In an effort to offer a new fun affordable sports car, MG decided to introduce the Midget in 1961. Being based on the Austin-Healey Sprite, you get the same lightweight and fun to drive car, but with a few more comforts. It proved to be quite successful for MG so they ended up offering the Midget until 1980. The seller of this 1979 Midget purchased it 25 years ago from the first owner with plans to restore it. They got started on it, but life threw a few curveballs their way and it got put on the back burner. They’ve come to accept that they aren’t ever going to get around to restoring it, so they’ve decided to offer it as a no reserve Barn Finds Auction! You can bid on it below and it can be found in Eldersburg, Maryland.
As you can see, there’s a lot of work to be done here. Rust was an issue when the seller purchased it, so they purchased a number of replacement parts to fix it, which are included with the car.
Everything that was taken off the car is still with it. There are a lot of parts here, so thankfully we have lots of photos for you to review. Be sure to take a look at the photo gallery below to get a better idea of what all is here.
The interior is in need of work but complete. It looks like there are a lot of good parts here that could be reused in this car or on another. The missing sheet metal makes this one look intimidating, but new metal to fix it is included.
Late Midgets are equipped with MG’s 1500 from the Triumph Spitfire. It’s paired to a 4-speed with full synchromesh. Horsepower was similar to the 1275 cui engine found in earlier cars but offered more torque, which helped with top speed and acceleration. The seller drove the car into their garage when they purchased it, but it hasn’t been started in years. They tried to turn it over using the auxiliary belt but didn’t have any luck getting it to turn. Assume that it’s seized, but a little ATF in the cylinders and a breaker bar might be all it takes to get it moving freely.
Just like its MGB sibling, rubber bumper cars are the least sought after. Thankfully, backdating a Midget is a fairly simple task and kits with all the necessary parts are available.
This MG is going to be a big project to take on, but not an impossible one. It looks like there are lots of great parts here though, so it could also prove to be a great parts car. Given that it’s being offered as a no reserve auction, this one could be a great project for someone wanting to learn about restoration work. Either way, we hope it goes to a Barn Finds Reader that can do something with it! If that person is you, be sure to bid and if you have any questions, please leave them down in the comments.
- Location: Eldersburg, Maryland
- Mileage: 98,000
- Title: Clean
- Transmission: 4-Speed
Sorry guys, but this is a pile of parts on wheels. With no cap on the rocker arm cover the engine is probably not worth anything either. The view of the road from the driver’s seat is unique. Spitfire trans and what’s probably a 3.9 or 3.7 rear gear are the only things I can think of that makes buying this feasible. Just don’t put the top down!
Just hauled a brother to this car all intact, after removing the front hubs/disc brakes and 3.70 rear end center section, It and 6 late midget doors plus some other pieces weighed around 2k, brought 100.00,
LOL. At first I thought you were saying you “hauled a brother” to look at this car! Yeah, those of us stung with the Bugeye/Midget bug are used to finding donors with one or two good parts then in better times hauled the carcasses to the metal scales to make a few hundred dollars. Now, we make beer money but wait years to accumulate enough scrap to make it worth our while to take to the recycler.
A rubber bumper MG Midget with a smog strangled Spitfart 1500?? Makes more sense to restore a Geo Metro or Kia Rio!
Bob, as usual you are right on the money with your comments! If I was living back in the DC area I would buy this strictly bucket of parts for a couple hundred then take the rear pumpkin out, and if the windshield was unblemished I’d add both to my 1974. Whoever did all the removal of rusty metal years ago didn’t realize the body integrity is severely compromised if you cut out the inner and outer rockers, floor, footwells and sills! Requires a rotisserie and careful planning. Looks like the skin of one of the doors was even removed from its backing. At least for a couple hundred dollars this MAY roll onto a trailer without breaking in two. x2 on attaching the top at the header, the cowl/skuttle is likely to collapse.
as stated, when you get all done with all those replacement parts, welding, painting, powder coating, upholstery, etc., ad naseum, you have a rubber bumper Midget with a Triumph engine. NO one wants these cars . . . . sorry to be blunt. A Club member bought one of these new, has kept it in perfect condition, very low mileage . . . looks like a new car. She has been trying to sell it for years, for something like $8500, and has had no takers. If she can’t sell hers for anywhere near $8K, good bleepin’ luck with this pile.
This pile will never be whole again. The chopping was done haphazardly on the driver’s side only which probably made the owner abort the whole mission. At least the metal patch panels could be sold off for easy cash! I looked at a survivor, well preserved, sub 10k mile, garage kept one owner 1500 Midget a few years back and the owner wouldn’t sell for less than $5k which I didn’t have. Last time I saw the car, it was on ebay with a new owner asking $24,900!
$24,9 . . . . seriously! Well, I guess everything is for sale, as some price. Whoever listed a late rubber bumper, Spitfire powered, MG Midget for anywhere near that price is seriously dreaming. Like I said, our Club member has one which looks like it is still sitting on the showroom floor, all records, garage kept, yadda, yadda, yadda and she can’t get a nibble anywhere near $8K. These cars are simply not in demand, whatsoever. An early Spridget . . . . yes, there’s a market there, those are good little cars.
@MGSteve Oh don’t get me wrong, the rubber-bumper Midget I’m referring to was showroom fresh, worthy of concours consideration for it’s originality and not a bad color — Vermillion Orange. The only way I recognized it was the two small screaming eagles applied (ala Trans Am) in conspicuous places, The boneheaded $$$$ flipper didn’t have the sense to take them off. The best example of a final year MG Midget resides in the UK, at the British Heritage Museum I believe. Even that one ain’t worth anything north of five figures.
Aw, c’mon Barnfinds, start another auction site – “Drive It Home ” is a good counterpoint to Bri ng A Trailer , but exercise some little bit of discretion on listings. Cater to realistic cars.
I don’t know what’s all the fuss?? This is “no reserve” auction, so no one is getting forced into paying too much for this project. One should have a place they can unload a project or a bunch of rusty parts if they wish, knowing that it is at least getting viewed by people interested in old cars. If this has no interest for you, just move to the next one….but let’s not beat this one up so hard!
Great parts car. Just try to find those bits and pieces that make a car a whole piece great little spriget parts car if the price is right.
“well bought” at the current bid of $200. We’ve got the rest of the week to see who takes the plunge for anything more.