Vehicle Description
Necessity is truly the mother of invention, and that adage was
certainly appropriate as Italy rose from the ashes of WW II.
Lacking both cash and raw materials, plus significant rising
competition from Italian mass-production automakers, Italian
coachbuilder Nuccio Bertone located a pair of MG TD chassis to work
from. Bertone patriarch Giovanni, son Nuccio, and designer Giovanni
Michelotti penned handsome and modern envelope-type bodies for the
MG chassis. The cars debuted at Turin in 1952, where they
captivated flamboyant American industrialist S.H. "Wacky" Arnolt
from Chicago and inspired him to seek a production deal. Soon,
Arnolt struck a deal with Bertone for production versions. As with
Bertone's 1952 show cars, the Arnolt-sponsored versions utilized
the MG TD chassis. Arnolt and Nuccio Bertone traveled to MG
headquarters in England, securing a deal for supplies of TD chassis
and convincing management that the new Arnolt-MG project would not
interfere with MG sales in America due to the huge market there and
the small production number envisioned. In December 1952, MG began
supplying Bertone with rolling chassis in batches of 4-6 at a time,
including the TD's stock 54-horsepower 1,250cc XPAG engine and
4-speed transmission, instruments, and central dash panel, but
without body or interior components. Shipped from Great Britain to
Genoa, the MG chassis were then trucked to Turin.According to the
Arnolt MG Register, workshop photos confirmed Bertone's traditional
methods, using wooden bucks to hand-form and shape the body panels,
including steel for the main body shell and aluminum for the hood,
trunk, and doors.Fittings and control switches were sourced from
various Italian manufacturers to finish the cars. Nearly six weeks
were required to complete each car, followed by trucking to Genoa,
where they were sent via ocean freighters to various American
seaports before arrival at Arnolt's Chicago facilities. There, they
were finished and fitted with a choice of extra-cost options and
accessories including heating and ventilation systems, radios,
badge bars, Borrani wire wheels, aluminum rocker covers, and even
Shorrock superchargers, which Arnolt also manufactured and
distributed. The two Arnolt MG prototypes were first shown in
America at the Elkhart Wisconsin SCCA races in September 1952 and
the mildly updated, production-ready models were unveiled at the
March 1953 New York Auto Show. Advertised by Arnolt as "the family
car with sports car styling and performance," these handsome
four-seaters featured sophisticated Continental styling while
maintaining their sporting MG character. Advertised pricing was
considerable at $3,545 initially for the coupe but reduced by 1955
to $2,995 for the coupe and $3,145 for the convertible. Although
production of 200 cars was planned, just 103 were built, including
67 coupes and 36 convertibles. However, the effort did encourage
further collaborations between Arnolt and Bertone, based on Aston
Martin, Bentley, and Bristol chassis. One of approximately 36 known
survivors today, this 1955 Arnolt MG coupe was comprehensively
restored in the early 2000s and well-maintained since then.
Finished in Burgundy over Beige leather upholstery with smart
burgundy piping, the interior includes matching door and side
panels, burgundy carpeting, and a body-color dash. A handsome Nardi
steering wheel greets the driver and in addition to a boost gauge
mounted forward of the floor-mounted gear shift lever, Jaeger
instruments include a 6,000-rpm tachometer, 100-mph speedometer,
and auxiliary gauges. Underhood, a major mechanical service was
performed in 2017 and a Marshall supercharger was fitted to the
well detailed, period-correct 1,250cc MG 'XPAG' engine. Also in
2017, an upgraded 5-speed manual gearbox and new clutch were
installed, allowing greater enjoyment of the supercharged engine's
heightened performance potential. Wonderful details abound, from
the bold chrome grille to the iconic MG, Bertone, and Arnolt
cloisonne badges, plus the twin driving lamps and elegant handles
and fittings found throughout the vehicle. The body and underside
are both well finished, and the tidy chassis and undercarriage
feature correct components and finishes, consistent with quality
restoration and proper post-restoration care and maintenance. A
mounted spare wheel/tire assembly resides in the round storage well
under the boot lid, along with a roadside jack and proper trunk
mat. Finishing the rare Arnolt MG are Dayton 15-inch "knock-off"
wire wheels fitted in 2017, mounting 165-series Michelin XZX radial
tires. A selection of photographs depicts the bodywork and paint
preparation performed in 2003 and detailed invoices cover the
mechanical service work and upgrades performed in 2017. Handsomely
presented with a very nicely maintained restoration and thoughtful
upgrades to enhance the experience, this exceedingly rare 1955
Arnolt MG coupe is a compelling example of the inspired vision and
dedication of "Wacky" Arnolt, one of America's industrial
visionaries and automotive entrepreneurs of the 20th Century.
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