Replies

Here’s some info:

FEATURE ARTICLE from Hemmings Motor News
Home>Contents
1945-1950 M.G. TC
Hemmings Motor News - DECEMBER 1, 2006 - BY DAVID LACHANCE - PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD LENTINELLO

Print This Article
Email This Article

The passage of time has only made the classic from Abingdon more afforable
Look at the graph of average values for M.G. TDs over the past quarter century, and you’ll see a steady rise, aside from one small setback around 2000. Nothing too surprising, right? But an interesting fact reveals itself when you adjust the numbers for inflation: Real values actually peaked in 1990, at the equivalent of $32,000 in current-day dollars, and have taken a drop of 22 percent or so in the 15 years since.

Why? If you managed to stay awake through enough of Economics 101, you may recall that market values are driven by supply and demand. In the case of the TC, both seem to be working to hold prices back. MG produced more than 10,000 TCs, a healthy number for the Abingdon works, and a significant number survive—in fact, in the past couple of decades, the number of basket-case cars that have been restored has outstripped the number sent to the crusher. At the same time, the number of potential buyers has been on the wane.

The backbone of the TC’s market has traditionally been made up of those who owned or lusted after one of the cars when it was new, perhaps having seen one tearing down the track with a number on its door, or cruising on a back road with a happy couple and their picnic lunch aboard. But that was more than a half-century ago, and those enthusiasts are passing from the scene. Potential buyers who have no memories of the TC may find themselves instead drawn to other, more usable cars that offer similar experiences, including two from M.G.’s own stables, the TD and TF.

“I always look at it as, who would buy one, and why would they want one?” said Marc Evans, president of the New England Classic Car Company in Stratford, Connecticut, who estimates that he’s sold 200 TCs over the past 30 years. “I love TCs — I think they’re great cars,” he said. “But there are a bunch of fun cars to drive.” Where the TC shines is in coupling pre-war design with relatively good parts availability and such modern design features as press-fit bearings. The solid front and rear axles, big wire wheels, cart springs, cut-down doors, flowing fenders and classic, upright grille offer the lucky owner a true 1930s driving experience at a price below that of most genuine pre-war cars.

Launched in 1945, but not exported to the U.S. until 1947, the TC earned its eternal fame as the car that introduced Americans to sports cars. It was powered by a 1,250cc XPAG inline-four that made 54.5hp, sufficient for a top speed of somewhere around 70 mph and a comfortable cruising speed around 55 mph. A three-speed gearbox with synchromesh on the top three gears and hydraulic drum brakes were fitted, and all examples, whether Stateside-bound or not, were right-hand drive.

Buyers beguiled by the TC’s unsinkable charm will want to make sure that they check out the wood frame that lies under the body panels—it can, and does, rot, requiring costly repair. Marc Evans suggests that $25,000 will buy a solid car, while a $35,000 car should have “at least a couple of ribbons.” We recently saw a tatty, but usable, TC sell for $11,000 at auction, which has to rate as something of a bargain. As always, should you decide to take the plunge, find a knowledgeable specialist or club member, and learn all you can before writing that check.

This article originally appeared in the DECEMBER 1, 2006 issue of Hemmings Motor News.
Order Backissues of Hemmings Motor News Here.

1381894