Highlights

Restoration by Halls Garage between 2015 and 2016 at a cost of nearly £50,000
In the same family since 1967, 59 years of continuous ownership
Extensive history file including original 1967 purchase receipt, logbook, and first MOT certificate from 1968
Recent mechanical work by Noble Motorsport including a brake overhaul and rolling-road setup in 2026
Only used on dry days since restoration

The Appeal

The MG TD is one of the most beloved British sports cars of the early post-war era. With its upright, traditionally styled bodywork, willing 1,250cc XPAG engine, and four-speed manual gearbox, it offers a pure, unfiltered driving experience that continues to captivate enthusiasts on both sides of the Atlantic. Its combination of accessible performance and genuine charm has made it a cornerstone of the classic car world.

This ivory cream example carries a remarkably well-documented history stretching back to its first registration in November 1953. Purchased on 7 April 1967 by the current vendor's father-in-law, who used it during his university years, the car was later placed into careful dry storage at his commercial warehouse. As a retirement present, it was entrusted to marque specialists Halls Garage in Bourne, Lincolnshire, for a nut-and-bolt restoration between 2015 and 2016, at a documented cost of nearly £50,000. The scope of work included a new body tub, chassis rebuild, engine overhaul, retrim, new weather equipment, re-chromed brightwork, and rebuilt instruments, all supported by a detailed photographic record and itemised invoices.

Since completion, the car has covered just under 1,700 miles and has been used exclusively on dry days. In 2025 and 2026 it was entrusted to Noble Motorsport for a cooling system overhaul, core plug replacement, rolling-road carburettor balancing, and a hydraulic brake rebuild. The history file is extensive, tracing the car's story from its original logbook and 1967 purchase receipt through to the most recent service invoices. Passed to the current vendor by his father-in-law in 2019, this TD is offered with the kind of provenance and documented care that is increasingly difficult to find.

Key Information

Mileage: 1,681 miles indicated (odometer replaced during restoration; reading represents distance covered since rebuild)
Country of registration: United Kingdom
Technical inspection status: MOT exempt
Technical specs: 1,250cc inline four-cylinder XPAG petrol engine, four-speed manual gearbox
Paperwork: Original continuous registration logbook, 1967 purchase receipt, first MOT certificate from 1968, restoration invoices, original factory instruction manual and lubrication chart
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The Detail

Restoration by Halls Garage (Bourne) completed in September 2016
New Bradford body tub fitted during restoration
Body seams traditionally lead-loaded, finished in ivory cream with underside stonechip protection
Chassis media-blasted, repaired, etch-primed, and sealed in gloss black
Suspension rebuilt with new bushes, eyebolts, and rebound rubbers
Five wheels trued, blasted, and painted, fitted with 165x15 radial tyres
Engine rebuilt with hardened valve seats for unleaded fuel and a modern spin-on oil filter conversion
Twin SU carburettors rebuilt during restoration
Radiator re-cored and grille slats repainted
New fuel tank and fuel lines fitted
New wiring loom installed
Retrimmed in Apple Green leather with new seat padding, timber structures, and matching carpets
New tan double-duck weather gear including hood, side screens, and tonneau cover
Chromework re-plated including windscreen frame, pillars, headlamp shells, steering column, and handbrake
Instruments rebuilt, including Jaeger gauges and ammeter
New floorboards fitted during restoration
Clutch assembly and release bearing replaced in 2018
Cooling system overhauled with new Welsh core plugs, tracking adjusted, and exhaust realigned by Noble Motorsport in 2025
Gearbox oil and rear differential oil changed by Noble Motorsport in 2025
Hydraulic brake overhaul; front and rear wheel cylinders and master cylinder replaced by Noble Motorsport in 2026
Carburettors tuned and balanced on a rolling road by Noble Motorsport in 2026
Minor paintwork detailing carried out by CSG Bodyshop in 2025
Previously finished in red; repainted ivory cream as part of the 2015–2016 restoration
The vendor describes the car as presenting like new
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BEFORE YOU BUY

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