1964 MG Midget MkII

The penultimate owner of this car owned it from 2009 until earlier this year, at which point it was bought by the vendor.

The vendor bought the car because of its fine condition and because it was being sold through the very highly regarded Midget and Sprite restorer and connoisseur, Mike Authers.

The previous owner is the one to whom thanks must be given for a considerable amount of heavy lifting, hard work, eye-watering expenditure, and the pursuit of creating an expertly restored and fettled Midget MkII.

The car starts, runs and goes with all the eager liveliness and enthusiasm afforded by the proven engine, drivetrain and gearbox combination.

Thanks to the vendor spending £1000 on a 4-pot alloy brake kit with legendary MG modifiers and enhancers Frontline, the car now stops as reliably and keenly as it goes.

This charmingly proportioned roadster presents very handsomely from every angle.

The bodywork is straight, honest and free of any errant dinks, dents, ripples, creases or folds of consequence.

Both doors close with reassuring amounts of weight, certainty and precision, although the bottom of the passenger door is a little proud of the surrounding bodywork at the rear – although, in all likelihood, no more so that when it left the factory in Abingdon in 1964.

The Old English White paintwork is in very decent order, and even entirely standard stone chips and scuffs are rather more notable for their absence than their presence.

The silver alloy wheels, which were fitted new in 2014, are pretty much beyond reproach, and the matching Kumho tyres have plenty of life left in them.

Everywhere you look, the chrome-work is bright, shiny and free of any foxing, pitting or tarnishing.

The car’s black hood is devoid of any holes, cuts, nicks or rips that we can see, and it goes up and down with a minimum of fuss.

Faults? Well, they’re really very few and far between.

We noticed a little bit of blistering in the passenger-side sill and the forward base of the rear wing, plus a small patch of nascent bubbling in the driver-side sill.

There are a few scuffs and scratches on the front and rear valances, a thin scratch atop the o/s/f wing just forward of the windscreen, and some splits and cracks to the paint at the top of both doors where they meet the ‘B’ pillars.

The lights, lenses, cabin glass, badging and all other exterior fixtures and fittings are broadly beyond reproach and following the same script as the rest of this remarkably well-preserved car.

The interior of this splendid car is a delight – and it is in truly first-class condition.

The black vinyl seats (piped white) look practically brand-new.

The door cards are solid and free of any signs of damage or wear.

The carpets and mats are excellent throughout, including in the well-preserved boot, which contains a tonneau cover and a spare wheel.

The car’s Smiths gauges are as attractive as they are functional (as far as we know) and the painted section of the dashboard, colour-keyed to the exterior paint, is attractively glossy and free of scratches or chips.

The crackle-finish black paint on the centre console is pretty good, too, and the car’s steering wheel, gear lever, handbrake, knobs, switches, levers and buttons all look to be in fine fettle.

There are a few scrapes and nicks on the dashboard top-roll, but that’s about it as far as ‘faults’ go.

Lift up the bonnet on this car and you’ll be greeted by an engine and engine bay that are so clean and dry you’ll be inclined to give them a 5-star rating on a food hygiene report.

Everything is in its right and proper place.

We know from various bits of paperwork (and badging withing the engine bay), that it is equipped with a Kenlowe fan, and that the engine is 1100cc unit with Kent 266 camshaft, 38 SU carb with a modified AAL needle, and a K&N air filter.

All of which goes some way to explaining just how and why it’s such a treat to drive.

The car’s undersides look solid, sound and bereft of anything that might prompt us to tut or raise an eyebrow.

The car comes with a 7-inch-thick wad of paperwork covering pretty much everything done to it over the last two decades.

Most of the restoration work seems to have been concentrated around 2012, then from 2013 through to 2016, then again at 2019.

All of the parts ordered came from the best suppliers - MGB Hive, Moss, Sussex Classic Car Parts, etc - and we believe a lot of the labour was supplied by the previous owner in conjunction with various specialists in, primarily the South West of England.

Clearly, everyone involved knew exactly what they were doing.

One such specialist is commemorated with his own plaque in the engine bay, which reads, “To Pete Foxley, without whose welding skills this car would not have survived.”

There are invoices, bills and receipts itemising all other maintenance, service and repair work carried out over the years.

The car comes with BMIHT certificate of authenticity, a recent, clear HPI report, a number of old MoT certificates, and various guides, manuals and handbooks.

The car’s current MoT is valid until 19th August 2025 and comes with no advisories.

It’s hard to believe that this car left the factory in 1964, the year Chuck Berry had no particular place to go, Dionne Warwick was walking on by, and poor old Dusty Springfield just didn’t know what to do with herself.

This charming Midget MkII ticks all the right boxes for mileage, history and condition.

The vendor is only reluctantly selling because his priorities now lie elsewhere.

The next owner of this car will be taking home one of the very best examples out there - and can relax in the knowledge that all the big-ticket expenditure has been faced and tackled by other people.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £8,000 - £12,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.