Having started out by selling tuned, sports-bodied versions of Morris Oxfords and Cowleys in the 1920s, the first cars to be built wholly as MGs appeared in 1928, and the company had only been constructing cars for eight years when it struck gold with the T-type.

Appearing in 1936, the TA Midget was the latest in a line of cars to carry the Midget nomenclature, and it was considerably more refined than its predecessors. It appealed enormously to sports-car enthusiasts and sold well until 1939, when it was superseded by the very similar TB, but war soon halted production. Counting TAs and TBs together, the T-type had become MG’s best-selling model.

Like all manufacturers at the return of peace, MG had not been able to develop anything new during the war so was forced to revive a pre-war model. Fortunately, it didn’t need a new model, so popular was the T-type. It re-entered production in 1945 as the TC, having received some slight modifications to its spring mountings. The well-known 1250cc XPAG engine which débuted with the TB returned, unchanged save for an alteration to the oil filter and the addition of a timing chain tensioner for noise reduction. The characteristically pre-war body appeared unaltered but was four inches wider.

Although the TC depended on quite dated engineering, demand for it outstripped supply, and British enthusiasts in particular thirsted for it as the government’s Export or Die decree meant that, at first, most were shipped overseas. Though this was Britain’s loss, when TCs started to arrive in America they were responsible perhaps more than anything else for initiating the Americans’ love affair with the British sports-car.

Tested in The Autocar, the TC was praised for its hill-climbing ability and the more comfortable ride resulting from the few modifications. The Motor remarked that with its leather interior and nippy performance, it was a very high-quality car for the price asked. 

A cruising speed of 55 to 60 m.p.h. and a 0 to 60 m.p.h. time of 21 seconds were very impressive figures for a small car of its day. Production ended in 1949 after 10,001 had been built, almost three times as many as the TA and TB combined, but the TD and TF kept the T-type tradition going until 1955.

This car was the 976th TC built and was originally registered FOY 30 on 5th July 1946, but that number is now on a modern car. Tracing its history back to 1955, it was painted green and its earliest recorded owner was one Peter Heaton Gilder of Luton. In 1963 ownership passed to Donald Robert Champken of Caddington, a village outside of Luton. In 1965 it had two owners in Harpenden, Martin Curl and David John Brenchley respectively.

In 1966, the MG returned to Luton in the ownership of Jonathan Carr Selway, and then in 1967 it was purchased by Roger Philip Saunders of Letchworth, although he kept the car in Oxford. After changing hands so many times, it must have been relieved to end up in the ownership of Anthony Smith of Oadby, Leicestershire, in December 1967. Smith had the colour changed to red in 1970, moved to Leighton Buzzard in 1973, and remained there with the MG until at least as recently as 2012. He gave the car a great deal of upkeep and attention throughout the 1960s and ’70s and lavished yet more on it when he overhauled it in 2012.

In recent years, it has formed part of the collection of a sports-car enthusiast with a penchant for Morgans and MGs. Owning a number of cars which were strictly period-correct, the TC appealed to him on account of a few subtle upgrades which make it much more at home in modern traffic.

Besides the V5C, this MG’s history file also includes an old buff logbook showing the ownership history from 1955 to 1973. Mr. Smith kept a very thorough record of invoices pertaining to the TC, and the earliest ones run from 1968 to 1978. 

There is also a collection of invoices dating from 2012. Further historic paperwork includes two M.o.T. certificates and tax discs dated 1973, ’77, ’78 and ’79.

As the reviewer in The Motor commented, you really are spoiled somewhat in the MG TC. When most small sports-cars typically scrimped on creature comforts, Abingdon gave its customers polished wooden dashes and soft leather seats. We know that the car has been the recipient of some recent restoration work and it is obvious that the interior was included in this as the leather looks almost like new.

The upholstery is a good match for the original MG colour Vellum Beige, and is in exceptionally good condition. The seats are soft and smooth and far more comfortable than one might expect from the nature of the car. The black carpet is also clean and in good overall condition. Behind the seats, the small compartment for luggage has been kept clean and tidy.

The wooden dashboard is of a wonderfully rich hue, and has acquired a pleasing patina over time. The gauges are all in lovely condition and the Bluemels Brooklands steering wheel looks great with its polished centre and the very soft patina which is just beginning to show on its spokes. Bidders will note that the gear knob has deliberately been fitted the wrong way round to indicate where reverse is in the Type 9 gearbox.

From outside, the TC is a delightful sight, looking every inch the traditional British sports-car. The handsome green paint is a little darker than Shires Green, in which 1946 TCs were originally offered, but that doesn’t matter. It’s British Racing Green, and every British sports-car looks good in that.

We don’t know exactly what condition the car was in when it was renovated in 2012, but Mr. Smith purchased an entire new steel body for it, complete with scuttle and doors, from the Hutson Motor Company at a cost of around £5000. The body then had to receive its trimmings, many of which were sourced from Moss Bradford, so components such as the door handles were brand-new parts.

As far as the condition of the paint goes, the photos illustrate that it’s in a superb state, albeit with just a couple of small blemishes. The paint has a few bubbles under it at the tip of the nearside front wing, and there is a small scratch in the passenger door, but aside from those the paint is almost perfect.

The chrome is excellent. We know some small parts are new, but we expect much of it has been rechromed. The headlight bowls have a nice patina, so they have not been, but the chrome on that magnificent centrepiece, the proud upright radiator, shows barely any sign of age. We should point out that the radiator has the smallest of dents in the nearside top corner, but you’d probably not have noticed if we hadn’t told you.

The handsome beige hood is in such good condition and so clean that we believe it is also a new item, and the plastic window is free of creases. The windscreen and all the light lenses are in great order, too.

Perhaps you’ve noticed the wheels and are thinking that they look particularly meaty. Indeed they do, for they are MWS 16-inch wires with Blockley tyres, wider than standard for improved road-holding, not to mention a distinctly muscular look.

We are not aware of any major mechanical work having been undertaken on the MG, but we do know it received all the usual work that goes with a light overhaul or recommissioning in 2012. All we can say is that it starts and runs nicely, pulls away easily with a very light clutch and sounds great. The brakes seem to be working well and the steering is not unduly heavy, despite the extra rubber on the ground.

Naturally, the gearbox doesn’t feel like a 1940s ’box because it isn’t one. Like many T-types, this car has been upgraded with a Ford Type 9 gearbox, as originally used in the Mk. III Capri and Sierra. This gives the MG five speeds rather than four, and generally makes it much more user-friendly than a totally original car.

Without an M.o.T., we can make no guarantees as to the car’s roadworthiness, but we think you can see for yourself how good it is and to what a high standard it has been built.

If you’ve always fancied a traditional British sports-car but can’t quite decide what to buy, don’t overcomplicate things. The MG TC pretty much defines the breed. And if you like what you see but you’re not sure how you’d like a driving experience which is essentially pre-war, you’ve nothing to fear from this car with its five-speed gearbox and wider wheels which satisfy modern expectations of gear-changing and road-holding.

With a whole new body fitted only 10 years ago, you can feel confident that this MG isn’t hiding anything from you and will last for a long time. All you need is a TC like this, the British countryside and a nice rural inn to aim for, and you’ll discover, if you haven’t already, just why the traditional sports-car is loved by so many thousands of people.