1930s MG Midgets are perfect examples of what a British sports car should look like with their low slung bodywork, drop sided doors, fold flat windscreen, rear mounted petrol slab tank and knock on wire wheels – basically everything you could want in style combined with decent performance and available at an affordable price – it’s no wonder they were successful!
The mid 30’s saw MG change direction when they replaced their range of Wolseley derived overhead cam engines with tuned push rod engines which, although they might initially have sounded less glamorous, turned out to give more than adequate power in standard form and were very tweakable if you so desired. In addition the T series cars were more spacious and I would argue more comfortable to drive on long distances than their immediate predecessors.
This superb car, which I have known since 2006, was first registered on 13th April 1938 with chassis number TA 2271 and engine number MPJG 2538. It went through a comprehensive structural restoration between 2003 and 2005 and there are photographs and invoices in the file which record the work done. This was followed by an engine rebuild in 2010/2011 which was again documented by photographs and invoices.
The car’s current owner, who acquired it in 2016, has continued to maintain it to a very high standard. The work carried out by a local garage with good old car experience included fitting a VW steering box which transforms its directional stability (the original steering box comes with the car in case you want to refit it). In addition it has a relined clutch plus all the brake shoes and cylinders, both of the rear springs and the rear hub seals have been replaced.
With reference to all this work a useful thing to note about MG TAs is the ready availability of a very wide range of parts and consumable components to help you or your local garage keep it maintained to a high standard.
The car comes with an MG TA and TB instruction manual as well as two copies of the Service Parts List and a book entitled MG T Series and Pre-War Midgets by motoring historian Anders Ditlev Clausager.
Apart from repeating a series of superlatives there really is nothing else to say other than if you genuinely want to own what must be one of the best TAs around then you should look at this car. Inevitably the price reflects its condition but it is nonetheless very good value for money as it would cost you far more than its current price to get a lesser car into the same condition as this one!