MG TD Roadster, 1951
MG TD Midget I
MG TD Midget I•
•6 مشاهدة
Chassis No.: SD12431M97
$22,000 | Sold
- Odometer: 10,227 miles
- Engine: Inline 4-cylinder
- Transmission: Manual
- Exterior: Red
- Interior: Tan
- Body: Roadster
- Comprehensive restoration
- 1250cc inline 4-cylinder engine
- 4-speed manual transmission
- Red exterior
- Tan interior
It may not be immediately apparent, but there was a considerable amount of American input used in the design of the oh-so-British MG TD of 1950. As explained by British magazine Autocar: “They have made new friends, especially in America. And from these new friends have gradually come various suggestions, mostly requesting modernisation.” The first MG to really attract devotees was the TC Midget, and the TD MG made a concerted effort to satisfy American tastes. Not only was the TD the first MG to be offered in left-hand drive, a revised chassis frame that was a whole 5 inches wider greatly improved the accommodation, which, on the TC, was a tight fit for well-nourished Americans.
It was considerably lower too, riding on wider 15-inch wheels, in place of the spindly 19-inch ones. Just as importantly, the harsh ride was greatly improved with independent front suspension and softer springing and greater travel on the rear. Steering was now rack-and-pinion, and there were even front and rear bumpers. The engine was still the same 54 HP 1250cc inline-4 with twin SUs, which returned a top speed in excess of 70 MPH.
The overall result, as described in a 1950 road test, amounted to a “transformation.” On the interior, as exhibited in this 1951 left-hand-drive example, the stylish Jaeger instruments were rearranged, with the speedometer now accompanying the rev counter ahead of the wheel on the driver’s side. While Jaguar owners might scoff that the clock within the rev counter was there to measure 0-60 MPH times (18.2 seconds in actual fact) and ridicule the 100 MPH speedometer as being optimistic to the point of delusion, it was not as fanciful is it seems. Factory tuning kits pushed output beyond 90 HP.
Even without these mods, the fold-flat windshield greatly enhanced the sensation of speed and exhilaration. This comprehensively restored MG TD, liveried in red with tan interior and full weather equipment, rides on standard factory-issue drilled steel-disc wheels with a rear-mounted spare. Those with an eye for originality will also appreciate that this car has the correct factory sprung-spoked steering wheel with plastic rim color matched to the interior. Of the 29,664 MG TDs built, an astonishing 23,488 went to the U.S. As such, there’s a ready supply of parts, back-up and expertise, and a thriving community in which to find like-minded friends.
التكلفة
80,795 AED
