1936 MG TA

First registered in September 1936, this delightful MG TA had to wait more than half a century to have the good fortune to be bought by Alan. A dentist by training, his passion was car restoration: “He wouldn’t have wanted to buy one in this condition”, Jackie, his widow told us. “He enjoyed restoring cars and wanted this one to be absolutely perfect and was willing to wait until he could find the right parts to get it so.”

As patient as he was skilful, Alan derived his pleasure from the process and took more than 20 years to finish this wonderful MG TA, disappearing for hours at a time into the garage. “I didn’t really ask what he was doing,” Jackie said. “I wish I’d known at the time just how skilled he was because what he’s created is remarkable.”

Just like his 1949 Land Rover that we’re also selling, the MG TA was a labour of love and stands today as a testament to a remarkably accomplished man.

A reluctant sale, Jackie is determined that Alan’s work should be enjoyed by a wider audience than their friends and family, making this your chance to buy what might just be the most meticulously restored example on offer anywhere in the world today.

Originally green, the MG TA has been restored in this wonderfully cheery red. As you can see from the photos of the restoration in progress, the work was carried out with unusual care; as a fellow dentist, Jackie told us “we are used to working in small places to tolerances of a millimetre or less and I’d often find Alan cleaning something with a toothbrush. He was endlessly patient.”

His hard work paid off because the MG is stunning. The bonnet, which lived for so long in their dining room waiting to be fitted that Jackie forgot it was there, is the centrepiece. Hinged in the middle to allow full access to the engine, it is flanked by two huge headlamps and set off by a wonderfully clean chromed radiator grille.

The front cycle wings cover the wire wheels that Alan waited years to find. It was absolutely worth the wait though because they’re beautiful, aren’t they? They’re also fitted with matching 4.5 x 19 crossply tyres.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The full-width windscreen folds down to leave a pair of aero screens that give the driver and passenger an element of protection while they adopt a rakish, Brooklands-racing pose.

The rudimentary hood fits as well as any we’ve seen and is in great shape. It opens and closes easily, and sits neatly underneath a good tonneau cover.

There’s a chromed badge bar too, with a horn and an auxiliary driving lamp in addition to three badges.

Faults? Well, a fussy owner might want to trim some of the loose ends off the hood but there’s nothing that really needs doing; this is a job for the completist rather than anything that actually needs doing.

The ivory-faced Jaeger dials are a joy, with the driver getting the all-important rev counter, leaving the speedometer to the passenger. In between the two major instruments are gauges for amps and oil pressure plus controls for the starter, headlamps, choke, fog lamps, instrument panel lights, mixture, and slow running, a feature that’s new to us but which we learned increases the revs when the engine is cold. A hand throttle.

The seat is a bench design on the upright with two individual seat bases and it’s all finished in red leather. Wonderfully comfortable, it gives the driver access to a huge, three-spoke vintage steering wheel and some of the most delicate pedals we’ve ever seen.

There’s a period fire extinguisher fitted between the seats and good carpets on the floor, the latter of which are protected by MG rubber overmats. The door cards are to the same standard as everything else.

It really is a lovely place to be and there’s nothing for the new owner to do other than enjoy it.

The car arrived at The Market with a flat 6v battery. The MG has been on trickle charge and we can confirm the engine does turnover freely but the batteries currently have insufficient power to turn it over more than once so our report on the running condition is obviously limited.

The engine is as glorious as the rest of the vehicle. There’s a lot to like under the bonnet but we’re especially taken with the four spare Champion sparkplugs that’re neatly stored under there. We also love the fact that Alan fitted matching sparkplugs and HT lead caps. Meticulous, you see?

The tool kits are worthy of note too, as are the brass hose clamps and chassis plates. It, like the Land Rover, is perfectly judged and beautifully executed.

The engine might not be a powerhouse but it’s a sweet little thing.

The underside is, of course, every bit as good as you’d expect with every component bearing witness to Alan’s trademark attention to detail.

Photos of the MG TA being restored are on a CD, which will come with the car. It also has a bunch of old car tax discs and MoT certificates plus a number of exploded diagrams and instructions.

It also has a large number of bills and invoices for parts and services. Please do take the time to look through them.

Please come and inspect the vehicle, or send a mechanic, as you must satisfy yourself of what it is and The Market will make the car fully accessible for an inspection. You can even bring a battery and check the electrics/turn the engine if you wish.

Alan’s plan was the spend his working life restoring the MG before trailering it around in his retirement to share his passion with others. Sadly, this didn’t happen.

But, the best cars are bought from lovely people and his dream could live on with you – and if you’ve ever hankered for a vintage sportscar it’s highly unlikely you’ll do better than this. Beautifully restored, it needs nothing other than an enthusiastic owner to continue the car’s curation.

It could be yours for as little as £20,000 to £25,000, and that sum won’t just get you behind the wheel of what might be the nicest MG TA on sale today; it also opens the door to the Veteran Sports Car Club as a Post-Vintage Thoroughbred.

The VSCC has a packed calendar of sporting and social events and anyone whose car is eligible really should join as there is no better fun to be had for the money.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.