Eric Minoff
Vice President, Head of Department - US
LOT 178
1949 MG TC Midget Two Seater Sports Chassis no. TC/9641 Engine no. XPAG – B13637 (factory replacement)
Sold for US$6,720 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 178
1949 MG TC Midget Two Seater Sports
1949 MG TC Midget Two Seater Sports
Chassis no. TC/9641
Engine no. XPAG – B13637 (factory replacement)
Chassis no. TC/9641
Engine no. XPAG – B13637 (factory replacement)
1,250cc OHV Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
Two SU Semi-Downdraft Carburetors
54.4bhp at 5,200rpm
4-Speed Manual Transmission
4-Wheel Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs with Front and Rear Live Axles
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes
* Offered from the Thomas Hendricks Collection
* In the present ownership since 1976
* The model that launched countless racing drivers in America
* Substantially complete, ready for restoration
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
The right-hand drive TC Midget appeared in 1946 and was almost identical in appearance to the pre-war Types TA and TB. The sporting little MG was brought to the US in considerable numbers by GIs returning from England and soon gained a strong following, especially in California and on the east coast. These MGs had many endearing features, including a slab fuel tank, 19-inch diameter wire wheels, folding windshields and octagonal dashboard instruments. Sales got a great lift when a Life Magazine photographer shot one being driven underneath a big lumber carrier on a Los Angeles street. Many soon found their way into amateur racing, and almost every one of the legendary American sports car champions of the post-war era began their careers in a TC, including Phil Hill.
An anomaly to the collection, but still of British origins, this example arrived on these shores later on in its life at the hands of Thomas Hendricks. Its early provenance is aided by the fact that it is still wearing the Great Britain license plate 'DAN 453'. This places its original UK registration in the fall of 1949 in the borough of West Ham, a region to the far west of the county of Essex on the outskirts of London and of course well known for its soccer team.
It is understood to have remained in its country of build for all of its life until Mr. Hendricks acquired the MG TC while in the UK in 1976 with his family, on the same tour that delivered the Lister Jaguar to him. In those days the car was in perfectly serviceable order, and photos from this period show the car in active use. A plaque on its engine confirms the car to have received a factory replacement XPAG engine at some point, presumably early on its life.
As the collection grew, this necessitated that the car be stored and sadly over time less than ideal conditions have meant that its condition has deteriorated to now 'barn find' condition. Despite its aesthetics, it is substantially complete and should offer a straightforward restoration project for its next owner. If your budget doesn't stretch to a Works Lightweight Jaguar, you could always start at the same point as so many other racing drivers did with one of these!
Two SU Semi-Downdraft Carburetors
54.4bhp at 5,200rpm
4-Speed Manual Transmission
4-Wheel Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs with Front and Rear Live Axles
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes
* Offered from the Thomas Hendricks Collection
* In the present ownership since 1976
* The model that launched countless racing drivers in America
* Substantially complete, ready for restoration
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
The right-hand drive TC Midget appeared in 1946 and was almost identical in appearance to the pre-war Types TA and TB. The sporting little MG was brought to the US in considerable numbers by GIs returning from England and soon gained a strong following, especially in California and on the east coast. These MGs had many endearing features, including a slab fuel tank, 19-inch diameter wire wheels, folding windshields and octagonal dashboard instruments. Sales got a great lift when a Life Magazine photographer shot one being driven underneath a big lumber carrier on a Los Angeles street. Many soon found their way into amateur racing, and almost every one of the legendary American sports car champions of the post-war era began their careers in a TC, including Phil Hill.
An anomaly to the collection, but still of British origins, this example arrived on these shores later on in its life at the hands of Thomas Hendricks. Its early provenance is aided by the fact that it is still wearing the Great Britain license plate 'DAN 453'. This places its original UK registration in the fall of 1949 in the borough of West Ham, a region to the far west of the county of Essex on the outskirts of London and of course well known for its soccer team.
It is understood to have remained in its country of build for all of its life until Mr. Hendricks acquired the MG TC while in the UK in 1976 with his family, on the same tour that delivered the Lister Jaguar to him. In those days the car was in perfectly serviceable order, and photos from this period show the car in active use. A plaque on its engine confirms the car to have received a factory replacement XPAG engine at some point, presumably early on its life.
As the collection grew, this necessitated that the car be stored and sadly over time less than ideal conditions have meant that its condition has deteriorated to now 'barn find' condition. Despite its aesthetics, it is substantially complete and should offer a straightforward restoration project for its next owner. If your budget doesn't stretch to a Works Lightweight Jaguar, you could always start at the same point as so many other racing drivers did with one of these!
Additional information
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