The MG TD/C was an attempt by the manufacturer to extract improved performance from its regular TD. In the end, MG produced 1,710 examples of the TD/C, and this particular 1952 model appears to be a nice example that is now looking for a new home. It is located in Yorkville, Illinois, and is listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set a BIN of $13,950, but the option is there to make an offer.
Finished in British Racing Green, the little MG presents quite nicely. Everything appears to be as it should be with this car, with the grille slats having been painted to match the car’s interior trim color. The body appears to be free of any rust issues, while the overall condition would suggest that the frame itself should be solid. The external trim and chrome are also in good condition. This is a real plus, because sourcing replacements for some of these items, particularly the headlights, can be both difficult and expensive. The top and the side curtains are also in extremely good condition, and all of this has been helped by the fact that the car has spent the past 30-years parked in a climate-controlled garage.
It isn’t clear whether the interior trim is original, but it does look to be in quite nice condition. One of the interesting little additions is the factory radio installed in the glove compartment. The “banjo” steering wheel is showing some cracking, and there are a few dirty marks visible on some of the trim items. I do believe that most of the dirty marks could be reduced significantly with some good old-fashioned cleaning. As for the wheel, the owner will have the choice of either having it restored or sourcing a replacement. These are actually surprisingly inexpensive and can be found for around $600 fairly easily.
The engine in this TD/C is completely original, although it does feature a couple of cosmetic upgrades. The 1,250cc XPAG engine received some performance improvements in the TD/C, in the form of increased compression, improved carburetors, and dual fuel pumps. These produced modest power increases, with the car now producing 57hp. It still isn’t a lot of power, but the car should deliver it smoothly and willingly. One of the greatest attributes of the TD/C engine is its torque delivery, and if all is well, then the car should pull smoothly from around 10mph in top gear. The only issue that I have here is that in spite of providing an enormous amount of detail in the listing, the owner doesn’t provide any insight into how well the car runs or drives. That is pretty unfortunate. However, it appears that the owner is quite approachable, so he should be willing to answer any questions that a potential buyer might have.
The owner of this MG TD/C admits that it will require some detail work to return it to its best. Provided that it is in sound mechanical health, its needs appear to be fairly minimal. There is no reason why it couldn’t be driven in its current physical state, and any restoration work performed as time and circumstances permit. Today, you can find examples for sale for around the price of this car, but they will require some work. Prices of around the $23,000 mark are quite common for a nice car, while a pristine example can fetch $40,000. If this car stacks up as being solid, both physically and mechanically, then it could be quite a good project at the asking price.
It always makes me sad cause I can’t fit in these things :'(
This is a very nice example at that price. I had been saving for a TD or ’67 MGB for some time. When my wife realized I was close, she said I should get something the whole family could enjoy. Then one night she said “Maybe it’s time for another boat?” I had another boat within a week. Next year I’ll start saving for an MG again and see what happens this time.
Boats are even bigger money pits than cars. Pick up a padded dash B for cheap and enjoy it with one family member at a time! Small kids might even fit in the back of a GT. I daily drove one for a while and enjoyed it immensely until a parts runner rear-ended me at a stoplight. There are other four-seat classics (BMWs, 911s, etc.) that might be fun too.
I hear ya Jesse. Boats are a labor of love. Overall I’ve been lucky with them but what still bothers me is the never-ending monthly slip fee. I had my last boat for 8 years. I bought that boat for 7k and put a few into it, but I paid 24k in slip fees over that time. As long as I can take it out a couple times a month at least, I can rationalize it. My first was an ’78 Ericson 27′ sailboat – my latest is a ’74 Ericson 32′ with a diesel motor. I’m loving it.
I owned a 1953/c or also called a Mark II for a number of years. You can tell it is a Mk II by the bump on the right side of the bonnet. This was needed for the
1 1/2 SU ‘s. The only thing I see from the pic’ is the dash has been recovered. Never have seen a radio installed in the glove box like this one. Otherwise it seems like a great buy.
The padded dash is not original unless it was specific to the TD/C
No it is not. It appears someone added the padded dash
Can someone please deflate the dashboard?
I thought I knew a bit about T Series MGs, but you got me here. I’ve never heard of an MG TD/C. I’ve heard of an MG TD Mark II. Of course, in order, there was the TA, TB, TC, TD, TF. An uprated version of the TD was referred to as the Mark II. Is that was this is, or have I lost what little sanity I might have once possessed?
You are right, MG fans refer to the Mk II, however the factory ID plate under the bonnet will show the /C
Get rid of that hideous dash pad. Even with all those engine mods, I think my lawnmower has more horsepower,too.
I think that thing is beautiful and seems priced really fairly. Would love to bring it home.
Wow. Finally a nice MG at a decent dollar
Ended:Oct 11, 2019 , 2:56PM
Sold for:US $13,950.00