Following up on the surprisingly popular Midget TC sports car, the MG Car Company introduced its successor, the TD, in 1950. The TD was extensively reworked to appeal to a broader range of buyers, particularly those in the increasingly important American market. New features for the TD included independent front suspension, rack and pinion steering, smaller 15-inch road wheels, a revised axle, and for the first time – left-hand drive. It proved to be a smashing success for MG, selling nearly 30,000 units in total, with the overwhelming majority leaving Abingdon for American soil. In just three years, more than 23,000 TDs came to the United States, where legions of budding sports car enthusiasts cut their teeth behind the wheel of the delightful little MG roadster.

Presented in bright red over biscuit interior, the 1952 TD offered here is an excellent example of this perennial favorite British roadster. This car is the subject of a comprehensive, high-quality restoration, and it displays a charming character inside and out with excellent detailing and finishing. Period-appropriate accessories include painted knock-off wire wheels, Lucas fog lamps, and chrome-plated radiator slats. In the two-seat cockpit, biscuit tan upholstery covers the bench seat and door panels with a pleasing effect. The dash is finished to factory-correct standards in matching vinyl trim with correct green-tinted instrument faces, proper switchgear, and the original-type tan banjo steering wheel. The top is trimmed with tan canvas, and it includes a matching boot cover that doubles as a full tonneau cover for overnight stops or solo drives on a crisp autumn day.

Lifting the bonnet reveals the 1250-cc “XPAG” overhead-valve inline four-cylinder engine. The plucky little four develops 55 horsepower in standard trim, and it whisks the TD along with relative ease accompanied by a pleasing burble from the exhaust. A four-speed gearbox provides direct and pleasant shift quality, with well-spaced ratios to make the best of the engine’s power. In this car, the XPAG four is well detailed while showing evidence of enjoyment since the restoration. It is finished in the correct shade of MG red, topped with a silver-green valve cover, and a factory air-cleaner feeding twin SU carburetors.

Few cars of the 1950s deliver such pure driving enjoyment like the MG TD. With its cheerful good looks, sprightly performance, and endearing character, the TD is a long-standing favorite among casual enthusiasts and serial collectors alike.