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1954-1955 MG XPEG Engines
The 1954-1955 MG XPEG engine was an enlarged version of the dear old XPAG engine. For MG's managers, this was the one last despairing effort. With a new cylinder block plus an extra 5.5 mm/0.22 inches in the bores, it displaced 1466 cc/89.5 cid. Having already been run on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in MG record cars, like the EX179, the little four-banger was easy enough to tune for everyday use. MG engineers must have known that this engine could only serve as a stopgap, and would only be able to keep the TF on life-support for a limited period. Even though the XPEG engine was 17 percent larger than the XPAG, it developed only 10 percent more horsepower and 17 percent more torque. Such were the TF's barn-door aerodynamics that top speed rose by a mere five miles per hour.
XPEG engines became available in the autumn of 1954. The first up-engined cars, installed in what was called the TF 1500 and badged as such on the engine bay covers, were produced in November of that year. Once the pipeline had been cleared of TF 1250s (as they retrospectively became known), the TF 1500 took over completely, and until the last examples were built in May 1955, the vast majority were exported to the U.S. Compared with the original TFs, the 1500s were sold at the bargain price of $1,995.
Amazingly, the British public was never told about the existence of the TF 1500, and no press advertisements ever appeared. In the end, just 144 TF 1500s were delivered to British owners when new, though many more of the 3,400 copies built have found their way back to the UK in recent years. As already noted, acceleration (or lack thereof) was the major weak point of the TF. Road & Track tested both the 1250 and the 1500 versions, obtaining a 0-60 time of 18.9 seconds for the former, 16.3 for the latter. That put it about on par with a six-cylinder Ford with Ford-O-Matic, although the dedicated TF driver had more fun getting there. Despite the low curb weight of just under 2,000 pounds, the 63 net horsepower of the TF 1500 just wasn't enough to keep pace with other cars of the mid-Fifties, even with what Americans considered economy cars. What the TF needed was a good two-liter engine like the TR2, whose 90 horses could scoot it to 60 mph in just 12.5 seconds. Still, with the top down and the driver involved with rowing the gearbox, the TF felt faster than it was, and the handling made up for a lot. Even five months before the TF 1500 went on sale, MG had finally convinced the bosses at BMC that a new model was desperately needed. Once again, the smooth shape of EX175 was offered for approval, and this time it was accepted, with the proviso that it be powered by BMC's new B-Series engine and transmission units. Thus it was that the MGA was finally born. When it went on sale in the fall of 1955, MG buyers were ecstatic, and Abingdon production would soon be booming as never before. But don't sell the TF short. Not only had it served its purpose of buying time for MG, but to many eyes it is the most beautiful MG ever built.
Sports Cars of the 1940s
The sports cars of the 1940s started innocently enough: just a few score GIs returning from World War II Europe with a foreign sports car in tow. The cars were mostly British and mostly ended up in the ritzier enclaves of the East Coast and California. Not much as invasions go but enough. The sports car had landed, and America would never be the same.
For most Americans in 1945, sports cars seemed as foreign as the people who drove them. Though Detroit had long offered jaunty rumble-seat models and even some snazzy two-seaters, only a small group of Yanks knew much -- or cared -- about the genuine sports cars available from England and Europe.
Not surprisingly, the cognoscenti tended to be well off, well educated, well traveled. They also tended to affect manners that made them "a race apart," as Ken Purdy described them. Purdy first met other U.S. sports-car devotees in the mid-1930s. To him they were a strange, secret society. "They spoke only to each other and in their native tongue," he wrote. " 'I shouldn't turn that much over five-thou, old boy; the big ends simply won't stand up to it.' They treated their mounts like newborn children."
Purdy relates being dumbfounded when he saw one worried owner heat "a gallon and a half of pure castor oil on a portable electric burner. He had a candy thermometer in the reeking stuff and he peered steadily at it. Just as it rose to the temperature he wanted…he snatched the instrument out, grabbed the kettle, and turned to me to say, 'Do stand aside, please; the oil mustn't cool before I get it into the engine.' "
Long enshrined as "the sports car America loved first," the MG seemed an unlikely object of desire in the land of Buck Rogers. Even MG's new TC roadster, introduced in late 1945, was just a mild evolution of the TA/TB design, which dated from 1936 but was conceptually rooted in the Twenties.
Love is one thing, commitment quite another. Although the TC and its cohorts won many American hearts, they didn't attract many U.S. sales. And they never would. Most Americans preferred the cars they already had and were primed for futuristic new models, which had been breathlessly forecast during wartime. Why, they wondered, would any sane person waste money on an old-fashioned thing like an MG?
Why, to make a statement, of course. As David E. Davis opined in 1970, sports-car enthusiasm in late-Forties America was an "easily defined protest movement…[P]eople were sufficiently fed up with the dumb cars coming out of Detroit to express their disgust by buying dumb imported cars…They were a hopelessly outgunned minority in the beginning, but they were a tough breed…driving cars that flew in the face of everything that Detroit, and thus America, stood for."
Little by little, sports cars became more common on U.S. roads and public interest grew. Of course, most any new car was of interest right after World War II, because Americans hadn't had any to buy for nearly four years. Domestic automakers mostly satisfied the huge pent-up demand with warmed-over versions of prewar fare, which was enough until about 1950. But most foreign automakers had been ravaged by war and desperately needed to export for dollars. They, too, resumed production as quickly as possible, but began to realize that sports cars were making an impression in affluent America. Britain's Jaguar was among the first to capitalize on America's burgeoning sports-car "fad." It happened with the 1948 introduction of the all-new XK120, rightly hailed as the state of the sports-car art with its advanced twincam six-cylinder engine and sleek, modern styling.
Meantime, more and more U.S. dealers were starting to take up the sports-car cause. One was Max Hoffman, who bravely opened a toney New York showroom in 1946 to sell pricey French Delahayes, though he soon added more affordable cars, including Jaguars and MGs. Over the next 25 years, Hoffman introduced the U.S. to dozens of other foreign marques and models, notably the VW Beetle and the first Porsches.
In fact, Hoffman did more to grow the U.S. foreign-car market than anyone else except Kjell Qvale, who served the West Coast market from his San Francisco-based British Motor Car Distributors starting in 1947. That same year saw the first issue of a national magazine called Road & Track. Born of the "protest movement" Davis described, R&T also stimulated U.S. interest in foreign cars generally and sports cars in particular.
By the end of the 1940s, sports cars were definitely on the American scene, if not in many Americans' garages. Even Detroit could see something new and maybe important was going on. One can almost hear the boardroom debate: "Hey, maybe we ought to build our own sports car." "Heck, we can't make money with one of those." "Yeah, but it would sure bring in the customers, and that will make money."
The beachhead had been secured for a full-scale assault. Come the Fifties, a battalion of new models would charge into a booming U.S. economy and spread sports-car excitement from sea to shining sea.
MG TF-1500
What does an MG TF-1500 have in common with a ’57 Chevy? Not much, you may say. One was a small, stark, British Traditional roadster, the other a big, flashy period Detroiter with creature comforts galore and a plethora of body styles.But consider: Both were basically extensions of existing cars given more power and updated styling to fend off all-new rivals. More significantly, each was the last and arguably the best of a kind. No surprise, then, that both have become the most coveted of their breeds, in part because each ended an era and not everyone liked what followed.
The TF succeeded the TD (MG skipped “TE” for sounding like “tee hee”) and was essentially a streamlined version of it. With fared headlamps, downsloped hood, raked grille, and lean-forward tail, it looked like what MG might have sold had not World War II intervened.
But the TF didn’t appear until late 1953, by which time the T-Series was way outclassed by new-design sports cars of similar price -- mainly the thoroughly modern Triumph TR2. Though MG coaxed 3-hp more, or 57 total, from its veteran 1250cc engine, the TF was no match for the 90-hp TR and was little faster than a TD, despite its smoother styling. Then again, it was only a stopgap. MG had actually designed the T-Series’ eventual successor by 1952, when it became part of the big new British Motor Corporation. But BMC was soon occupied with another new sports car, the Austin-Healey, so the future MGA was temporarily shelved and the TF was left to meet critical press reviews and slow sales (6200 built). MG responded by installing a 1466cc engine with 10 percent more power and 17 percent more torque to create the MG TF-1500 of 1954. Though quicker than the 1250 TF by 2.5 seconds to 60-mph and 5-mph all out, the 85-mph 1500 still was no threat to the 105-mph Triumph.
No matter. This turned out to be a one-year holding action of no great consequence -- at the time. It’s a different story now, as MG TF-1500s command top price among postwar Ts, equal to and sometimes above those of the classic TC. Which only proves that the last can be first in enthusiast affections, particularly when it’s scarce to begin with.
Production of the MGTF LE500 has started at Longbridge, bringing volume production back to the car plant for the first time in three years. Corporate communications manager for MG UK Ltd, Eleanor De La Haye, said: “We have all worked extremely hard to meet our commitment to commence production of the MG TF LE500 in August. We are delighted to have reached this important point and are looking forward to seeing the cars in showrooms shortly.” "It’s a major milestone on the road to mass production at the plant and a huge achievement for MG’s new team in the UK." The LE500 is a fundamentally re-engineered version of the original TF design. Gary Hagan, director of marketing for NAC MG UK Ltd, said: “The launch of this car also marks the re-introduction of the MG brand to the UK. Existing MG owners, our huge band of enthusiasts and fans of the authentic sports car driving experience have looked forward to this day for a long time.”The company said it was confident of a successful launch of the MG TF LE500, thanks to support shown for the car at various public and enthusiast events this summer.
AUSSIE BARN FIND
This is an amazing story of an Aussie classic car collector with almost three hundred cars stored outside his farm in the Adelaide countryside. The range of body styles includes sedans, coupes, roadsters and convertibles, trucks and vans from the 1930s to the 1980s. They’ve got badges from almost every continent — European, American and even Australian oddities. The nameplates run through storied names from Austin, BMW, Chrysler, Hudson, Jaguar, Jensen, Lancia, Morris, MG, Nash, Oldsmobile, Renault, Singer, Sunbeam, Vauxhall and Wolseley just to name a few. One hundred of the cars have been stored in paddocks, surrounded by spare parts and two hundred of the cars are in sheds in classic “down under country style” — corrugated iron roofs, no doors and dirt floors.
BE QUICK!
The recently relaunched MGTF, aka the new MGTF LE500 has taken the UK by storm with it selling most of its limited 500 car run already, leaving only 110 available for sale! The Crawley Down Group, an MG UK dealer is currently displaying that MG only have 110 of the MGTF LE500’s left, so you best hurry up if you want one!
Bargain price for born again MG TF
A famous Brit is back from the dead! Auto Express can exclusively reveal that the MG TF LE500 – a special-edition run of 500 for the UK – will cost £16,399 ($32,896 AU) each. And that undercuts the equivalent previous-generation TF by nearly £700 ($1,449 AU) – but it’s still more expensive than a basic Mazda MX-5 by the same margin. The limited edition will have plenty of standard kit. Leather sports seats, a piano-black finish and air-con are all included, as well as 16-inch alloys, painted calipers and LE500 badging. The sporty, rear-wheel-drive two-seater is an updated version of the original MG TF which went on sale in 2002. Changes include a fresh face with revised lights and a remodelled bumper. It uses the same 1.8-litre engine, but is tuned to 134bhp. No official figures are available, but the unit on which it’s based returned 35.8mpg, had emissions of 185g/km and covered 0-62mph in 8.2 seconds, so expect the new motor to do much the same. Production starts in August, and the first cars to roll off the Longbridge production line will hit dealers in September. So we’ll soon know if that price tag is right for parent firm Nanjing Automobile Corporation.
The MG TD
The Y-Series
Introduced in 1947, this line included a staid four door sedan with a one-carb XP AG engine, and a four-seater open tourer with the TC engine and left-hand drive specifically for the D.S. market. Not too many V-Types actually caught the west- bound boat, but an occasional Tourer was sometimes seen fleetingly, like the Flying Dutchman. More important to the maintenance of the breed was the chassis of the YA MG. At the rear it was underslung like the TC, though with longer springs and a Pan hardrod, but up front the frame rails joined a big cross member which carried the IFS. A coil spring acted on the lower wishbone, whilst the shorter top arm was pivoted directly from a hydraulic shock absorber. Rack and pinion steering was mounted ahead of the hubs, linked to forward-facing steering arms. Identical in most details, the same layout ws found in the MGB, not to mention the TD. It was simple, cheap to build, and accurate. Once the TD was seen in action, most of the diehards admitted that there might he something to its new independent suspension, which paid off in precise steering and steady braking. The Stock MG Race became an institution which revealed that any technical differences between TC and TD could be overshadowed by careful preparation. Also the more modern chassis of this was better suited to engine swaps and to the construction of all-out racing specials.
The MG TD's Engine
Detail differences included an updated air cleaning system, a replaceable element oil filter, and a stamped instead of cast oil pan which now held less oil. Further development had made the XPAG engine tougher than ever. This was fortunate, since many TD engines were unwittingly badly treated by owners who had forgotten the joys of shifting gears.
The MG TD's Transmission
The TC's countershaft was heavier in section and better supported, and its gears were selected by a remote control integrated with the main gearbox cover. This newer box differed in having the control, and extensions of the shifting yoke bars, which were housed in a long tail shaft casing bolted to the back of the main case. A later refinement was the addition of outrigger bushings to support the extended yoke bars.
Thanks to the compact shift pattern, handy lever, and effective but non-blocking cone synchromesh, a TD driver could slash ruthlessly from gear to gear without making an appointment with his mechanic beforehand. When you first tried tossing a fast one from second to third, though, you had to beware of a weak blocking spring in the reverse gate which was an embarrassing spot to be caught while the rest of the cars off the grid were playing "crinkle-fender" around you.
The MG TD's Frame
There was also a strong tubular hoop inside the cowl, stiffening and supporting the dash and steering column. Modified rollbars like this should have been part of every open car. Thanks in large part to this hoop; we have seen TD's rolled on and off the race track without the slightest damage to the occupants. Rugged through and through, the TD gave the lie to the misconception of "dangerous little cars."
To give plenty of bump and rebound room, the TD frame, like that of the first M-Type, kicked up over the rear axle. Seven-leaf semi-elliptic rear springs were hung well outboard and damped by Luvax-Girling lever-type shocks. Probably to simplify the supply problem within the Nuffield organization, a hypoid rear axle was used, lowering the drive shaft one inch, but making very little difference in a two-seater sports machine.
The MG TD's Brakes
The MG TD's Wheels
Since few other than 32nd-degree MG enthusiasts would put up with the maintenance curse of the big wire jobs, though, it was an excellent long-term decision. The first cars came through with solid pressed discs, but later in 1950 Cord-like holes were punched through to sharpen up the styling and provide token air flow over the brake drums.
Someone once remarked that a sports car should be judged not by what it does, but how it does it. Only by the latter criterion can any distinction be made between the TC and TD, which on paper and in race results stacked up dead even over the years. A choice between the two depends entirely on personal preference. One of the TD's most impressive features was the solid, rattle-free feel of the chassis and body. This one-piece willingness encourages hard driving on bumpy surfaces-unthinkable to most TC chauffeurs. Limits are set by the solid rear axle, of course, which was usually the first end to pop loose at the limit.
Behaviour of the front wheels was exemplary at all times. Traction was high, wheel angles moderate, and braking firm and sure. When drivers first tried the all-independent R-Type MG, it rolled so much on corners that they cried: "Take it away and clamp on a pair of half-elliptics." Initial reaction here to the TD was the same if not stronger. Certainly the TD canted over more than twice as far as its predecessor, and if you don't care for it, that's all there is to it. Don't be deceived, though, for this lowered roll stiffness, working through the wider contact patches of lower-pressure tyres, kept sheer cornering power at a high level.
The MG TD's Steering
MG TD Refinements
The MG TD Mark II
These tacked on a half-dozen horses which went to work through a higher rear end cog (bringing revs per km back to the TC level). Andrex friction shocks added to each wheel are adjustable and a boon to handling predictability.
Availability and size led to the use of many TD chassis as bases for competition cars - from Johnny Von Neumann's aluminium bodied pseudo-TD to Dave Uihlein's twin-cam-converted Noviesque race car. There were special bodies by Bill David, Motto of Turin, and Bertone (the very handsome Arnolt-MG's).
