MG Midget MkIII

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The last of the line of MG Midgets actually started life as a re-badged Austin Healey Sprite. A development of the famous 'Frogeye', the Sprite used a unitary body with double wishbone suspension at the front and 1/4 elliptic springs at the rear.

The first cars had rudimentary sliding side screens and were quite primitive. As time went on, improvements such as winding windows, semi elliptic rear springs and engine capacity increases from 948cc, through 1,098cc to the 1,275cc A-Series engine from the Mini Cooper S were introduced.

By the time the MkIII was launched in 1966 with a proper folding hood, the car had evolved significantly. This lasted until 1974 when major revisions were undertaken including rubber bumpers and the 1500cc engine from the Spitfire – things were never quite the same after that. As soon as the car was introduced, its sporting potential was clear, the lightweight machine offering a competitive package in virtually every form of motorsport.

This hot little 1969 MkIII was purchased by the vendor five years ago to develop into a fast-road car which could be used for hill-climbs, sprints and track days. Acquired as an unfinished restoration, the hard work to the bodyshell had already been completed to a very high standard. The vendor, a well-known racer himself having competed in the upper echelons of the historic racing scene for many years (now retired), presented the car to race engineer Peter May to prepare.

He uprated the suspension and fitted Brembo front discs. The engine was bored to 1,380cc and fitted with a Piper 285 camshaft. The vendor describes the end result as "wholly civilised until you reach 4,000rpm after which it takes off like the proverbial scalded cat!"

The clutch was upgraded to rally specifications and the four-speed gearbox fitted with a close-ratio straight-cut gear-set. A limited-slip diff was incorporated into the rear axle mated to a standard 4.22:1 ratio crown-wheel-and-pinion which completed the work to the transmission. Other work included fitting the works-style hard top over a basic roll bar, adding an uprated radiator, new fuel tank, fuel and brake lines, wiring loom and detachable timing strut.

MOTd until September 2016, it comes complete with jack, copper-clopper hammer for the wheel spinners and a spare set of hexagonal wheel nuts and in the words of the vendor: "is built to go and not only show, offering more bang for your buck than seems quite right".

Now with five attendances at Shelsley Walsh and three Loton Park meetings under its excellent tyres, the vendor has realised that he rather struggles to get in and out of the car which is not an ideal situation when competing in speed events.

Known within the family as GSLGC (Grandpa’s Silly Little Green Car), all it now needs is a less geriatric driver (with more sympathetic offspring) to continue its exercise regime, either on the hills, the track or just as a fantastic way to get to the pub in double-quick time!