The MG T series is a range of body-on-frame convertible sports cars
that were produced by MG from 1936 to 1955. The series included the MG TA, MG
TB, MG TC, MG TD, and MG TF Midget models. The last of these models, the
TF, was replaced by the MGA. The TF name was reinstated in 2002 on
the mid-engined MG TF sports car. TA Midget
The MG TA Midget replaced the PB in 1936. It was an evolution of the
previous car and was 3 inches wider in its track at 45 inches and 7 inches
longer in its wheelbase at 94 inches. The previous advanced overhead-cam
inline-four engine was now not in use by any other production car so it was
replaced by the MPJG OHV unit from the Wolseley 10 but with twin SU
carburettors, modified camshaft and manifolding. The engine displaced just
1292 cc, with a stroke of 102 mm and a bore of 63.5 mm and power output was 50
hp at 4,500 rpm. The four-speed manual gearbox now had synchromesh on the two
top ratios and was connected to the engine by a cork-faced clutch running in
oil. Unlike the PB, hydraulic brakes were fitted with 9-inch drums.
Like the PB, most were two-seat open cars with a steel body on an ash frame.
A bench-type seat was fitted with storage space behind. From 1938 the car
could also be had with a more luxurious Tickford drophead coupé body by Salmons
of Newport Pagnell and 252 were made. The soft top could be used in three
positions, fully open, closed or open just over the seats. Wind-up windows
were fitted to the higher topped doors making the car more weathertight and
individual bucket seats used in the fully carpeted interior. Complete
chassis were fitted with a very basic body at the Abingdon factory and driven
to Newport Pagnell to have their coachwork fitted. A closed Airline coupé
made by Carbodies, as fitted to the P type, was also offered but only one or
two is thought to have been made. The T-type was capable of reaching
almost 80 mph in standard tune with a 0–60 mph time of 23.1 seconds.
3,003 were made and in 1936 it cost £222 on the home market, the same as had been
asked for the PB. When first introduced the model was
known as the T Type and only after the advent of the TB did the TA designation
come into use. Allan Tomlinson won the 1939 Australian
Grand Prix driving an MG TA. TB Midget
The TA was replaced by the TB Midget in May 1939. It had a smaller but more
modern XPAG engine as fitted to the Morris Ten Series M, but in a more
highly tuned state and like the TA with twin SU carburettors. This 1250 cc I4
unit featured a slightly less undersquare 66.6 mm bore and 90 mm
stroke and had a maximum power output of 54 hp at 5200 rpm. The oil-immersed
clutch was also replaced by a dry-plate type and gear ratios revised.
Available as an open 2-seater or more luxurious Tickford drophead coupé, this
is the rarest of the T-type cars; only 379 were made.
TC Midget The TC Midget was the first postwar MG,
launched in 1945. It was quite similar to the pre-war TB, sharing the same
1,250 cc pushrod-OHV engine with a slightly higher compression ratio of
7.4:1 giving 54.5 bhp at 5200 rpm. The makers also provided several alternative
stages of tuning for "specific purposes".
It was exported to the United States, even though only ever built in
right-hand drive. The export version had slightly smaller US specification
sealed-beam headlights and larger twin rear lights, as well as turn signals and
chrome-plated front and rear bumpers. The body was approximately 4 inches
wider than the TB measured at the rear of the doors to give more cockpit space.
The overall car width remained the same resulting in narrower running boards
with two tread strips as opposed to the previous three. The tachometer was
directly in front of the driver, while the speedometer was on the other side of
the dash in front of the passenger. 10,001 TCs were produced, from September
1945 to Nov. 1949, more than any previous MG model. It cost £527 on the
home market in 1947. Fuel consumption was 28 mpg-imp. Its
0–60 mph time was 22.7 seconds, a respectable performance at the time.
TD Midget The 1950 TD Midget combined the TC's
drivetrain, a modified hypoid-geared rear axle, the MG Y-type chassis, a
familiar T-type style body and independent suspension using coil
springs from the MG Y-type saloon: a 1950 road-test report described as "most
striking" the resulting "transformation ... in the comfort of riding". Also
lifted from the company's successful 1¼-litre saloon for the TD was the rack
and pinion steering. In addition the TD featured smaller 15-inch disc type road
wheels, a left-hand drive option and standard equipment bumpers and
over-riders. The car was also 5 inches wider with a track of 50 inches.
For the driver the "all-weather protection" was good by the standards of
the time. For night driving, instrument illumination was "effective but not
dazzling, by a pale green lighting effect". There was still no fuel gauge,
but the 12 British gallons of tank capacity gave a range between refuelling
stops of about 300 miles and a green light on the facia flashed a "warning"
when the fuel level was down to about 2½ British gallons.
In 1950 the TD MkII Competition Model was introduced, produced alongside the
standard car, with a more highly tuned engine using an 8.1:1 compression ratio
giving 57 bhp at 5,500 rpm. The higher compression ratio engine was offered
with export markets in mind, and would not have been suitable for the UK, where
thanks to the continued operation of wartime fuel restrictions, buyers were
still limited to 72 octane "Pool petrol". The TD MkII also featured twin
fuel pumps, additional Andrex dampers, and a higher ratio rear-axle.
Nearly 30,000 TDs had been produced, including about 1700 Mk II models, when
the series ended in 1953 with all but 1656 exported, 23,488 of them to the US
alone. The main complaint that US owners had with the MG TD sold in the US was
the British 12-volt electrical system, which was hard to service when most US
cars were still using 6 volts. Also, they had minor complaints over the lack
of water temperature and fuel gauges. But in general in surveys, owners of the
Americanized MG TD had more positive remarks than negative. 0–60 mph time was
22.7 seconds according to Popular Mechanics.
An example tested by The Motor magazine in 1952 had a top speed of 77 mph and
could accelerate from 0–60 mph in 18.2 seconds. A fuel consumption of 26.7
miles per imperial gallon was recorded. In 1998, the rights, intellectual
properties and trademarks associated with the production of the MG TD were
acquired by TD Cars Sdn Bhd in Malaysia to reproduce the TD series as TD2000.
TF and TF 1500 Midget The TF Midget, launched 15 October 1953,
was a facelifted TD, fitted with the TD Mark II engine, headlights faired into
the fenders, a sloping radiator grille concealing a separate radiator, and a
new pressurized cooling system along with a simulated external radiator cap.
This XPAG engine's compression ratio had been increased to 8.1:1 and extra-large
valves with stronger valve springs and larger carburettors increased output to
57.5 bhp at 5,500 rpm. In mid-1954 the engine capacity was
increased by 17 per cent to 1466 cc and designated XPEG. The bore was increased
to 72 mm and compression raised to 8.3:1 giving 63 bhp at 5,000 rpm and a 17 per
cent increase in torque. The car was now designated TF1500, and externally
distinguished by a cream background enamel nameplate on both sides of the
bonnet, placed just to the rear of the forward bonnet-release buttons.
Production ended at chassis number TF10100 on 4 April 1955 after 9,602 TFs
had been manufactured, including two prototypes and 3,400 TF1500s. The TF was
superseded by the MGA. See also
MG Car Club References
Notes Bibliography
Further reading External links
MG TF 1500 1955 TTT2, a free bimonthly online technical
MG T-Type publication The MG Car Club T Register
1950 MGTD Restoration Project The story of "Winston" Dr. Jim Brown's
1954 MGTF The Original MGTD Midget
The Original MGTF Midget