Background
By the 1950s, MG had come a long way from its roots as an offshoot of Morris Motors and cemented a place as an innovative producer of sporting road and competition cars. Its diminutive M-Type Midget, (which had first appeared in 1928), had been an absolute game changer; small, lightweight, and based on pre-existing Morris empire components, it brought affordable sports cars to an entirely new audience.
It also set the tone for the company’s ‘Midget’ line for the next quarter of a century, through the delectable C-, J-, P- and the T-Types that all followed in its pocket-sized footsteps. Yes, progress dictated that the later cars veered more towards Touring and, lo and behold, higher levels of comfort than their forebears. However, they never lost their inherent driveability or ability to deliver bum-skimming-the-tarmac thrills.
It was the 1949 TD that saw the most significant sea change with the incorporation of the Y-Type’s innovative independent front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering set-up (courtesy of a certain Mr Issigonis). No longer would cabin inhabitants crunch their respective teeth over lumps and bumps in the road.
The final TF variants were sleeker, if still traditional, looking beasts with a few other nods to modernity, such as separate seats replacing bench items. The 1250cc was good for 57.5bhp, while the 1500cc offered 63bhp. Today, these last of the ‘old-school’ line of Midgets remain the most desirable.
