The MG T-type was a series of body-on-frame open two-seater sports cars produced from 1936 to 1955. Known as the Midget, the series ran through the TA, TB, TC, TD and TF, and by the 1950s the design had grown so outdated that it was replaced by the all-new MGA.
MG T-type at a glance
| Maker | MG, Abingdon |
|---|---|
| Production | 1936–1955 |
| Models | TA, TB, TC, TD, TF |
| Layout | body on frame, open two-seater, rear-wheel drive |
| TA engine | 1,292 cc MPJG overhead-valve, 50 hp |
| TB and TC engine | 1,250 cc XPAG, 54 hp |
| TC built | 10,001, from September 1945 to November 1949 |
| TA built | 3,003, at £222 in 1936 |
| TB built | 379, the rarest of the series |
| TC top speed | about 80 mph in standard tune |
| TD (1950) | Y-type chassis and independent front suspension |
| Replaced by | MGA in 1955 |
No free photographs of the T-type were found, so the original picture of the record has been kept.
History of the MG T-type
TA Midget
The TA replaced the PB in 1936. It was an evolution of the previous car, 3 inches wider in track at 45 inches and 7 inches longer in wheelbase at 94 inches. The advanced overhead-camshaft engine was by then out of production elsewhere, so it gave way to the overhead-valve MPJG unit from the Wolseley Ten, fitted with twin SU carburettors and a modified camshaft and manifolding. It displaced 1,292 cc and produced 50 hp at 4,500 rpm. The four-speed gearbox gained synchromesh on the top two ratios and was driven through a cork-faced clutch running in oil, and hydraulic brakes with 9-inch drums replaced the cable system of the PB.
Most TAs were two-seat open cars with a steel body on an ash frame, with a bench-type seat and storage behind it. A standard car could reach almost 80 mph and took 23.1 seconds to 60 mph. It cost £222 on the home market, the same as the PB, and 3,003 were made. From 1938 a Tickford drophead coupé by Salmons was offered, with wind-up windows and a soft top that could be used fully open, closed or open just over the seats; 252 were built. An Airline fixed-head coupé by Carbodies was also listed, but only one or two are thought to have been made. Allan Tomlinson won the 1939 Australian Grand Prix on handicap in a TA.
TB and TC
The TB replaced the TA in May 1939 with a smaller but more modern XPAG engine from the Morris Ten Series M, more highly tuned and again with twin SU carburettors. The 1,250 cc unit gave 54 hp at 5,200 rpm, the oil-immersed clutch gave way to a dry-plate type and the gear ratios were revised. Available as an open two-seater or a Tickford drophead coupé, the TB is the rarest of the series: only 379 were built before the factory switched to aircraft components and tank work for the war.
The TC was the first post-war MG, launched in 1945 and very similar to the pre-war TB. It shared the 1,250 cc pushrod engine with a slightly higher 7.4:1 compression ratio for 54.5 bhp, and it was a car famous for its tunability. The TC had 19-inch Dunlop wire wheels, a 12-volt electrical system and an oil-pressure-adjusted timing chain tensioner, and it was exported to the United States even though it was only ever built in right-hand drive; export cars had sealed-beam headlights, twin tail lights and chromed bumpers. 10,001 TCs were produced between September 1945 and November 1949, more than any previous MG, at £527 in 1947, with 28 mpg and a 0–60 mph time of 22.7 seconds.
TD and TF
The TD, announced in January 1950, combined the TC’s drivetrain with a modified hypoid rear axle, the MG Y-type chassis and a familiar T-type body, adding independent front suspension with coil springs from the Y-type saloon. A 1950 road test called the resulting transformation in ride comfort ‘most striking’. The TD also used the Y-type’s rack and pinion steering, smaller 15-inch disc wheels and was offered in left-hand drive. The series ended with the TF, which was replaced in 1955 by the all-new MGA; the TF name was revived in 2002 on the mid-engined MG TF.
Design and features
- Body on frame: a steel body on an ash frame over a separate chassis.
- Tunable XPAG engine: the 1,250 cc unit of the TB and TC was a favourite of club racers.
- Independent front suspension: added to the TD from the Y-type saloon.
- Tickford coupés: a more luxurious drophead body offered alongside the open cars.
MG T-type versions
- TA (1936–1939): 1,292 cc and 50 hp, 3,003 built.
- TB (1939): 1,250 cc XPAG and 54 hp, 379 built.
- TC (1945–1949): the first post-war MG, 10,001 built.
- TD (1950): Y-type chassis and independent front suspension.
- TF (1953–1955): the final T-type, replaced by the MGA.
The T-type preceded the MGA, and its P-type ancestor used the same open two-seater formula; more cars are in the MG collection.
Video: Test Drive in 1948 MG TC Race Car
Video by Roger Morse on YouTube.
Sources
- MG T-type, English Wikipedia: TA, TB, TC and TD specifications and production
