MG J-type

Last updated

MG J-Type
J2 advert.jpg
Overview
Manufacturer MG
Production1932–1934
2,494 made
Body and chassis
Class sports car
Body style 2-door roadster
Salonette
Layout FR
Chronology
Predecessor MG C-type, D-type and M-type Midgets
Successor MG P-type Midget

The MG J-type is a sports car that was produced by MG from 1932 to 1934. This 2-door sports car used an updated version of the overhead camshaft, crossflow engine, used in the 1928 Morris Minor and Wolseley 10 and previously fitted in the MG M-type Midget of 1929 to 1932, driving the rear wheels through a four-speed non-synchromesh gearbox. The chassis was from the D-Type with suspension by half-elliptic springs and Hartford friction shock-absorbers all round with rigid front and rear axles. The car had a wheelbase of 86 in (2,184 mm) and a track of 42 in (1,067 mm). Most cars were open two-seaters, but a closed salonette version of the J1 was also made, and some chassis were supplied to external coachbuilders. The open cars can be distinguished from the M type by having cut-away tops to the doors. [1]

Contents

J1

MG J1
Overview
Production1932–1933
380 made
Powertrain
Engine 847 cc I4
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,184.4 mm (86 in) [2]

The J1 was the four-seat car in the range. The engine was the 847 cc unit previously seen in the C-type with twin SU carburetors giving 36 bhp. The car cost £220 in open and £225 in Salonette form. [3]

J2

MG J2
MG J2 WH 4594 - 1933 (9086263143).jpg
J2 1933
Overview
Production1932–1934
2,083 made
Powertrain
Engine 847 cc I4
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,184.4 mm (86 in) [2]

The J2, a road-going two-seater, was the commonest car in the range. Early models had cycle wings, which were replaced in 1933 by the full-length type typical of all sports MGs until the 1950s TF. The top speed of a standard car was 65 mph (105 km/h), [3] but a specially prepared one tested by The Autocar magazine reached 82 mph (132 km/h). The car cost £199. [1]

The most serious of the J2's technical failings is that it has only a two-bearing crankshaft which can break if over-revved. The overhead camshaft is driven by a vertical shaft through bevel gears, which also forms the armature of the dynamo. Thus any oil leak from the cambox seal goes into the dynamo brushgear, presenting a fire hazard.

Rather than hydraulic brakes the car has Bowden cables to each drum. Although requiring no more pedal force than any other non-power-assisted drum brake if they are well maintained, the drums themselves are small, and even in-period it was a common modification to replace them with larger drums from later models.

J3

MG J3
1932 MG J3 Midget Super Sports (16477052680).jpg
Overview
Production1932–1933
22 made
Powertrain
Engine 746 cc I4S
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,184.4 mm (86 in) [2]

The J3 was a racing version with the engine capacity reduced to 746 cc by shortening the stroke from 83 to 73 mm [1] and fitted with a Powerplus supercharger. The smaller engine capacity was to allow the car to compete in 750 cc class racing events. Larger brakes from the L-type were fitted. [3]

J4

MG J4
MG J4 750ccm75PS 1933.JPG
Overview
Production1932–1933
9 made
Powertrain
Engine 746 cc I4S
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,184.4 mm (86 in) [2]

The J4 was a pure racing version with lightweight body work and the J3 engine, but using more boost from the supercharger to obtain 72 bhp.

Related Research Articles

MG MGA Motor vehicle

The MGA is a sports car that was produced by MG from 1955 to 1962.

MG T-type Motor vehicle

The MG T-Type is a series of body-on-frame open two-seater sports cars that were produced by MG from 1936 to 1955. The series included the MG TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, and MG TF Midget models. The last of these models, the TF, was replaced by the MGA. Although the design was similar to contemporary cars of the 1930s, it came to be considered outdated by the 1950s.

MG Y-type Motor vehicle

The MG Y-Type is an automobile produced by MG in England from 1947 to 1953. It was offered in four-door saloon and limited production open four-seat tourer versions.

MG P-type Motor vehicle

The MG P-type is a sports car that was produced by MG from 1934 to 1936. This 2-door sports car used an updated version of the Wolseley Motors-designed and made overhead camshaft, crossflow engine, used in the 1928 Morris Minor and previously fitted in the J-type Midget of 1932 to 1934, driving the rear wheels through a four-speed non-synchromesh gearbox. The chassis was a strengthened and slightly longer version of that used in the J-type with suspension by half-elliptic springs all round with rigid front and rear axles. Steering was initially by a Marles Weller and later a Bishop Cam system. The two-seat car had a wheelbase of 87 inches (2210 mm) and a track of 42 in (1,100 mm). Most cars were open two-seaters, but streamlined Airline coupé bodies were also made. The P-type was also available as a four-seater, a car that suffered from a lack of power and poor rear ground clearance. Whereas J, K and L-type MGs differentiated between versions with the use of numbers, with 1 indicating a four-seater and 2 a two-seater, this was not the case with the P-type, and there is no clue to the type in the name.

MG C-type Motor vehicle

The MG C-type is a sports car that was produced by MG from 1931 to 1932. It was designed for competition use and based on the M-Type Midget. A special car, EX120 had been developed from the M-Type for George Eyston to make an attempt on the 750 cc class 24-hour record at Autodrome de Montlhéry in France. The attempt was successful and a series of replica cars were made which became the C-Type.

MG D-type Motor vehicle

The MG D-type "Midget" is a sports car that was produced by MG in 1931 and 1932. It used the engine from the MG M-type in the chassis from the MG C-type and was only available as a four-seater. Of the 250 cars produced, 208 were open tourers, 37 were salonettes and five went to external coachbuilders.

MG F-type Motor vehicle

The MG F-type Magna is a six-cylinder-engined car that was produced by MG from October 1931 to 1932. It was also known as the 12/70.

Morris Minor (1928) Motor vehicle

This article refers to the motor car manufactured by Morris Motors Limited from 1928–1934. For the Morris Minor manufactured by Morris Motors Limited from 1948–1971, see Morris Minor.

Maserati A6 Motor vehicle

Maserati A6 were a series of grand tourers, racing sports cars and single seaters made by Maserati of Italy between 1947 and 1956. They were named for Alfieri Maserati and for their straight-six engine.

The MG K-type Magnette is a motor car produced in the United Kingdom by MG from October 1932 to 1934.

MG L-type Motor vehicle

The MG L-type is a sports car that was produced by the MG Car company in 1933 and 1934.

MG R-type Motor vehicle

The MG R-type is a motor car that was produced by MG in 1935. It was designed for competition use and was a development of the Q-type.

MG VA Motor vehicle

The MG VA, or MG 1½-litre as it was originally marketed, is a motor car that was produced by MG between February 1937 and September 1939 and was the smallest of the three sports saloons they produced in the late 1930s, the others being the SA and WA.

MG N-type Motor vehicle

The MG N-type Magnette is a sports car that was produced by MG from October 1934 to 1936. The car was developed from the K-Type and L-Type but had a new chassis that broke away in design from the simple ladder type used on the earlier cars of the 1930s being wider at the rear than the front and with the body fitted to outriggers off the main frame.

Wolseley Hornet six Motor vehicle

The Wolseley Hornet is a six-cylinder twelve fiscal horsepower lightweight automobile which was offered as a saloon car, coupé and open two-seater as well as the usual rolling chassis for bespoke coachwork. Produced by Wolseley Motors Limited from 1930 to 1936, the Hornet was unveiled to the public at the end of April 1930. Wolseley had been bought from the receivers by William Morris in 1927.

MG Q-type Motor vehicle

The MG Q-type is a racing car that was produced by MG in 1934. The chassis was based on the one used on the MG K3 but was narrower and used N-type axles. The engine used the cylinder block from the P-type but with a special crankshaft to bring the capacity down to 746 cc by reducing the stroke from 83 mm (3.3 in) to 71 mm (2.8 in). A high-pressure Zoller supercharger was fitted giving a boost to 2.5 atmospheres (1.8 kg/cc) and allowing the engine to produce 113 bhp (84 kW) at 7200 rpm. A sprint version was also made with output increased to 146 bhp (109 kW) which at nearly 200 bhp (150 kW) per litre was the highest specific output of any engine in the world at the time

MG M-type Motor vehicle

The MG M-type is a sports car that was produced by the MG Cars from April 1929 to 1932. It was sometimes referred to as the 8/33. Launched at the 1928 London Motor Show when the sales of the larger MG saloons was faltering because of the economic climate, the small car brought MG ownership to a new sector of the market and probably saved the company. Early cars were made in the Cowley factory, but from 1930 production had transferred to Abingdon.

Rhode (car)

The Rhode was a British car made from 1921 to 1930. Mead and Deakin Ltd had started in business making cycle and motor cycle components. They also made the "Canoelet" sidecar. In 1912 they made at least two cyclecars under the name of Medea with 1244cc Chapuis-Dornier engines but these did not go into series production.

Lagonda 14/60 Motor vehicle

The Lagonda 14/60 was a sports touring car introduced by Lagonda in 1925. Production of the 14/60 continued until 1931. As well as the standard car there were variants called the 2 Litre Speed (1927–33) and Continental.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Green, Malcolm (1997). MG Sports Cars. Godalming UK: CLB International. ISBN   1 85833 606 6.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Aspden, Richard (1983). The Classic MG. p. 94. ISBN   0861241096.
  3. 1 2 3 Sedgwick, Michael; Gillies, Mark (1993). A-Z of Cars of the 1930s. Bay View Books. ISBN   978-1-870979-38-2.