1938' MG TA

1938 MG TA in the style of the pre-war works Cream Cracker trials cars. It is currently fitted with an engine such as those used in the 1970’s MG Midgets which together with a five speed gearbox makes the car perfect for long distance touring. The sale includes a large amount of spares including a correct MPJG engine, clutch and gearbox.I bought the car and spare engine in 2003 from the marque specialist Barry Walker who had purchased the car from an ex-employee who had been restoring it for more than 15 years but was forced to sell it as part of a divorce settlement. He completely rebuilt the chassis, fitted all new woodwork, re-plated all the chrome and had the leather seats recovered by Collingburn. The original engine was stolen during the early part of the restoration which is why the alternative engine was fitted.
I employed an auto electrician to install the completely new wiring, commissioned new wings, completed the cellulose respray and trimmed the car. Since completion in 2006 my wife and I have used it for touring holidays. To date we have completed around 30,000 miles mostly on ten continental trips which were largely solo and unsupported. We visited Italy initially as the couple who owned the car in the 1950’s contacted us and gave us a photograph of the car near Genoa and we wished to recreate their picture. We did that and met them to spend a few hours hearing about their adventures in the car. They also gave us a copy of a page of the November 1959 Motor Sport magazine, which showed their advertisement when selling the car for £235. We enjoyed that initial trip to Italy so much that we returned a further six times and intended to go again this year and to venture into Croatia but obviously the pandemic has curtailed this plan.
The car can be used in modern traffic conditions and is a joy to drive and the view over the Bugatti type louvered bonnet never fails to please. A comfortable speed is around 55 mph (same as most trucks) but with the hood up you can easily cruise at the legal limit if braking distance allows. The original steering has been rebuilt by a specialist and does not suffer from the vagueness so often present in these cars. The engine was rebuilt about 20,000 miles ago and is 1275 cc + 20 thou giving a total of 1292 cc. The gearbox is a type 9 Ford. The tyres are all good and no older than five years. To aid long distance touring it is fitted with an alternator and an electric radiator fan. The car is running on 19 inch front wheels and 16 inch rears, a modification often carried out in period which is probably why the handling is so stable. The speedometer has been calibrated to suit although the rolling radius between the sizes of the tyres is not far apart.
The tonneau, hood and screens were all new and fitted to the original frames during the restoration by an upholsterer. There is a box folder containing receipts, period photographs from the 1950’s and an MG Enthusiast magazine from 2009 which featured the car on the cover and carried an article detailing it’s association with Italy.
The price reflects that the engine and gearbox currently fitted to the car is not as that fitted when it left the factory so the car does not command the premium prices of those regarded as “correct” or, it seems, for those fitted with equally incorrect XPAG engines. Interpretation of original is open to all sorts of discussion. My favourite part of the car is the front number plate which is unrestored and not “original” as supplied new by Moss.
A couple of the pictures were taken on our travels in France and Italy but the others are recent.
Apart from a few teething problems on the first continental trip the car has been exceptionally reliable. It has just been serviced with new oil and filter. It is not a trailer queen so to ensure that it will be trouble free for each near 3000 mile holiday trip it has always been kept in tip top order. As preventative maintenance the recent service included a new coil, HT leads, points and condenser.
All it requires for the next adventure is a full tank of fuel.