1952 MG TD Roadster

The MG T-series, for most enthusiasts, epitomises the spirit of the Abingdon marque, delivering a blend of lively performance, vintage styling and above all, the sort of wind-in-the-hair driving experience one expects from a traditional British sports car. The original T-series Midget was launched before the war, evolving into the short-lived TB and TC models before the TD was announced in November 1949, bringing with it the first major attempt at restyling since hostilities had ceased. With a track widened by some five inches to improve interior space, along with newly independent coil spring front suspension and rack and pinion steering sourced from the Y-type, the TD was sold with steel disc wheels in place of the more usual wire-spoked items and bumpers (with over-riders) were standard equipment as well. The interior was revised to make it more habitable but retained the flavour of the original T-series, with folding windscreen, full instrumentation and a minimum of superfluous decoration. Powering the TD was essentially the same XPAG 1250cc engine in use since 1939 but an increased compression ratio from 1950 (on the Mark II version) saw power up from 55bhp to 60bhp. With the sports car movement in the United States in full swing, it wasn't surprising the vast majority of TD production crossed the Atlantic and relatively few of the 30,000 built (making this the best-selling Midget to date) were sold new to Australia. Enthusiasm for the T-series remains strong around the world and they continue to make rewarding and worthwhile restoration projects, with plenty of support from MG specialists and clubs.