Lot number	73
Hammer value	N/S (est. £25,000 - £27,000)
Description	MG TD
Registration	TBA
Year	1952
Colour	Green
Engine size	1,250 cc
Chassis No.	TD8961
Engine No.	XPAG/TD/LHX9189

Following on from the successful MG TC Midget, the TD arrived in 1949, introducing some much needed post-war refinements.

The TD now featured independent front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering, which greatly improved the T-Series handling characteristics. It also boasted a hypoid-bevel back axle, hidden scuttle reinforcement hoop and twin leading-shoe front brakes.

The TD body still retained the 30's style body design but now had pressed steel wheels and had a mirror-image dashboard to facilitate either RHD or LHD drive production as the vast majority of the 29,665 cars made were sold overseas.

In 1951 a Mk II TD entered production with a more powerful (60bhp) XPAG engine, which offered 82mph performance. Great fun to drive, the MG TD had a quirky mixture of a vintage body and 50s styling cues and sold extremely well until it was replaced in 1953 by the MG TF.

First registered in July 1957, this left-hand drive TD is believed to have spent its whole life in Canada from where it was imported earlier this year. As you can see the car is in outstanding condition throughout following a body-off restoration in the early 1990s. Between 2008 and 2009 another $20,000 Canadian dollars was spent on the car to improve it still further (bills on file).

Still fitted with its original engine, it has had a later 5-speed Ford Sierra gearbox fitted, a very discreet installation that is popular with owners and transforms the driving experience. Everything about this car is in tip-top order, including the full set of weather gear (hood, sidescreens and tonneau), and it comes with a large history file that includes a very detailed insurance valuation report from 2010 that praises it for being “very good” in all respects.

Due to have a fresh MOT before the sale, it had not yet been UK registered at the time of cataloguing but this process is underway and should hopefully be completed by the time of sale. Altogether a fine example that is worthy of close inspection.