An MG Midget in prime condition is cheap, hardy, and fun. But here on facebook Marketplace we have a Midget of a different ilk. It’s a 1963 Mark I recovered from a barn, with just about every problem in the book. It’s rusty. It doesn’t run. It’s missing parts. At least one critter calls it home. But the asking price is only $700; the panels, grille, and bumpers are straight; the engine is intact; and the title is clear. Take your trailer to Vermillion, Ohio to nab this broken Brit. If you’re that brave, and handy with a welder, maybe by next summer you’ll have a cheap, hardy, fun car. Otherwise, it can live on as a donor, with its bits contributing to Midget renewals far and wide. Ted found this forlorn little roadster for us – thanks, Ted!
Here’s our Midget, sunk halfway up its hubcaps in dirt. That engine should be the 1098 cc in-line four-cylinder that BMC produced as an upgrade to the 948 cc “Bugeye” motor used in first-year Midgets. Equipped with two tiny SU carburetors, output was around 55 bhp. The transmission is a four-speed manual with no first-gear synchro; the seller reports that the motor turns via the starter, the car rolls, and the transmission moves into each gear. This car has steel wheels, and at the end of those front axles are disc brakes, standard starting in ’62. These early cars have no external door handles or locks.
The Midget shared almost everything with the Austin Healey Sprite – badge engineering at its best! Exceptions were the interior appointments, grille, and trim. One easy way to tell a Sprite from a Midget is that chrome spear running down the center of the bonnet – the Sprite hood was trim-less. The Midget grille is dominated by vertical slats whereas the Sprite grille slats run horizontally. Both cars employed side curtains with sliding Perspex rather than roll-up windows. Note the fender mirror: mounting the mirror on the door literally brings it too close to your face to see anything.
One rear tail lens is missing here, but see that steering wheel? That’s the same version as was fitted to the Bugeye – not easy to find. The delicate bucket seats are a bit of a joy as well. On the other hand, erecting the top strung on its removable frame will give the novice fits. I don’t want to be too poetic about this car, but despite its rust-riddled underside, it’s quite straight. The trunk lid fits like factory; the bumper is level as a pin. Some collectors prefer these very early cars, others like the ’72-’74 “round arch” cars that still retain chrome bumpers. Whichever is your preference, the best Midget in the world will barely breach $20k and most can be had in very snappy condition for about $12k.
The “sinkometer” ( that measures how deep it sunk in regard to how long it sat) is great with this one. That plate is from the early 70s. The “Sprigets”, like shown here, were pretty basic cars. I never thought of them as badge engineered, but I suppose that’s true. This car sold new for around $1,980, a Sprite a bit more,( some sites say less) but still a lot of money in ’63 for what you got. What you DID get, was unlike anything America offered then, and became popular in bigger cities, but very few drove them very far. It appears most of the damage is from sitting so long, and I highly doubt anyone will want this. Maybe 30 years ago, be a great find for a kid, who didn’t care if there were holes in the floor, but today, everything has to be pristine, and sadly, I see no future for these types of projects today. They were fun cars, but unless you have any experience with them, they are small, REALLY small, and a RAM dually could roll right over you. https://www.mgexp.com/phile/3/182346/Midget_between_2_trucks.jpg
Howard!
You wrote a great ad!! I enjoyed reading it! Good luck on your sale.
Harold
The asking price is worth paying for just to get the grill. They are hard to find used and are not available any more new. It’s rough but it’s a good parts car.
Go to a British swap meet or let it be known you just bought a midget parts car and I bet you double your money on this one.
Had one in HS-1961 titled as a ‘63 as that was when it was sold to the 1st owner. 948cc of Mighty Mouse attitude with drum front brakes, it was a hoot to drive on tight windy roads and scare the hell out of my Chevelle/SCrambler/ Mustang friends sitting inches off the ground at a screamin’ 50MPH..
It’d be fun to bring this back to life but there doesn’t appear to be much to work with unless metalwork is a specialty of the new owner.
Oh the memories. Had a 62 just like this one in high school. One of my buddies had a 63. A lot of fun, until I went through the Baltimore harbor tunnel with a semi on my rear bumper.
Looks better than most that you’d find over here. Panels’re readily available and it looks quite complete. Good price and a title; all adds up to a fixer to me.
Stick a hot 1275/1293/whatever in it and seek out twisty roads.
Wow!!! That picture with the GMC on one side, the Excursion on the other, heck, its even dwarfed by the Dodge Neon two cars down!!! Yikes!! I got an opportunity to drive one that was beautifully restored many years ago. What a blast to drive, it was seriously fun. But all the huge SUV and crew cab pickups out there with people distracted texting on their phones Im affraid Id become a speedbump.
But still, these are great driving little cars.
I like this year midget that said this is a mixed bag of problems. So it sat so long it sank all the way to the ground in the mud. So I have to say the whole drive line would have to be drained to see if and how much water got into each to determine if they are still usable. Then the rust issues to the under body and frame sections how much how bad. Although I hate to see any classic cars used as parts cars I think I am going to have to agree with others in saying this is probably a parts car. That is my honest opinion. GLWTS
Terrible POS!! Too many problems.. doglegs rust, SU Carbs, Lucas Electrics, Smiths Instruments, tranny, engine, generator.. Just too many faults with these cars!!!
Bought my ’62 new. Never had any problems with it and drove it all over the country.
No rust through on body panels, underside could be patched . Engine turns over and has compression.
This is a classic old school restoration project.
There are some us old farts that still get the urge .
Not searching for perfection , but to quote a certain Derek , “ good enough for the girls we date.”
As the owner of a ’58 Bugeye – 1st year of production – I’d suggest this Spridget should be offered for free as a parts only car. I’m going to be listing my father-in-laws ’74 TR-6 in the spring as a ‘free parts car with title’ as it’s been sitting in a garage with (partial) roof in Alhambra, CA for a number of years. Sometimes you just need to ask an enthusiast to please come take it, so it doesn’t go to the crusher.
i have restored a bug-eye and had a nice round well arch 1275….lots of experience with these…..parts car
As I recall from my 1960’s sportscar days these Midgets and Sprites were all unibody construction, which means that if the metal ‘boxes’ that make up the backbone structure are rusted out you really need to rebuild them to hold the car together. Rebuilding this car would be worth it to gain the knowledge of how these things were engineered — something that would never be forgotten..
A great father/son project as long as you are not in a hurry!
The majority of the parts that rust are available, but the time and effort it takes to weld them in is where the real work is. If you’ve got the time….
I’ve got the time… you got the beer? (truck)
Our Arizona Cracklists (Phoenix and Tucson) have lately been glutted with MG Midget projects including a highly desirable round wheel arch car – all in the roughly $500 range and apparently must not be selling because they keep showing up. Has interest in these completely disappeared? When I was a kid, 50 years ago, a $500 Midget would disappear within minutes of the time the ad was published – and $500 50 years ago was worth more than the $500 we have today.
I have just completed a restoration of a 1965 MG Midget Sprite and I do not recommend anyone undertake such a project with an MG in the condition shown in the pictures, it will cost you a fortune, much more than the car will ever be worth. The work on this MG will take at least 2 years, maybe more, a warning to anyone considering to purchase. Labour of love is one thing, it can also backfire and become labour of hate and regret.
Looks to me that it was in a pretty good flood from the looks of the perfectly flat soil around it. It may also have been submerged. Unless you need a parts car I would stay away from this poor thing.
I bought a 63 in September 0f 63 that an airman had brought back from England. Old English White with a grey top and interior. Rear turn signal lens was amber. Kept them when I bought a new B. The tonneau was a real ugly blue. I prefer the sliding glass windows to the later cars. Also another difference in the Midget versus Sprite was the side chrome.
Have had several Mk2 Sprites, same car, these had bolt on flat glass windshields, I would unbolt and stow before transporting. No you’ll never get back what you put in, but make it driveable and enjoy it. I used to cruise mine from Marshfield Ma south of Boston to Winchester north of the city (for a woman, imagine that) and in the dead of winter with no top, up and down the Southeast Expressway. I was somewhat younger then…
A project purely for the love of it… because you’ll be underwater at the turn of the first nut… more sense as a donor… I can smell the mouse pee from here.
No offence to anyone who disagrees, but I have two 1500’s and both are restored to drivable – definitely not show cars.
What I do know is that with the first one I taught myself to weld. My car was waaaay worse than this car and in the end I had the least loved variant of the car.
The inner and outer sills do not look rusted through although I would be prepared to replace them on both sides and even possibly the castles – that is the part that the doors bolt to.
All of those assembles are available and very cheap.
A first generation Midget is a hot commodity.
You won’t make a ton of money on these cars, but you don’t lose on them either, and they are so fun to drive.
I wish I bought mine 30 years sooner.
Fun to drive, (if you are small of stature) and handle better than a Bug-Eye due to the rear springs. BUT not as cool as a Bug-Eye. So, get the one with the roll up windows, chrome bumpers, an usable trunk and install a Bug-Eye nose. (easily accomplished) OR no roll up windows (as it is best driven in nice weather anyway) and still have the other stuff. (newer cars with roll up windows come with a better gearbox!)