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2014 Shannons Sydney Autumn Classic Auction
Lot
9

1939 MG TB Roadster (Special)

PASSED IN

Passed In

Specifications

Engine In-line 4-cylinder, 1250cc
Gearbox 4 Speed Manual
Body Work Roadster
Colour Red
Interior Red
Trim Vinyl/Leather
Wheels Wire-spoked
Brakes Drums

Description

This lot is no longer available

The T-series Midgets were the last traditional MGs, spanning two decades and built in five distinct series, from TA to TF and for many pundits, they represent the archetypal British sports car. The original TA of 1936 replaced the PB Midget, offering more passenger space, hydraulic brakes and a pushrod ohv engine courtesy of the new relationship with the Nuffield Organisation, something not all enthusiasts appreciated.
Thus it was no surprise that the succeeding TB of 1939 arrived with a new engine, designated the XPAG. Based on the Morris M10 unit, the new motor saw a drop in capacity but with more power and flexibility. Indeed, the new 1250cc would go on to power generations of MGs and its inherent strength meant it was far better adapted to tuning - in supercharged form the motor tok the streamlined Gardner-MG to more than 200 mph. In the TB, the XPAG engine developed 54.4 horsepower at 5200 rpm, giving a maximum speed of 87 mph. A new gearbox and Borg and Beck dry-plate clutch were also adopted. Other changes were of the minor variety, including centre-laced wire wheels, and the bonnet design altered, with a bulge on the nearside panel to accommodate the dynamo of the new motor and a new louvre pattern. With production cut short by the outbreak of the Second World War, the TB was easily the rarest of the T-series and just 379 were built in 1939, in either two-seater or Tickford coupé form.