1955 MG TF 1500
California Car • British Racing Green • Tan Leather Seats • 1250cc XPAG • 4-Speed Manual • Comprehensive Older Restoration • Longtime Family Ownership
This handsome 1955 MG TF 1500 is a California car finished in classic British Racing Green with a tan interior, tan leather seats and black carpeting. Consistent with California registration practices of the period, the car was titled using its engine number rather than its chassis number, an interesting piece of its early California history. Its longtime owner had owned an MG while attending medical school and dating his future wife, and after raising their family and approaching retirement, he decided he wanted another. He acquired this TF 1500 in the early 1990s and, according to the family, had the car fully restored, including its mechanical systems, in the Newport Beach/Orange County area. Based on its current presentation, the work appears to have been a comprehensive frame-on restoration. The MG remained with the family for decades afterward and is offered with a clear California title.
The 1,466cc XPEG inline-four starts, runs and idles smoothly, breathing through its traditional twin SU carburetors. The 4-speed manual transmission shifts nicely through the gears, while the brakes, suspension and direct steering provide the light, responsive and wonderfully engaging driving experience for which the MG T-Series is known. After an extended period of limited use, the car has recently been recommissioned as needed, including attention to and tuning of the carburetors.
The British Racing Green paint retains a deep shine and shows very nicely, beautifully highlighting the TF's upright chrome grille, separate flowing fenders, running boards and rear-mounted spare. The glass, chrome, trim and emblems show well, as do the painted steel wheels with traditional MG hubcaps. The convertible top functions properly and fits well, though it has faded somewhat with age. The tires retain good tread depth but should be replaced due to age, and a new spare tire has recently been installed.
The tan interior was replaced as part of the restoration and remains in very nice condition throughout, featuring tan leather seats and black carpeting. The wonderfully simple cockpit retains the traditional character that makes these cars so appealing, with classic instrumentation, a large steering wheel, floor-mounted shifter and low seating position. It is comfortable, inviting and unmistakably British.
This 1955 MG TF 1500 offers much more than simply an attractive older restoration. Its longtime owner enjoyed an MG as a young man while courting the woman who would become his wife, then returned to the marque decades later as he approached retirement, acquiring this TF and having it comprehensively restored for his enjoyment. He and his wife subsequently enjoyed outings with the MG Club before the car eventually settled into long-term garage storage. Today it remains a handsome California TF 1500 with decades of family ownership, an appealing personal history and the larger XPEG engine that marked the final and most developed version of MG's legendary T-Series roadsters.
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