1954' MG TF 1500

1954 MG TF 1500 UK Matching Numbers
Initially intended as a stopgap between the MGTD and the long awaited successor to the T series, the MGA, The MG TF was in production for only 19 months. Donald Healey had pipped the Abingdon men to the post when BMC chairman Leonard Lord authorised production of the Austin-Healey 100, setting back manufacture of the MGA by two years.
Greeted with a mixed reaction at the 1953 Motor Show, the charming and surprisingly agile MGTF has come to be amongst the most sought-after of all MGs. Initially fitted with the 1250 XPAG engine, just 3,600 of the later 1466cc engined cars were produced, the vast majority of which went to the USA. Late in the summer of 1954, a new 1466 cc engine was introduced to the TF, designated XPEG. Siamesing of the cylinders allowed a larger bore in the same block and with larger pistons, tougher con rods and raising the compression ratio to 8.3:1, the TF 1500 produced a creditable 63 bhp - a 10.5% increase in power over the 1250.
Our car, KMO 65 is the enthusiasts dream. A genuine matching numbers UK TF 1500 with marque history back to 1966, on it's original valuable UK number plate and with a little mystery thrown in. The production record trace from British Motor Industry Heritage Trust shows our car to be in the Red colour and Biscuit trim combination in which it left the factory. Build date is 23-24 November 1954. Dispatch date however was 20th April 1955 - the last month of TF production before the introduction the MGA.
The Heritage Certificate in the vehicle file contains the following mysterious note:
The Registration Mark KMO 65 was issued in Berkshire in November or December 1954. We believe this car was registered by the MG factory but the records do not indicate why.
Interesting, kept by the MG factory for several months after build and then sold in the final days of TF production. We may never know why and for whom, but we do have evidence of a meticulous history from 1966 and many of the famous MG marque specialist names are there - Toulmin (Motors) 1962 Ltd, NTG Services, and from 1977 onwards Naylor Brothers of Shipley, situated less than 10 miles from the last owner's house.
We will now treat the car to some careful recommissioning. The restoration and maintenance history file will make for hours of reading material, but the car has been little used in recent years. With only one lady owner for the past 17 years, just 5000 miles have been driven since the documented Naylor Brothers engine rebuild in September 2001, and only 800 since Naylors valued the car at £24,000 in August 2002.
The car has a superb interior, mohair weather gear and in general terms presents very well. The paintwork is however quite old and although not at all micro-blistered (a common fault with older restorations), a much-loved car with this sort of provenance now deserves the top quality £5,000 repaint that is included in our price. Ready next month, the can be viewed as is. A full photo record of the work our own company Malton Coachworks will undertake will be provided for the new owner. We consider the car with it's short period plate and history to be unrepeatable.