We receive quite a few leads to wonderful classics from our loyal readers, and when Barn Finder Mitchell G. spotted this 1953 MG TD, describing it as being in showroom condition, I felt that it deserved a closer look. I believe that the description is accurate, so I must say a big thank you to Mitchell G. for spotting it. There’s a lot to love about this car, from its sparkling paint to its spotless interior. The seller has listed the MG here on Craigslist in Waterford, Virginia. They set their price at $16,500 for a classic that appears to need nothing.
MG introduced the TD to its model range in early 1950 as a worthy successor to its previous TC. I use the term “worthy successor” because, while many traditional styling cues were carried over, suspension upgrades blessed the company’s latest offering with improvements in handling and ride comfort. This TD hails from the final year of production, leaving the Abingdon line in 1953. The listing confirms that it has undergone a fairly thorough restoration, and finding anything worthy of criticism is almost impossible. Several paint shades remained available throughout TD production, including the Ivory gracing this car’s exterior. It shines beautifully, with no visible flaws or defects. The panels are straight, and with a protective coating applied to the frame during the build, this classic is rust-free. The trim is in good order, as is the glass. The wheels are one minor deviation from factory specs, with the information that I have confirming that the 15″ steelies were never painted Red. Otherwise, the grille sports the correct slats to match the interior trim color.
This MG’s interior has received as much love as its exterior, presenting superbly in Red. The dash is probably the highlight, although, like the steering wheel, it isn’t factory correct. MG built the TD with its dash covered in the same material found on the car’s upholstered surfaces, not the burl walnut found here. A banjo-style steering wheel was also standard, but if total originality isn’t a concern, this interior is hard to fault. It looks crisp, clean, and exhibits no evidence of wear or other problems.
One mechanical component that MG carried over from the TC to the TD was the 1,250cc “XPAG” four-cylinder engine. The company teamed it with a four-speed manual transmission, while an upgrade to rack-and-pinion steering improved response and was praised by motoring journalists at the time. As is the case with British sports cars from this era, power and torque figures were pretty modest. The driver had just over 54hp and 64 ft/lbs at their disposal, and while that was hardly a recipe for lightning acceleration, the low seating position made the TD feel far faster than the speedometer needle suggested. The seller indicates that the restoration included an engine rebuild and the installation of a stainless steel exhaust. They also include a spares package for a car that appears to be a turnkey proposition.
We see quite a few examples of the MG TD at Barn Finds, with many requiring at least some degree of TLC. However, this 1953 model is an absolute beauty, appearing to need nothing but a new home. Considering its overall condition, the seller’s price looks highly competitive when measured against recent successful sales. It would appear to be ideal for the person seeking a turnkey traditional British sports car, but are you that person?
Nice car except for the red wheels. Originals were silver. These look like they came off a ’30s fire engine.
I was 16 years old and had 400.00 saved up to buy my first car. There was a yellow TD with green leather interior I wanted bad. My folks and their trusted mechanic said it was not a good car for a kid and I ended up getting a used MG Midget. Now 62 years later, I still get a twinge of desire whenever I see a nice TD for sale.
I had one of these as a punk 16 year old. Put a lakes bypass pipe on it to make noise. Whilst at a British repair shop, for an oil change, they took it off and said it didn’t belong on a car like this!
Had a 51 TD when I was 16. A fun car . The sad part is that a VW could easily out run me.
Sold it to my best friend for $450.00 and bought a 57 Chevy 2 door with a 327.
Now I could out run any VW .
It all depends on what showroom you are talking about… To me, a “showroom” car is very close to being as originally produced – this car is a LONG way from that. I’m not knocking it – it looks like a nice car, it just isn’t original.
To the wrong dash, steering wheel and wheel color, one could add the extra fender strips, valve cover color, tonneau and top color, unpainted instrument central panel, incorrect ignition/headlight switch, wind wings and fog lights, etc.
Finally, , it’s a ’52, not a ’53 – it has neither round tail-lights nor a central windshield wiper motor, which came into production in October and November, 1952.
It sounds like you know your stuff.
Could it be that this vehicle is a ’53, because back in those days car companies would start selling their 1953 vehicles in Sept. ’52?
Our ’73 had the rectangle taillights. Never researched the build date but figured it was around the first of ’73 and they hadn’t run out of the old style units yet. Never understood the switch as round ones were on several British cars long before ’73.
I believe I do – I have owned and worked on MGs since 1962. Since the changes I mention were made to all cars in late 1952, this car would have been made in September, at the latest. Britain was so desperate for the post-war Dollar that they shipped these cars as quickly as possible – certainly not for three months. I could tell you the exact day this car was made from the chassis number, if I knew it – MGs are generally dated by when they were made, not when they were first registered. And even if it were first registered later, a knowledgeable MG guy would identify this as a ’52 since it has no ’53 characteristics.
PS – MG, unlike American car makers, did not sell TD’s as model-year cars. There were no face-lift or major changes to a 50 to make it a 51, changes to a 51 to make it a 52, or changes to a 52 to make it a 53. TDs from 1949 to 1953 were largely the same, and all all changes were evolutionary, made as MG and their suppliers found the need to make changes.
These changes and many more all are superbly -documented on the Original MG TD Midget site: https://www.mg-cars.org.uk/mgtd/
Good information guys.
sis has same car (she’s 77 y/o), same condition (but red on blk) and value hasnt changed since getting it for college grad ’69 (it wuz 17 y/o then). Pretty odd but I think I’m correct.
To me, much of the charm of driving an old (maybe classic) car is the recreation of the feel of the original. Replacing the dash, and especially the steering wheel, negates much of that charm. Again, to me.
Had a ’49 TC in original condition back in the ’90s. Never had a TD or TF, but had an MGA, Midget, and a B. Favorite was the TC. It was simple car that was great fun to both look at and drive.
My dad had a 52 model. He took us two boys to school in it. My brother played french horn in high school and I played french horn in junior high. It was rather cramped in the back seat with me and two french horns!
He loaded it up with people one day and set out on a trek downtown. He had seven people in it and got pulled over by a policeman who then gave him a ticket for too many persons in his car. I will never forget that day, and I am 76 now.