The MG Midget is a small two-seater sports car that was produced by MG from
1961 to 1979. It revived a name that had been used on earlier models such as the
MG M-type, MG D-type, MG J-type and MG T-type.
MG Midget MkI The first version was essentially a
slightly more expensive badge-engineered version of the MkII Austin-Healey
Sprite. The original 'Frogeye' Sprite had been introduced specifically to fill
the gap in the market left by the end of production of the MG T-type Midget as
its replacement, the MGA had been a significantly larger and more expensive
car with greater performance. Many existing MG enthusiast and buyers turned
to the Sprite to provide a modern low-cost sports car and so a
badge-engineered MG version reusing the Midget name made sense. The new Midget
differed from the Sprite only in its grille design, badging, colour options
and having both leather seats and more external chrome trim as standard to
justify its higher purchase price. Mechanically the car was identical to
its Austin-Healey counterpart, retaining the rear suspension using
quarter-elliptic leaf springs and trailing arms from the 'Frogeye'. The
engine was a 948 cc A-Series with twin SU carburettors producing 46 hp at 5500
rpm and 53 lbf·ft at 3000 rpm. Brakes were 7-inch drums all round. A hard top,
heater, radio and luggage rack were available as factory-fitted extras.
In October 1962 the engine was increased to 1098 cc, raising the output to 56 hp
at 5500 rpm and 62 lbf·ft at 3250 rpm, and disc brakes replaced the drums at
the front. Wire spoked wheels became available.
The doors had no external handles or locks and the windows were sliding
Perspex side-screens. A heater was an optional extra.
Production was 16,080 of the small-engined version and 9601 of the
1098. A car with the 948 cc engine was tested
by the British magazine The Motor in 1962 and had a top speed of 87.9 mph and
could accelerate from 0-60 mph in 18.3 seconds. A fuel consumption of 40.2
miles per imperial gallon was recorded. The test car cost £689 including taxes
on the UK market. MG Midget MkII
Externally the main changes were to the doors, which gained wind-up windows,
swivelling quarter lights, external handles and separate locks. The
windscreen also gained a slight curvature and was retained in a more
substantial frame. The hood, though modified, continued to have a removable
frame that had to be erected before the cover was put on. The rear springs were
replaced by more conventional semi-elliptic types which gave a better
ride. The engine block was strengthened and larger main bearings were fitted,
increasing the power to 59 hp at 5750 rpm and torque to 65 lbf·ft at 3500 rpm.
A total of 26,601 were made. MG Midget MkIII
The engine now grew to 1275 cc using the development seen on the Mini-Cooper 'S'.
Enthusiasts were disappointed that this was a detuned version of the 76-bhp @
5800 rpm Cooper 'S' engine, giving only 65 hp at 6000 rpm and 72 lbf·ft at 3000
rpm. A reduced compression ratio of 8.8:1 was used instead of the 9.75:1
employed on the Cooper S engine. The Midget used the 12G940 cylinder head
casting that was common to other BMC 1300 cars, whereas the Cooper 'S' had a
special head with not only larger inlet, but also larger exhaust valves; however,
these exhaust valves caused many 'S' heads to fail through cracking between
the valve seats. The detuned engine was used for reasons of model range
placement – with the Cooper 'S' spec engine, the Midget would have been
faster than the more expensive MGB. The hydraulic system gained a separate
master cylinder for the clutch. The hood was now permanently attached to the car,
with an improved mechanism making it much easier to use. In late 1967,
US-spec cars received several safety additions: a padded fascia with smaller
main gauges, collapsible steering column, scissor-type hood hinges, a
third windshield wiper, additional side marker lights, and anti-burst door
latches. The rear axle gear ratio was increased from 4.22:1 to 3.9:1, giving
16.5 mph for every 1000 RPM. This increased final drive ratio gave the
1275 model slightly better fuel economy than the 1098 model. Minor facelift
changes were made to the body trim in late 1969, with the sills painted black,
a revised recessed black grille, and squared off taillights as on the MGB.
The 13-in Rubery Owen "Rostyle" wheels were standardized, but wire-spoked ones
remained an option. In August 1971, the compression ratio on
North American engines was reduced to 8.0:1. Engine power output fell to 54.5
bhp @ 5500 RPM and 67 lb-ft of torque @ 3250 RPM.
The square-shaped rear wheel arches became rounded in January 1972. Also in
this year, a Triumph steering rack was fitted, giving a gearing that was
somewhat lower than earlier Midgets. A second exhaust silencer was also added
in 1972. Alternators were fitted instead of dynamos from 1973 onwards.
For 1974 model year, oversized rubber bumper blocks, nicknamed "Sabrinas"
after the well-endowed British actress, were added to the chrome bumpers to meet
the first US bumper impact regulations. Many consider the round-arch Midgets
with chrome bumpers produced for model years 1972 and 1974 to be the most
desirable. These round-arch cars started leaving the Abingdon factory in late
1971. Between 1966 and the 1969 face lift, 22,415 were made, and a further
77,831 up to 1974. MG Midget 1500
To meet US federal regulations, large black plastic bumpers were added to the
front and rear and the ride height was increased. The increased ride height
affected handling, and an anti-roll bar was added to help with higher centre of
gravity. The A-Series engine was replaced by the 1493 cc unit from the
Triumph Spitfire and a modified Morris Marina gearbox with synchromesh on all
four gears. The increased displacement of the new engine was better able to
cope with the increasing emission regulations. Although the horsepower
ratings were similar the 1493 cc engine produced more torque. The increased
output combined with taller gear ratios resulted in faster acceleration and top
speed of just over 100 mph. In the US market British Leyland struggled to keep
engine power at acceptable levels, as the engines were loaded with air pumps,
EGR valves and catalytic converters to keep up with new US and California
exhaust emission control regulations. The home market's dual SU HS4 carbs were
swapped for a single Zenith-Stromberg 150 CD4 unit, and the power fell to 50
bhp at 5000 RPM and 67 lb-ft of torque at 2500 RPM. The round rear-wheel arches
were now square again, to increase the body strength. The last car was made on
7 December 1979, after 73,899 of the last version had been made. The last 500
home-market cars were painted black. A least number of MG Midgets were titled
in 1980, and appear as 1980 models. ADO34
ADO34 was the name of a project active between 1960 and 1964 that aimed to
possibly develop a front-wheel drive Mini-based roadster as a possible new MG
Midget or Austin-Healey Sprite. Following the launch of the MG Midget in
1961, it was considered as a possible MG Midget or Austin Healey Sprite
replacement. The project was cancelled in about 1964. In 1965 Peugeot released
the 204 Cabriolet, also styled by Pininfarina and featuring strong visual
similarities to the ADO34, especially at the near-identical rear. The 204's
transverse engined, front-wheel drive configuration was also BMC-inspired.
MG Midget Racing Coupes MG racing driver and garage owner Dick
Jacobs persuaded Abingdon to build a pair of special lightweight Midgets with
a GT body shape inspired by the Aston Martin DB4. The nose was redesigned by
Syd Enever to improve the aerodynamic efficiency—wind tunnel tests showed that
the new body required 13 hp less to achieve 100 mph than the standard body
shape. The cars were registered BJB 770 and BJB 771. A third car was constructed
for John Milne of Scotland and all three cars survive. The two loaned to Dick
Jacobs were campaigned from 1962 to 1963 with a 995cc BMC A-series engine. For
the 1964 season they ran the larger Formula Junior engine at 1139cc, with a
1287cc engine using a block derived from the Mini-Cooper 'S' available for events
where the coupes ran as prototypes. They were fitted with 18.5 gallon fuel tanks,
larger oil coolers, large-bore exhaust systems and dual-circuit brakes.
References Further reading
Horler, Terry. Original Sprite and Midget. Motorbooks. ISBN 1-870979-45-1.
Bonds, Ray. The Illustrated Directory of Sports Cars. Motorbooks. ISBN
0-7603-1420-9. Heilig, John. MG Sports Cars.
Motorbooks. ISBN 0-7603-0112-3. External links