MG TD MkII Roadster

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

Its rigid box-section chassis frame featured independent double-wishbone front suspension, a well-located 'live' rear axle, four-wheel drum brakes, a hidden reinforced scuttle hoop and perhaps best of all, rack-and-pinion steering. Still constructed on a wooden frame, the car was 5-inches wider with a track of 50-inches and had a mirror-image dashboard to facilitate either RHD or LHD production.

Sharper handling and smoother riding than its T-series predecessors, the newcomer drew considerable praise from the contemporary press. Powered by a twin-carb four-cylinder 1,250cc engine allied to four-speed manual transmission, the 54bhp TD was capable of 80mph and 26mpg.

In 1951 the MkII TD entered production alongside the standard model with a more powerful 60bhp XPAG engine, offering even better 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. In all, some 30,000 TDs were made in total, the vast majority being sold to US customers.

Dating from 1952, this TD MkII was recently imported from sunny California and has now been UK registered as XBV 368. The vendor describes it as follows: “A sound and solid car for restoration with some interesting and unusual details. The car features extra louvres on the bonnet and has front wings that taper into the body with no running boards. A number of badges on the dashboard commemorate various events organised by the Four Cylinder Club of America into which the car appears to have been entered in the mid-1950s.

The colours of brown and cream appear to be original. The number on the front of the chassis (16402) matches that on the VIN plate while the engine number also matches the VIN plate making this a matching numbers machine. Various parts come with the car including a pair of seats, some of the brightwork, lights, hood, side screens and some rare wind deflectors which clip to the side of the screen frame.”

Altogether a straightforward restoration project with a potentially interesting early history that may merit further investigation.