1954 MG TF

The vendor Brian O’Donnell’s company bought this particular MG TF with a view to using it as a classic hire car. “We specialise in British cars 40 years and older and had been planning to set up a rental service for a while, so we bought a number of good cars for it. However, due to Covid those plans are on hold; we’re now looking to sell the rental fleet, with a view to re-buying similar cars in 18 months time.”

This car’s included V5 document shows that it’s had a total of five owners from new. “We knew it was a nice car and wouldn’t have bought it otherwise,” explains Brian. “And that was confirmed when we got up on the ramp back at our premises and gave it a thorough going over. We have the facilities to fully restore cars, but it didn’t need it – it’s solid underneath and in very good health.”

In Brian’s workshop it had the interior cleaned, a service and a few parking dinks and areas of worn paint (for example where the previous owner held the door to close it) re-touched. It also had a mechanical going over. The odometer currently reads 55,709 miles and it has had a very recent MOT pass, with the test certificate running until the 16th of November 2021.

After BMC boss Leonard Lord canned the prototype EX175 in 1952, Syd Enever and his team turned to the re-hashing the TD. The resulting TF was the result and even today, as this example demonstrates, it looks great.

The Red paintwork exhibits only minor flaws here and there, and still looks very nice indeed. There are a few spider crazing marks on the headlight nacelles, but we think they lend the car a lovely patina. All beadings that sits between the wings and the body panels are present and in fine condition. Brian also says that the underlying frame is in very good nick.

The bright work is smart and free from pitting and there’s a variety of interesting badges mounted on the front bumper – ladies and gentlemen, please be upstanding for the 1953 Coronation! You’ll also find a convenient chrome luggage rack fitted at the rear, so if you’re ready for some epic touring (or even a weekend away at a country pub!) then it’s ready to go.

The steel wheels suit the car’s aesthetic and there’s a matching spare mounted on the fuel tank lid. There’s a full complement of wet weather gear included and again they look to be in reasonably good condition.

As with the exterior of this car, the cabin presents nicely too. The black carpets remain in decent order – although they don’t completely cover the sound deadening underneath at their outer edges.

The leather door cards are tiptop, as is the rear parcel shelf. Meanwhile up front you get that lovely trio of centrally mounted octagonal instruments and the padded dashboard top, both of which debuted in this model – although the leather on the latter is a touch cracked at its driver’s side extremity.

If there’s a weak point in here, then it’s the seats; they’re just a bit saggy, have been painted at some point and are at odds with the quality of the rest of the car. They also have a few puncture marks on their respective backs. The next owner may wish to invest in a quick trip to the trimmers for refurbishment, which would lift the entire cabin.

The TF has had ‘Brooklands’ aero-screens fitted, so if you wish you could dispense of the windscreen altogether, don hat and goggles and invoke full ‘tally-ho’ mode.

“It drives very well,” says Brian. “The TF is a pretty simple car; it’s very narrow and it’s a case of point and shoot. On A- and B-roads it drives beautifully. It’s always one that we take with us whenever have a classic car exhibition or show, as it’s the archetypical British Fifties road car.”

The car is now at The Market’s Abingdon headquarters and on our test drive it had a bit of a misfire and the brakes felt a touch out of sorts – the latter is possibly down to a leaking cylinder. Neither though is what we’d classify as a deal-breaker. As with any classic car that hasn’t seen a lot of recent action the TF just requires a touch more fettling and a few more miles on the clock.

In terms of the underside it looks to be a very healthy picture with no signs of rot or anything else untoward. The axles present well, as do all other areas; the most we’d suggest is a wire brush and rust-proofing top up in the areas where the protective substance applied has now chipped. A full stainless steel exhaust system is fitted and remains in rude health.

Pop either of the bonnet side panels and you’ll find a very clean and nicely detailed engine bay. The car is fitted with a Duracell battery – I wonder if it’ll keep going for longer, even after all other TFs have given up?

There isn’t a huge amount of paperwork with the car. However, you will find a number of invoices, old MOT certificates, a cancelled Vehicle (Excise) Act 1962 Registration Book and old tax disc.

There’s a letter that indicates that another business owned the vehicle between 2008 and 2010, when the mileage was 52,164. That demonstrates that the TF has only seen a tiny bit of asphalt action since then, so new owners should factor in a touch of further re-commissioning as you begin to stretch its legs (spin its wheels!).

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of the paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a high standard.

Oh, how we yearn for simpler times, and pleasures don’t get any better than arrowing through post-war Blighty’s country roads in an MG Midget. Well, here’s your chance, for this charming example of Abingdon’s Fifties finest will instantly transport you back in time.

There’s no doubt that it remains in very decent condition – a quick flick through our photographic gallery will confirm that. It does require a touch more fettling, but more importantly it needs to see regular action. Show this TF that, and we think it’ll reward the next owner with decades more sterling service.

Of MG’s post-war Midgets there’s no doubt that the less upright TF is the most rakish looking of the lot. That’s why, combined with this example’s very smart condition, we think it’ll sell for somewhere between £23,500 and £28,000.

Bid, buy and then enjoy.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located at The Market’s Abingdon headquarters; 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’.