The number of people who remember when the trip from Glenwood Springs to the Front Range took more than five hours on unpaved roads over Loveland Pass grows smaller each year. But the MG Car Club Rocky Mountain Centre is still honoring that time-tested tradition.

The club will host the 73rd annual Rallye Glenwood Springs on Friday, kicking off a weekend dedicated to classic MG sports cars — a brand that has cultivated a passionate following over the past century. The combination of affordability, accessibility and nostalgic design has fueled global enthusiasm for the English manufacturer.

The MG craze took hold in the United States during and after World War II. Lightweight, two-seat convertibles with responsive steering and strong road-holding appeal drew thousands to the brand. While the engines weren’t especially powerful, MG’s low-profile design and handling made them ideal for winding mountain roads — a perfect match for Colorado drivers.

“We’re all just a bunch of nostalgic people,” MGCC Rocky Mountain Centre President Greg Peek said. “To think back on all of those years, and all the people who came before us, means something to all of us — just as much as the old cars mean to us.”

The club held its first Time-Speed-Distance (TSD) road rally ending in Glenwood Springs in 1953, thanks in part to an invitation from Hank Bosco, then-owner of the Hotel Denver and later part-owner of the Glenwood Hot Springs.

“One of the first people the club contacted when they were planning the Rallye was Hank Bosco,” said club historian and goodwill ambassador Alan Magnuson. “That started a longtime tradition of a close connection between the MG Car Club and the Chamber of Commerce and the city of Glenwood Springs.”

No one from the original Rallye remains, and Bosco’s hospitality is now legend — but Glenwood Springs still feels like a second home to the club, Magnuson said. Many of the same cars from decades past are still hitting the road in this year’s Rallye.

“We’ve gone through generations of members and people who’ve experienced the Rallye in Glenwood Springs, and every time we come back, it feels like we’re coming home,” Magnuson said.

Unlike traditional races, the TSD road rally doesn’t reward speed — it rewards precision. Participants must arrive at designated checkpoints at exactly the right time. Arriving early or late results in the same penalty. For safety, the prescribed speeds are always at or below the posted limit, and official times are recorded throughout the route.

Although the route is kept secret until race day, it typically winds from the Front Range through the mountains and ends on Grand Avenue in Glenwood Springs. Most years, the journey takes six to seven hours.

“I swear, some of the club members look forward to their cars giving them a little trouble along the way,” Peek said, half joking. “They love to fix the car. It’s a big deal for them to say, ‘Did you see that? That only took me 30 seconds,’ or ‘I know exactly what that noise means,’ or ‘Will you hand me that paper clip?’ There’s still a lot of old-school magic involved. I think that’s why people still love it.”

The Rallye is just the start of a full weekend of events. After Friday’s rally concludes, a welcome dinner will be held at the Glenwood Springs Community Center. On Saturday, the club hosts a tour — a more relaxed, family-friendly drive open to all makes and models, with an out-and-back route beginning and ending in Glenwood. Sunday wraps up the festivities with a car show, a playful driving event called a “funkhana,” and an awards ceremony, all at Two Rivers Park.

Although the event has taken place every year “come hell or high water,” Peek said he hopes to see even more local involvement.

“We’ve had a really good relationship with Parks and Rec, but it would be great to meet with city council and ask, ‘Hey, what more can we do?'” he said. “What fits your requirements as a city, and how can we help make this even better? Because it’s really just pure fun.”

For more information about the 73rd annual Rallye Glenwood Springs, visit https://mgcc.org/rallye-glenwood-springs.