To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVEEstimate:
$27,500 - $35,000
- Beneficiary of a comprehensive, high-quality restoration
- 55 hp, 1,250-cc OHV inline four-cylinder engine with twin SU
Carburetors
- Features knock-off wire wheels, Lucas fog lamps, and
chrome-plated radiator slats
Following up on the surprisingly popular Midget TC sports car, the
MG Car Company introduced its successor, the TD, in 1950. The TD
was extensively reworked to appeal to a broader range of buyers,
particularly those in the increasingly important American market.
New features for the TD included independent front suspension, rack
and pinion steering, smaller 15-inch road wheels, a revised axle,
and for the first time - left-hand drive. It proved to be a
smashing success for MG, selling nearly 30,000 units in total, with
the overwhelming majority leaving Abingdon for American soil. In
just three years, more than 23,000 TDs came to the United States,
where legions of budding sports car enthusiasts cut their teeth
behind the wheel of the delightful little MG roadster.
Presented in bright red over biscuit interior, the 1952 TD offered
here is an excellent example of this perennial favorite British
roadster. This car is the subject of a comprehensive, high-quality
restoration, and it displays a charming character inside and out
with excellent detailing and finishing. Period-appropriate
accessories include painted knock-off wire wheels, Lucas fog lamps,
and chrome-plated radiator slats. In the two-seat cockpit, biscuit
tan upholstery covers the bench seat and door panels with a
pleasing effect. The dash is finished to factory-correct standards
in matching vinyl trim with correct green-tinted instrument faces,
proper switchgear, and the original-type tan banjo steering wheel.
The top is trimmed with tan canvas, and it includes a matching boot
cover that doubles as a full tonneau cover for overnight stops or
solo drives on a crisp autumn day.
Lifting the bonnet reveals the 1250-cc "XPAG" overhead-valve inline
four-cylinder engine. The plucky little four develops 55 horsepower
in standard trim, and it whisks the TD along with relative ease
accompanied by a pleasing burble from the exhaust. A four-speed
gearbox provides direct and pleasant shift quality, with
well-spaced ratios to make the best of the engine's power. In this
car, the XPAG four is well detailed while showing evidence of
enjoyment since the restoration. It is finished in the correct
shade of MG red, topped with a silver-green valve cover, and a
factory air-cleaner feeding twin SU carburetors.
Few cars of the 1950s deliver such pure driving enjoyment like the
MG TD. With its cheerful good looks, sprightly performance, and
endearing character, the TD is a long-standing favorite among
casual enthusiasts and serial collectors alike.To view this car and
others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM
website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mo20.
