1954 MG TF

Welcome to our latest auction, a mid-run MG TF finished in red and fitted with the 1250cc engine. First registered on the 1st of May 1954, the car’s previous owner used it for a European rally in 2009 and a plaque commemorating this is included.

The vendor bought it in December 2009 from Peter Edney, the son of George Edney, the guru of XPAG engines. As you’d expect, the engine is not only running very sweetly but has been converted to run on lead-free petrol.

Being sold as a runner, albeit one that will need restoring, as we examine it in detail even the word restoration might be too strong a term; with no urgent body repairs and a decent interior, it looks like it would be a simple case of working through the car bolting on and refurbishing mechanical components as required. A recommissioning at first, with a fuller refurbishment later, might better summarise its condition.

A smart double-axle Brian James trailer comes as part of the package, along with an awful lot of spares, so you can tow it away without hassle.

Better still, it’s being offered with no reserve so will sell from the very first bid!

The bodywork is actually pretty good. Largely free of rust, the boss has taken a long, hard look at it and concluded that while it will need some work in the long-term, you could easily live with it while you fettle the underpinnings.

And yet, even the work that needs doing doesn’t look to be too onerous: we spotted a crack in the MG Red paintwork on the lower edge of the nearside door; a scrape on the rear nearside wheelarch; a wibbly rear valance; and a crack in the windscreen. The vendor describes the driver’s door as being “rubbish” which we can’t help but think is a bit harsh…

The red paintwork has got a bit tired in places and fallen off. The rest is a bit flat but we think that a decent machine polish would bring it back from poor to average. Red is a pretty easy colour to match too, so localized repairs with a rattle can should be straightforward.

Or just call it ‘rat look’ and leave it as it is.

The chromework is patinated but largely good and while some of the rubber trim is starting to perish, this is another job that could be undertaken as and when time and funds allow.

Fitted with steel wheels and chromed hubcaps, the MG TFs wheels look to be in good shape. They’re shod with matching Firestone tyres too.

A new hood cover, rear apron, wire wheels and new spinners, door checks, body rubbers, chromed wiper arms, and door catch covers are included as part of the spares package.

The red leather interior is pretty good. Sure, the seats are a little soft but the leather covering them is in good shape being free of rips, tears and other damage. Only lightly patinated, we think the seat covers could be reused after you’ve replaced the underlying seat padding and webbing.

The huge wood-rimmed steering wheel, which is such an integral part of the MG’s driving experience, looks great as does the (slightly worn) dashboard and octagonal instruments. The door cards are decent, as are the floor boards and controls.

In fact, a bit like the exterior, if you don’t mind your interiors original and patinated then there really isn’t a lot to worry about - and even if you are a concours fetishist then you could live with it while you sort out the more urgent stuff, surely?

Oh, and there’s a heater in there. Its presence is a welcome bonus and while we haven’t tested it, given how simple the system is we can’t see it being a problem.

New parts as part of the unfitted spares include a set of carpets and two new interior mirrors.

The engine starts on the button and runs very sweetly indeed. The vendor tells us that it doesn’t use any oil but the exhaust does leak after being knocked when it was loaded on the trailer. Mind you, that’s not a problem because the car comes with a new stainless-steel system, so you’d almost certainly have been removing the old one anyway.

That’s the good news.

The bad news is who knows about the rest? The brakes work but are marginal thanks to perished and cracked seals and everything else is a mystery. However, we have driven up our private lane and report no other significant issues. You’re very welcome to pop along and crawl all over it but given the fact that it isn’t roadworthy, comes with its very own trailer, and has a shed-load of spare parts, why not just take a punt? Few cars are as straightforward to work on as this, and the spares situation is robust with many bits and bobs included.

Too comprehensive to list here with any authority, the spares package does include wire wheels, a stainless-steel exhaust, and a gearbox, none of which would have been cheap.

We’ve tried to photograph it all and there is also a printed inventory, which is so detailed that it even lists what is in each box. Please take the time to leaf through the photos to see for yourself what is included.

The underside, which looks to be straight and strong, also shows signs of some recent expenditure around the suspension and braking systems.

As for the trailer, it’s a twin-axle Brian James jobbie with a payload of 1,300kgs and a gross weight of 2,600kgs. Complete with a very useful hand winch, the whole thing looks to be in very good shape and is, we understand, not very old.

The MG TF’s last MOT expired in 2012. 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…

It also comes with two original workshop manuals, a reprinted operations manual, and a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate showing its original specification.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this paperwork.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

And please be reassured, we’ve undertaken a full COVID-assessment and put into place strict control measure to enable us to safely facilitate a no-contact, socially distanced viewing that includes disinfection of the vehicle before and after your viewing.

The vendor describes his MG TF as being “scruffy but a sweet, solid car” a description we can’t fault. Running well, it needs work but there’s nothing there to scare away even a moderately talented home mechanic – and if you don’t mind your car’s a little frayed around the edges then you could probably have a sweet-running classic MG for not a lot of effort.

Or money. Being offered with no reserve, we expect the virtual hammer to fall somewhere between £7,000 and £12,000 which seems like good value to us.

Viewing is always encouraged, 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’.