Highlights

• A fastidiously restored example of this most archetypal of 1950’s British sports cars
• Every aspect of the car has been attended to during a two-year labour of love
• Complete with a full, zipped tonneau for maximum usability and flexibility

The Appeal

The History and Paperwork

• This MG TD is a 1950 model from the first year of TD production
• The car is a factory right hand drive model
• Matching numbers car
• Anecdotally, it is thought the TD spent its early life in New Zealand
• By the mid 1960’s, however, the TD had found its way to North America
• The current owner acquired and re-imported the car to the UK in 2017
• A two-year restoration followed, and the TD was first registered here in 2019
• An interesting archive of paperwork is on hand
• This includes the V5 registration document
• This classifies the car as a Historic Vehicle
• As such it is MOT and VED exempt in the UK
• The car’s US title document is also present
• This suggest the car was first registered there in 1964
• Numerous invoices are also included for parts and services purchased 
• An original Operation Manual is on hand
• As is a period workshop manual
• The owner confirms hundreds of photographs of the restoration are included
  
  

The Interior

• A delightful period faithful interior in a fully retrimmed and restored condition
• The tan finished seats are newly trimmed and covered
• These consist of a single seat back with individual seat bases
• The seats are stitched into a series of vertical, padded box pleats
• Behind the seat backs is a useful carpeted luggage shelf
• At the rear of this a concealed compartment houses the side screens
• The door cards are trimmed in complementary tan, presenting in very good condition
• Black carpets are fitted to the footwell floors and the rest of the cabin
• The dashboard is finished in a wood veneer fascia
• A charming set of original mechanical British Jaeger gauges are fitted
• A sublime, four spoke “banjo” style Bluemel’s Brooklands steering wheel is present
• This is centred with a deeply chromed boss with MG octagon
• A period dash-top, chromed rear view mirror is present
  
  

The Exterior

• This TD presents beautifully in a bright red colourway
• The car has been fully repainted in its constituent parts during the restoration
• Unsurprisingly, then, there is a lustrous shine emanating from the body panels
• The ample chrome accents are also admirably bright and shiny
• The frontend is a particularly pleasing aspect of the TD design
• The tall, chromed radiator cowl is topped with an octagonal finisher
• The slats of the radiator are finished in body coloured paint
• The externally mounted twin headlamps feature deeply chromed bowls
• The TD is fitted with the original “disc-type” road wheels
• These are finished in silver and centred with chromed hub caps
• The tan vinyl hood is a new item with a clear and uncracked rear window
• A zipped full tonneau cover (pictured) is included 
• A spare steel wheel and MG hubcap adorn the rear panel of the MG
• The fit and finish of the panels of this car are exceptionally good throughout bellying its age
  
  

The Mechanics

• This example is powered by the 1,250cc “XPAG,” so called 1 ¼-litre engine
• This is an inline four-cylinder, pushrod overhead valve unit
• This was originally rated at around 55bhp at 5,200rpm
• Power is fed to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox
• Contemporary road tests noted a 77mph top speed
• The 0-60mph benchmark was hit in a shade under 19 seconds
• The engine bay presentation is a period-correct delight
• The condition in here, like the rest, is very hard to fault
• The expected data plates appear to be present and correct
• This includes the steel cam cover and dip stick top
• Twin tool storage chests are fabric lined for protection and rattle suppression
• The underside of the car looks to be absolutely pristine
• The painting of the component body parts has paid dividends here
• It seems to be arrow straight and exceptionally well finished
• No leaks or issues were noted or reported
• The owner confirms that the car starts and runs faultlessly
• It certainly started very readily during our visit
• The owner has enjoyed using the car to visit various car shows in recent years
  
  

Summary