This article's lead sectionmay be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article.(April 2024)
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. Known as the Midget, the series, included the TA, TB, TC, TD, and TF models. Although the design was contemporary in the 1930s, it had grown outdated by the 1950s, and was replaced by the all new MGA in 1955.
The TA Midget replaced the PB in 1936.[1] It was an evolution of the previous car and was 3 inches (76mm) wider in its track at 45 inches (1,100mm) and 7 inches (180mm) longer in its wheelbase at 94 inches (2,400mm).
The previous advanced overhead-caminline-four engine was by then not in use by any other production car so it was replaced by the MPJG OHV unit from the Wolseley Ten, but with twin SU carburettors, modified camshaft and manifolding. The engine displaced just 1292cc, with a stroke of 102mm (4.0in) and a bore of 63.5mm (2.5in) and power output was 50hp (40.3kW) at 4,500 rpm. The four-speed manual gearbox gained synchromesh on the two top ratios and was connected to the engine by a cork-faced clutch running in oil. Unlike the PB, hydraulic brakes were fitted with 9-inch (230mm) drums.
1938 TA in competition, Italy 2015
Like the PB, most were two-seat open cars with a steel body on an ash frame. A bench-type seat was fitted with storage space behind.
The T-type was capable of reaching almost 80mph (130km/h) in standard tune with a 0–60mph time of 23.1 seconds.[2] Allan Tomlinson won the 1939 Australian Grand Prix handicap driving an MG TA.
3,003 were made and in 1936 it cost £222 on the home market, the same as the PB.
When first introduced the model was known as the T Type and only after the advent of the TB did the TA designation come into use.[3]
Tickford drophead coupé
From 1938 the car could also be had with a more luxurious Tickford drophead coupé body by Salmons of Newport Pagnell, and 252 were made.[2] The soft top could be used in three positions, fully open, closed or open just over the seats. Wind-up windows were fitted to the higher topped doors making the car more weathertight and individual bucket seats used in the fully carpeted interior. Complete chassis were fitted with a very basic body at the Abingdon factory and driven to Newport Pagnell to have their coachwork fitted.
The TA was replaced by the TB Midget in May 1939. It had a smaller but more modern XPAG engine as fitted to the Morris Ten Series M, but in a more highly tuned state and like the TA with twin SU carburettors. This 1250cc straight-four unit featured a slightly less undersquare66.6mm (2.6in) bore and 90mm (3.5in) stroke and had a maximum power output of 54hp (40kW) at 5200 rpm. The oil-immersed clutch was also replaced by a dry-plate type and gear ratios revised.[citation needed]
Available as an open two-seater or more luxurious Tickford drophead coupé, this is the rarest of the T-type cars, as production began just prior to Britain's entry into World War II.[citation needed] Only 379 TBs were made before the MG factory emptied its buildings and switched to making major aircraft components and modifying tanks.[4]
The TC Midget was the first postwar MG,[1] and was launched in 1945. It was quite similar to the pre-war TB, sharing the same 1,250cc (76cuin) pushrod-OHV engine with a slightly higher compression ratio of 7.4:1 giving 54.5bhp (40.6kW) at 5200 rpm. The makers also provided information for several alternative stages of tuning for "specific purposes".[5] The XPAG engine is well known for its tunability. The TC engine was a slightly improved version of the XPAG first introduced to MG in the TB. Notable improvement was through the addition of a hydraulically (oil pressure) adjusted timing chain tensioner. All TCs utilized a (single battery) 12 volt electrical system. All TCs came with 19" Dunlop wire wheels. Automatic mechanical timing advance was built into the ignition distributor.
It was exported to the United States, even though the car was only ever built in right-hand drive.[6] The export version had slightly smaller US specification sealed-beam headlights (7-inch buckets) and twin tail lights, as well as turn signals and chromed front and rear bumpers with over riders.
The body was approximately 4 inches (100mm) wider than the TB measured at the rear of the doors to give more cockpit space. The overall car width remained the same resulting in narrower running boards with two tread strips as opposed to the previous three. The tachometer was directly in front of the driver, while the speedometer/odometer was on the other side of the dash in front of the passenger, a nod to MG's trials history.
10,001 TCs were produced, from September 1945 (chassis number TC0251) to November 1949 (chassis number TC10251), more than any previous MG model.[6] It cost £527 on the home (UK) market in 1947.
Fuel consumption was 28mpg‑imp (10.1L/100km; 23.3mpg‑US).[7] Its 0–60mph time was 22.7 seconds, a respectable performance at the time.[7] A low fuel warning light would glow on the dash to alert the driver.
1948 TC with full weather protection1948 TC with aero screens in position and windscreen flatTC engine bay
The TD Midget, announced in January 1950,[9] combined the TC's drivetrain, a modified hypoid-geared rear axle, the MG Y-type chassis, a familiar T-type style body and independent suspension on front axle using coil springs from the MG Y-type saloon: a 1950 road-test report described as "most striking" the resulting "transformation... in the comfort of riding".[10] The entire drivetrain was not lifted from the TC; along with the new hypoid differential, a completely different transmission was used (albeit also a four-speed). Also lifted from the company's successful 1¼-litre saloon was the (still highly geared) rack and pinion steering.[10] In addition the TD featured smaller 15-inch (380mm) disc type road wheels, a left-hand drive option and standard equipment bumpers and over-riders. The car was also 5 inches (130mm) wider with a track of 50 inches (1,300mm). It was seen by enthusiasts at the time as a disappointment, mild and "not a sports car", instead "largely designed to consolidate and expand the car's sale in North America."[9] The first TDs were built in late 1949.
For the driver the "all-weather protection" was good by the standards of the time.[10] For night driving, instrument illumination was "effective but not dazzling, by a pale green lighting effect".[10] There was still no fuel gauge, but the 12impgal (14.5USgal; 54.5L) of tank capacity gave a range between refuelling stops of about 300 miles (480km) and a green light on the facia flashed a "warning" when the fuel level was down to about 2.5impgal (3USgal; 11.5L).[10]
In 1950 the TD MkII Competition Model was introduced, produced alongside the standard car, with a more highly tuned engine using an 8.1:1 compression ratio giving 57bhp (43kW) at 5,500 rpm. The higher compression ratio engine was offered with export markets in mind, and would not have been suitable for the UK, where carryover wartime restrictions limited fuel to 72 octane "pool petrol". The TD MkII also featured twin fuel pumps, additional Andrex dampers, and a higher ratio rear-axle.
Nearly 30,000 TDs had been produced, including about 1700 Mk II models, when the series ended in 1953 with all but 1656 exported, 23,488 of them to the US alone.[2] The main complaint that US owners had with the MG TD sold in the US was the British 12-volt electrical system, which was hard to service when most US cars were still using 6 volts. Also, they had minor complaints over the lack of water temperature and fuel gauges. But in general in surveys, owners of the Americanised MG TD had more positive remarks than negative.[11] The 0–60mph (97km/h) time was 22.7 seconds according to Popular Mechanics.[12]
An example tested by The Motor magazine in 1952 had a top speed of 77mph (124km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60mph (97km/h) in 18.2 seconds. A fuel consumption of 26.7 miles per imperial gallon (10.6L/100km; 22.2mpg‑US) was recorded.[8]
1953 TD instrument panel
1953 TD engine bay
1953 TD badge
In 1998, the rights, intellectual properties and trademarks associated with the production of the MG TD were acquired by TD Cars Sdn Bhd in Malaysia to reproduce the TD series as TD2000.
The TF Midget, launched on 15 October 1953,[13] was a facelifted TD, [14] fitted with the TD Mark II engine, headlights faired into the wings, a sloping radiator grille concealing a separate radiator, and a new pressurised cooling system along with a simulated external radiator cap.[1] This XPAG engine's compression ratio had been increased to 8.1:1 and extra-large valves with stronger valve springs and larger carburettors increased output to 57.5bhp at 5,500 rpm.[13]
MG TF 1500 showing enamel plate
In mid-1954 the engine capacity was increased by 17 per cent to 1466 cc and designated XPEG. The bore was increased to 72mm (2.8in) and compression raised to 8.3:1 giving 63bhp (47kW) at 5,000 rpm and a 17 per cent increase in torque. The car was designated TF1500, and externally distinguished by a cream background enamel nameplate on both sides of the bonnet, placed just to the rear of the forward bonnet-release buttons.
Production ended at chassis number TF10100 on 4 April 1955 after 9,602 TFs had been manufactured, including two prototypes and 3,400 TF1500s. The TF was superseded by the all new MGA.
The Austin-Healey Sprite is a small open sports car produced in the United Kingdom from 1958 until 1971. The Sprite was announced to the press in Monte Carlo by the British Motor Corporation on 20 May 1958, two days after that year's Monaco Grand Prix. It was intended to be a low-cost model that "a chap could keep in his bike shed", yet be the successor to the sporting versions of the pre-war Austin Seven. The Sprite was designed by the Donald Healey Motor Company, with production being undertaken at the MG factory at Abingdon. It first went on sale for £669, using a tuned version of the Austin A-Series engine and as many other components from existing cars as possible to keep costs down.
The Triumph Spitfire is a British sports car manufactured over five production iterations between 1962 and 1980. Styled for Standard-Triumph in 1957 by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti, the Spitfire was introduced at the London Motor Show in 1962. It was manufactured at the Standard-Triumph Canley works, with approximately 315,000 produced over 18 years.
The MGB is a two-door sports car manufactured and marketed from 1962 until 1980 by the British Motor Corporation (BMC), later the Austin-Morris division of British Leyland, as a four-cylinder, soft-top sports car. It was announced and its details first published on 19 September 1962. Variants include the MGB GT three-door 2+2 coupé (1965–1980), the six-cylinder sports car and coupé MGC (1967–69), and the eight-cylinder 2+2 coupé, the MGB GT V8 (1973–76).
The MGA is a sports car that was produced by MG from 1955 until 1962.
The MG Midget is a small two-seater lightweight sports car produced by MG from 1961 to 1979. It revived a name that had been used on earlier models such as the MG M-type, MG D-type, MG J-type and MG T-type.
The MG Magnette is an automobile that was produced by MG between 1953 and 1968. The Magnette was manufactured in two build series, the ZA and ZB of 1953 through to 1958 and the Mark III and Mark IV of 1959 through to 1968, both using a modified Wolseley body and an Austin engine.
The Humber Super Snipe is a car which was produced from 1938 to 1967 by British-based Humber Limited.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The MG K-type Magnette is a motor car produced in the United Kingdom by MG from October 1932 to 1934.
The Morris Six Series MS is a six-cylinder midsize car from Morris Motors Limited which was produced from 1948 to 1953. Announced with Morris Motors' Minor, Oxford and Wolseley ranges on Tuesday 26 October 1948, it was Morris's first post-war six-cylinder car. All the new cars were of integral construction of chassis and body and rode on independent front suspension with torsion bars. At launch, the car was priced at £607 on the UK market, though the price rose to £671 on 1 March 1949.
The Fiat 518, also called Fiat Ardita, was a model of car produced by Italian car manufacturer Fiat between 1933 and 1938. The name "Ardita" was also used on the six-cylinder engined and more expensive Fiat Ardita 2500 or 527.
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.
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.
The Alvis Three Litre Series III sports saloon or drophead coupé, also known as TE 21, is an automobile produced by English manufacturer Alvis between 1963 and 1966 with a body built by Mulliner Park Ward. It was an updated version of the 1958 TD21.
The MG M-type is a sports car that was produced by the MG Cars from April 1929 until 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.
The Standard SC engine is a cast-iron overhead valve straight-four engine designed and initially produced by Standard Triumph. Over its production life displacement grew from an initial size of just over 800 cc to nearly 1500 cc. Introduced in the Standard Eight in 1953, it would eventually be used in a wide range of vehicles from Standard, Triumph, and MG.
1 2 "New M.G.Cars". The Times. No.52754. 16 October 1953. p.5.
↑ Culshaw, David; Horrobin, Peter (2013) [1974]. "MG". The complete catalogue of British Cars 1895 – 1975 (Paperbacked.). Poundbury, Dorchester, UK: Veloce Publishing. pp.212–213. ISBN978-1-874105-93-0. Retrieved 6 December 2013. The TC Midget was ... announced in 1945, and its successor, the TD of 1950, though at first received with horror by enthusiasts on account of its specification, which actually included independent front suspension and even bumpers, is now ... revered and sought after.... The last of the traditionally-styled MGs, the TF, came in 1953 and was built in both 11⁄4- and 11⁄2-litre form.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
