the first MG appeared in 1924).

MG say the mid-engined F has been Britain's best-selling sports roadster for the last six years (but there's not a lot of competition), and the TF is a new generation of the MGF, built to recognise the 'real world' affordability and practicality required in a sports car that's intended for everyday use.

MG make a point of telling us that it offers "outrageous fun for all" and that it's "a thoroughbred, exhilarating, raw and bold". There's no point in buying one if that's not what you want. I don't think it's what I want.

The TF brings a new exterior appearance, and though you may not notice much difference, MG insist that their design director Peter Stevens has "substantially developed the exterior style and aerodynamic packaging" to encourage new buyers to part with £15,000.

MG say it carries "a sharper, more aggressive and purposeful look". There are changes to suspension and steering.

The TF has a new front bumper, shaped to reduce front-end lift. At the rear, a 'lip spoiler' incorporates a high-mounted stop lamp.

The four-model range is designated by numbers which identify their power output. There's the 1.6-litre TF 115, the better-appointed 1.8-litre TF 135, and the TF 120 Stepspeed that's automatic with a constantly variable transmission ratio.

Top of the range is the TF 160 with Variable Valve Control.

I've been driving the TF 115, powered by a 1.6-litre engine. It's easy to dismiss the whole ethos. It's not terribly fast (0-60mpg in 9.2 seconds). Performance in second and third gears is more impressive, but frankly the car doesn't feel so very sporty.

Fifth gear means you're doing 70mph at just under 3,000 revs, and if you believe the tachometer, you've still got another 3,000-plus left and the speedo would go up to 150mph.

But it doesn't boost your ego on a motorway when you find that umpteen old Transit vans are keeping up with you in the fast lane and eagerly waiting to overtake.

The trouble here is that most of today's 'ordinary' cars are already very fast, and manage this without majoring on the down-to-earth discomfort which is an essential ingredient of the sports-car genre.

The TF's body structure has been stiffened to produce a 20 per cent more rigid shell; does that make the car less comfortable?

It takes a while to be won over by a traditional sports roadster, as opposed to some super sophisticated sports coupe that's designed to iron out all the bumps on the way.

The styling doesn't help. It's always been true that a longer vehicle has more chance of looking elegant. This is not long; more stubby and squat. It doesn't look as long as the MGB, for example.

The tyres look both fat and flat. Flat at the bottom, and fat as you view from the rear.

My test car was all black inside and the dials on the black fascia were silvered.

Today's expectations mean the car gets electric windows, but the adjustment of the door mirror is manual.

There's not much space inside. The seats are comfortable, and legroom is decent enough, but overall there's not much free space for carrying your bits and pieces, and unlike the old MGB, you've no free space behind the two seats.

The area between the seats is taken up with the handbrake, gear stick and ashtray. There's no fascia-top area, and no door pockets.

The heater is very effective. The first of the blower's four speeds is good, the second overpowering.

The bottom line is a matter of what you seek. If you want sumptuous comfort and all manner of gadgetry, buy a Jag.

If you're ready for fun and to hell with the discomfort, you're ready for an MG.

MG TF 115

Body: 3943mm by 1628mm two-door two-seat convertible roadster

Power train: 1588cc, 4-cylinder 16-valve 115bhp engine driving front wheels through five-speed gearbox

Performance: 0-60mph in 9.2 seconds, top speed 118 mph.

MPG: 29 urban, 50 extra urban; 40 combined.

Fuel tank: 11 gallons.

Price: £15,750

Insurance: Group 11 E

Warranty: 3 years / 60,000 miles, 6 years' anti-rust

Dealers: F J Chalke, Salisbury Street, Mere (01747) 860244