A review of The Early MG Sports Car, covering the development, important features and technical data for each model in the range.
In this article, I offer a nostalgic look at the Early MG Roadster, one of an elite group of classic cars, which was produced during the period from 1924 to 1936.
Before the launch of the MGA in 1955, the first MG roadsters could be summarized as follows:
- 1924mg 14/28
- 1928mg 18/80
- 1929 type M midget
- 1931 type C midget
- 1931 type D midget
- 1931 Type F Magna
- 1932 J-Type Midget
- K-type magnet from 1932
- 1933 Type L Magna
- 1934 N-Type Magneto
- 1934 P-Type Midget
- 1936 midget TA
- Tuberculosis Dwarf from 1939
- [1945TDwarf[1945TCenano
- 1950 TD Midget
- 1953 Midget TF
The MG logo traces its origins to Morris Garages, a Morris Cars dealer, who made their own specialized versions in the 1920s.
The MG 14/28
The first sports car made by the MG Car Company was the MG 14/28 in 1924.
It was offered as a two-door, two-, and four-seater open sedan, or as a two-door coupe.
It used a 1.8-litre side-valve engine with a single SU carb, later replaced by a single Solex, a three-speed manual gearbox, and twelve-inch drum brakes.
MG badges on all of their cars didn’t appear until 1928.
The MG 18/80
In 1928, the MG 18/80 was launched, and it can be described as the first true MG sports car because it contained the distinctive MG upright grille.
It was available in a range of open touring and closed body versions.
It used a 2.5 liter 6-cylinder single overhead cam engine with two SU carburettors. Twelve-inch drum brakes were cable-actuated.
The MG type M
In 1929, the first of a memorable line of MG Midget sports cars was launched with the introduction of the M-Type.
Based on a Morris Minor chassis, it was a two-door, two-seater convertible. It used a 4-cylinder single overhead cam engine, with a single SU carburettor and a three-speed choke gearbox.
In 1930, with a modified overhead camshaft, power was increased to 27 bhp and a four-speed gearbox was offered as an optional extra.
In 1932, a supercharged version became available with a top speed of 80 mph. Two of these roadsters entered the 1930 Le Mans 24 hour race, but neither completed the course.
The MG Type C
In 1931, the two-seater MG C-Type was introduced, based on the M-Type, and with competition use in mind.
The tuned single overhead cam engine, with a single SU carburettor, used a four-speed shock gearbox.
It used cable-actuated brakes with eight-inch drums. The body included the absence of doors.
In 1932, a version with a cross-flow head and supercharger developed 52 hp.
The MG type D
In 1931, the MG D-Type Midget was introduced. It incorporated the engine from the M-Type and the chassis from the C-Type.
Curiously, only a four-seater version was available, both in open and closed versions.
It used a single SU carburettor and a three-speed choke gearbox, although later models offered a four-speed box as an optional extra.
Like its predecessor, it used cable-actuated brakes with eight-inch drums all the way around.
MG type F
The third roadster to be introduced in 1931 was the MG F-Type Magna, which featured a 1.3-litre 6-cylinder engine with a single overhead camshaft.
It used two SU carburettors developing 37bhp, which was later increased to 47bhp by adjusting the valve timing.
It was built to bridge the gap between the 18/80 and the M-Type, and used rear-wheel drive and a four-speed bump gearbox.
The original F-Type was a four-seater with eight-inch drum brakes all the way around.
In 1932 the F2 variant was a two-seater convertible with twelve-inch drum brakes. Later that year, the F3 variant appeared as a four-seater touring car and coupe.
The J-Type MG
In 1932, the MG J-Type Midget appeared. It was a two-door roadster that used an updated version of the M-Type engine and D-Type chassis.
The J1 variant was a four-seater saloon using the 847 cc C-Type overhead camshaft engine, with twin SU carburettors providing 0-50 mph performance in 15 seconds. Used eight-inch cable-operated drum brakes
The most popular variant was the two-seater J2 with a top speed of 65 mph, although a modified version reached 82 mph.
It had a two-bearing crankshaft, cable brakes on each drum, and a four-speed bump gearbox.
The J3, used with racing in mind, had a shorter stroke, 746cc engine fitted with a supercharger and larger brakes.
The J4, designed specifically for racing, with a lightweight body and a J3 engine, developed 72 hp by increasing the boost developed by the supercharger.
The K-Type MG
Also in 1932, the MG K-Type Magnette was introduced.
It used the F-Type engine, whose displacement was reduced from 1,272 to 1,087 cc, and was equipped with a cross-flow head and three SU carburettors.
It used cable-actuated brakes with thirteen-inch drums, had rear-wheel drive, and a four-speed bump gearbox.
In 1933, a modified version with retuned valve timing and two carburettors developed 41 hp.
Also that year, another version used a 1,271 cc engine with modified cylinder head and timing, developing 48 hp.
A 1087 cc engine fitted with a supercharger, built exclusively for racing and developing 120 hp, was fitted to a variant called the K3.
The L-Type MG
The MG L-Type Magna made its appearance in 1933. It used the same 1.1 liter 6-cylinder overhead camshaft engine as the F-Type.
It had rear-wheel drive and a four-speed bump gearbox. The brakes were cable-actuated and connected to twelve-inch drums all the way around.
The body had wide wings and was available as a two-door, four-seater, with trimmed doors.
The L1 variant was offered as a four-seater coupe or saloon, while the L2 version was a two-seater roadster.
The L-Type had a successful racing history and was the winner of the 1933 alpine test.
The N-Type MG
1934 marked the introduction of the MG N-Type Magnette. It used a K-type engine with a modified block and cylinder head, and had two SU carburettors. It was developed from the K and L types, but with an improved chassis.
It used rear-wheel drive with a four-speed bump gearbox. It was primarily a two- and four-seater open sedan, but a small number of coupes were built.
This variant was called NA. In 1935 the NB version had a modified body with lower lines and was a two and four seater open touring car.
In 1934, the NE version was the competition variant, with a light two-seater body, using a 1271 cc engine further tuned to develop 68 hp.
The P-Type MG
Also in 1934 appeared the MG P-Type Midget, a two-door, two-seater convertible, although a four-seater version was available.
The initial variant, designated PA, had an 847cc engine, similar to the J-Type, with two SU carburettors.
Unlike its predecessors, it had a three-bearing crankshaft and a larger camshaft. It was rear-wheel drive and used a four-speed bump gearbox.
In 1935, the PB version had an engine that bore to 939 cc and developed 43 hp.
In 1936 a supercharged version of the PB won the Limerick Grand Prix. Also that year, the P-Type Midget was replaced by the MG TA, heralding the start of the T-Series of MG Midgets.
A total of 2,000 PA’s and 536 PB’s were built.
This marked the end of my review of early MG sports cars.
Perhaps this walk down memory lane might have answered, or at least shed light on a possible question:
Which MG sports car is it? You Favorite?
However, if this question remains unanswered, I will review, in some detail, in future articles within this website, the full range of MG sports cars that were introduced in the memorable era spanning 1924 to 1995.
I hope you’ll join me on my nostalgic trips “down sports car memory lane.”