1952 MG TD 1250

First registered on the 31st of May 1952, this superb MG TD is a genuine right-hand-drive, Birmingham-registered example that’s seen just seven owners in its 69 years in the United Kingdom.

Recently restored by a McLaren F1 mechanic and his father, the son is rumoured to have smuggled it into the firm’s paint booth to apply the stunning red paintwork…

What is known for certain is that it is a proper job, rebuilt from the ground up with new or refurbished parts as necessary.

Wonderfully, the car’s last elderly owner owned an MG TD when he was 21. Fired by a fit of nostalgia, he spent an awful long time searching for a car with which to re-find his youth, rejecting many until he found one that was as good as the car he remembered buying all those years ago.

This is that car.

You’d have every right to expect a McLaren man to get the coachwork right, and in that respect (and many others…) you won’t be disappointed. With very good shutlines, everything aligns beautifully – and this sort of precision doesn’t happen without many dozens (if not hundreds) of hours of painstaking work underpinned by decades of experience.

The panels are free of ripples, dents and dinks, and the paintwork is as good as you could possibly imagine. With a generous depth of shine to the top coat, it’s even and glossy and free of anything worrisome. The boss rates it as being in the top ten of resprays he’s seen across in his life - and he’s seen a lot…

Of course, a car like this wouldn’t be complete without plenty of chrome and this one has its full complement including bumpers, windscreen surround, lights, and an imposing radiator. There’s a badge bar too, including a wonderful single Lucas spotlight plus a useful boot-mounted luggage rack.

The steel spare wheel is mounted on the boot too, and it, along with the other four, is in fine fettle and free of damage, scuffs, and other undesirables. New, and matching, Toyo tyres too in the correct 155R15 size are set off by a set of flawless chromed hubcaps.

As we will never tire of explaining, our 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 folding black roof is in the same condition as the rest of the vehicle, which is to say that it still looks virtually new and fits and furls as it should. There’s a roof cover to keep it neatly stored when it’s folded down, along with a full tonneau cover for when you feel like some al fresco fun but would like to keep the interior protected in case of inclement weather.

Other nice touches are a pair of Lucas PL headlamps, new numberplates, and a pair of union flags plus plenty of new bolts, fasteners, and rubber seals. The windscreen (made by Auster of Birmingham, as the nameplate attests) also folds down, and there are a pair of Perspex mini-screens to give the driver and passenger rudimentary protection.

Flaws are few. There’s a short crack in the paint (#74) and a small chip on the scuttle (#123).

Also, if we’re being ultra-picky then there are a few Posidrive screws too, but tracking them down and replacing them with slot-head would be a joy rather than a chore.

It really is an absolute delight and will satisfy even the most demanding enthusiast.

The trademark vintage-style steering wheel sets the tone for a great interior. Take the unadorned black seats for example. With their one-piece backrest and individual base cushions, they are as comfortable as they look and give the occupants a wonderfully intimate driving experience. As you can see, they’re in great shape and are free of any damage and wear.

There’s a full suite of Jaeger dials too, all of which are in great condition and neatly set into the dashboard – and while the dashboard might not have the traditional slab of wood used by other manufacturers, its absence isn’t missed because the MG TD’s interior is one of the nicest of all of its contemporaries.

The door cards are in a good condition too, as are the carpets. In fact, it’s a lovely place to be, with the later restoration seeing everything refurbished or replaced; heck, even the keys are new.

It all works as it should, leaving the new owner with nothing to do other than enjoy it.

Lifting the centre-hinged bonnet shows an excellent engine; it’s the attention to detail that separates the great cars from the mediocre and it’s clear that many, many hours of work have gone into preparing and detailing the engine and underbonnet area – and that the worst thing we can say of it is that there are a couple of paint runs on the rocker cover speaks volumes…

As you can see in the video, it starts very well too, firing into life at the briefest touch of the ignition key. It settles into a steady tickover and revs like a little sewing machine; this might not be the most powerful engine you’ve ever driven but it’s almost certainly going to be one of the sweetest.

The underside is as clean as the rest of the car. Painted rather than undersealed, its condition is wide open to inspection enabling you to appreciate the work that went into getting it as beautifully finished as this.

The MG doesn’t have a current MOT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have the car re-MOT’d at the earliest. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

Sadly, as is so common with home restorations, there is no paperwork with the car bar the V5. This is unfortunate but given the choice of buying a car with a thick folder that’s been bodged back together by someone with more enthusiasm than skill, or one that has been meticulously assembled by a Formula One mechanic with little appetite for maintaining a comprehensive paper trail for later owners to follow, we know which one we’d rather buy…

Cars like this are rarer than you think because while there is no shortage of home-restored cars out there, the quality is hugely variable and only a very few have had the requisite time and money lavished on them to get the job done properly.

This is one such car. One of our team has worked for McLaren at one point and can attest to the fanatical pursuit of perfection that pervades the company – and that obsession with attention to detail is shared by every single member of staff, so when we learned that the MG had been restored by one of its number, we knew it would be good.

And it is. It is in a staggeringly good condition, so much so that it would be as at home on the concours circuit being trailered from event to event as it would be as a hard-charging period motorsport weapon or anything in between.

Despite its condition and potential, it isn’t going to be terribly expensive, either. With the move towards more modern classics of the eighties and later, cars of this era seem to have stalled somewhat in recent years, which is good news for anyone looking to get their hands on one.

Enough waffle: How much is this going to sell for? Well, it isn’t going to be the cheapest but then the best never is. We think it’ll go for somewhere between £23,500 and £28,000, which is great value given the cost and manpower that went into getting it into this condition.

And because the market always values the very best of any model, it should hold its value better than an inferior car too, which further lowers the overall cost of placing it in your garage.

Inspection is always encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.