1951 MG TD Roadster

Description

For many, the T-series MGs epitomise the true spirit of the marque - a blend of traditional styling, lively performance and an involving driving experience of the top-down, wind-in-the-hair variety. MG's first post-war model, the TC, was little changed from the pre-war TA/TB series but found new favour in the burgeoning sports car market across the Atlantic and with the formation of the Sports Car Club of America, many owners began to enjoy their MGs on the racetrack on weekends. Responding to demand for a more civilised, user-friendly model the designers at Nuffield developed a new T-series in 1949, with the resultant TD based on a modified version of the unsuccessful Y-type's box-section chassis frame, with independent front suspension and MG's fantastic rack-and-pinion steering. The body was similar to the outgoing TC but offered the twin advantages of more interior space and being a lot stiffer, which markedly improved handling. The interior was also revised but retained all the sporting character associated with the T-series, including a folding windscreen, full instrumentation and minimal ornamentation, plus new steel disc wheels in place of the more traditional wire-spoked ones due to the IFS. Power from the 1250cc engine was a healthy 54.5 horsepower (up to 60 bhp could be had from the Mark II model) and the TD was built in plentiful numbers, some 30,000 being completed before the replacement TF arrived in 1954. The TD proved especially popular in the United States and as a result the vast majority were built to left-hand drive configuration for export. Today, the MG owner enjoys enormous support from clubs and specialists worldwide, with a particularly strong club scene here in Australia. It's not uncommon to see an MG T-series being enjoyed on back roads around the country of a weekend and invariably those aboard will be clearly enjoying the ride.