In the present work, Mg-Zn-Cu alloy (ZC63) and its saffil alumina short fibre reinforced composites produced using the squeeze casting technique were evaluated for their properties. The unreinforced base alloys and their composites were characterized for their microstructure, hardness, yield strength, impact strength, wear resistance and corrosion resistance. The dependence of the properties of composites was studied as a function of fibre volume fraction. Results showed that the composites exhibited improved hardness, yield strength at elevated temperature and wear resistance in comparison to the monolithic alloy. However, ductility, impact strength and corrosion resistance of the composites were inferior to that of the base alloy. The nature of the base alloy matrix in determining the properties of the composites was discussed based on fractographic analysis. (c) 2006 Springer Science+ Business Media, Inc.