MG is one of the most famous names in British motoring history. Initially founded as Morris Garages in Oxford in the 1920s, MG made its name building sports and race cars - originally based on Morris models - up until World War 2.
In the early 1950s, MG became a part of the British Motor Corporation, which would lead it through the days of British Leyland where it became a sporting sub-brand of Austin. Eventually MG was resurrected with the MGF, before becoming part of the ill-fated MG Rover brand.
While the MG that had the most impact was probably the MGB in 1962, the brand was founded on sporting pre-war designs. The first “true” MG was the 18/80 in 1928, and many of the cars that followed were in a similar vein.
After a series of “Midget” models, from the M-Type through to the P-Type, MG created the T-Type. It was a car the brand would make in a few different forms from 1936 through to 1955, and the last of the traditional MGs before the brand evolved under BMC stewardship with the MGA.
The first T-Type, the TA, set the theme, with a 50hp 1.3-litre engine. This was replaced for a more powerful 1.25-litre in the TB, which lasted through to the final TF models 15 years later. The TC followed after WW2, but the TD was a radical change first introduced in 1950.
For the TD, MG combined the TC’s running gear with the chassis of its Y-Type family car. The result included independent front suspension and rack and pinion steering, along with a move from classic wire wheels to smaller, and more modern items.
This model TD was supplied new in January 1952. According to the current owners, the car was ordered in brown, as it matched the owner’s haulage firm truck livery in Lancashire.
Whilst in the possession of a renowned MG T-Series collector, MRH 368 graced the pages of MG Enthusiast magazine as a feature in December 2000. Obviously still in very good condition at this point, it was at the hand of the cars clearly perfectionist custodian, that an extensive restoration began in 2013, primarily at the renowned MG T-Series specialist Naylor Brothers - a British Motor Heritage-accredited restoration business which once even produced its own version of the MG TF, though the business closed in 2016 when Alastair Naylor retired..
The restoration, which came in at some £38,000, is one of the primary reasons for the car’s great current condition.
As a historic vehicle, the TD is both MOT and tax-exempt. It is not covered by a current MOT - the last being shortly before the restoration in 2013 - and it’s currently declared as off road via a SORN.
There’s plenty of history to go with the TD. Along with old MOT certificates and even old tax discs, there’s a pretty thick folder of information.
For the most part this centres on that restoration in 2012 and 2013. There’s full itemised invoices for every aspect of the process, from a number of different garages and suppliers which worked on the car.
This includes Naylor Brothers, but also other specialists too. The work totals £38,747, which includes more than £6,000 on a full interior re-trim.
You’ll also find a scan of an MG Enthusiast article in which the TD featured as part of a T-Type collection.
Like many of its predecessors, the TD is a two-seater. The two seats - and one seat-back - are finished in light brown leather, and are in pristine condition. That’s a theme for much of the cabin.
For the most part, the interior is lined with a cream leather that is also unmarked. There’s plenty of chromed areas too, including the instrument panel and dials. In addition you’ll find a wood-rimmed Moto-Lita steering wheel.
Behind the front seats is a storage area - currently occupied by the roof’s tonneau cover - and a further storage box behind that, secured with press studs. Other storage areas include door pockets (best suited for documentation) and a glovebox.
The MG is essentially spotless on the outside. This should be little surprise as it has been fully restored in 2013, and the car covers very few miles - and none in inclement weather. Nonetheless, the brown paint is in excellent condition.
Similarly all the brightwork is gleaming. There’s a few patches which might make a polishing enthusiast break out the Brasso, and some small rust stains around the exposed screw heads on the front rail, but for the most part there’s nothing but shine. That also includes the disc-type wheels - the most radical departure on the TD from previous models - which are mostly in perfect condition.
The cream side panels and roof are in excellent condition too, with no signs of marking or wear. It folds away with ease, and there’s a protective tonneau cover to keep it in top condition. At the rear you’ll also find a spare wheel held in place by a rack, which folds down to double as a picnic table.
As one would expect after having undergone such a meticulous and extensive restoration, the mechanicals are just as impressive as the car’s bodywork and trim. This of course includes the 1.25-litre engine, originally rated at 55hp and its matched four-speed manual gearbox.
Since completion of its restoration in 2013, the MG has clearly been very well looked after, which is also reflected by the tidiness of its engine bay and solid underside which has rarely, if ever, seen a spot of rain over the past 7 years.
Thanks to its era, there’s not a lot of other things to operate, or fail to operate - and certainly no electric windows or roof mechanism to be concerned about.
It’s a classic piece of British motoring from the glory days of a brand once put through the wringer. With vintage looks and roof-down motoring, there’s plenty to like about the TD.
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1952 MG TD Midget
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