The final year of the Type-D Midget
MG produced truly iconic automobiles, indicative of British motor culture, both before and after the Second World War. Chief among them was the MG Midget, introduced in 1936 and, with a brief pause due to the war, produced with little overall design change until 1955. The Midget saw five generations, designated TA through TF. These lightweight and vibrant machines perfectly embody pre-war British motor culture; however, by the 1950s, that design aesthetic was seen by many as outdated, and so the more modern MGA was rolled out in 1955 as a replacement for the Midget.
While the MG T-Series went out of production, they have remained prized by collectors, only going up in value as their age and true refinement come to be appreciated. The Midget TD was introduced in 1950, and only three years later saw itself replaced by the TF in 1953, making this one of the last TDs ever made. This example was fully refurbished in British Columbia, Canada, in 2016 and 2017, before being shipped to the United States, where it currently resides.
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A shadow that stalks the road
The body has been draped in a thick and glossy black, with chrome liberally applied in places, especially the classic MG grille that’s arched to be wider at the top than the bottom, with headlights held on small arms to either side. There are also driving lights placed towards the bottom of the grille, atypical in earlier Midgets but more common by the 1950s. The louvered hood is hinged from the top in classic MG fashion, rather than from the front or back.
Simple chrome bumpers feature front and back, each a chrome pipe with a pair of small overriders, while the rear bumper is covered by a chrome luggage rack that is typical of British motorcars of the era. The windshield can be folded down, with Brooklands-style auxiliary windscreens fitted to offer some protection even when it is. A black tonneau cover and soft top can be raised for inclement weather, while side mirrors have been fitted to each fender near the cabin, and elegant running boards assist with boarding and disembarking. The four wheels are 15″ wire-spoke affairs with small chrome hubs, shod in 165-series Michelin XZX tires. There is also a full-sized spare attached to the rear.
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On pillows of red velvet
The interior of this MG TD has been redone in red leather, with a matching swooping dashboard, door panels with map pockets, and contrasting black carpeting, though that is mostly covered with black MG-branded floor mats. The low split-bench seating is also red leather done in rows of pleats, a tight squeeze for a larger person, but quite indicative of the era. The aforementioned Brooklands-style auxiliary windscreens add a great deal of charm and character, as does the dash-mounted rearview mirror. The tri-spoke Moto-Lita steering wheel is clad in light yellow wood ahead of a set of Jaeger instrumentation, which features a 0-100 mph speedometer, a tachometer that redlines at 6,000 rpm, a clock, and auxiliary gauges for oil pressure, amperage, and coolant temperature.
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It may be a midget, but it casts a long shadow
Under the hood of this British roadster is a 1,250cc (76ci) XPAG inline-four engine with dual SU carburetors, which sounds like light work at first, until you remember that British cars tend to be smaller and lighter than their American counterparts. That also provides the added bonus of making more of the tachometer usable while cruising, not just for brief accelerations up to the speed limit.
The original transmission was replaced with a Ford T9 five-speed manual transmission in 2017, and it sends power to the rear wheels. The rear brakes are drums, while the front has had a disc conversion. The exhaust system is also new. While the true mileage is unknown, the odometer shows 2,600 miles, approximately 30 of which were added under current ownership.
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Final thoughts: A more elegant engine for a more civilized age
The MG Midget is perhaps the most iconic pre-war automobile design to come out of the U.K., virtually unchanged in a broad view until retirement in the mid-1950s. While the times moved on and passed the MG T-Series by, they never stopped being incredible machines, monuments to an older, simpler age where progress and craftsmanship were married into some of the best-looking automotive designs of all time. If that resonates with you as well, perhaps this auction is one to check out even if you don’t place a bid. There are many more photos to look at than could fit into this article.
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