Description
Offered for sale is a truly charming, head-turning, entirely correct, completely rust free, mechanically excellent frame-off restoration of a 1948 MG YT. The Y-Type Touring models were originally conceived in the late 1930s, when open versions of a saloon were extremely popular. Delayed by the political climate and ensuing war, the car was eventually released in 1948, at which point wavering demand yielded slow sales. From the standpoint of today’s enthusiast however, the car is all the more interesting for this reason. The styling is distinctly pre-war and wonderfully classic – independent headlamps, vertical radiator and grill, swooping fenders, etc. – and because of these design cues the relatively small body has the presence of a much larger Jaguar or Rolls Royce. Furthermore, because of the anemic sales, only 877 YTs were ever produced with even fewer left hand drive cars, making this a hard to find example indeed. Not surprisingly, the values on YT’s have risen steadily of late, making this an excellent investment that you can enjoy on the weekends.
The car was restored correctly a few years back by a serious MG enthusiast in Vancouver and his efforts have yielded a fantastic result. The car is finished in a dark and pale green two tone color scheme that defines the styling beautifully and is wonderfully era-specific. Please note that the lighter green appears brighter in our pictures than it does in person – it’s really a very nice pastel color that is well suited to the car. The paint is in vey presentable condition, marred only by minimal imperfections which don’t show up in any of the pictures and in no way detract from the car’s overall appeal. The brightwork is in excellent original condition and the rubber and glass are great. The interior was professionally reupholstered using the correct materials with no expense spared. Consequently, it’s absolutely beautiful, the seats, carpets, interior paneling, side curtains, soft top and both tonneau covers all in perfect condition.
Having benefitted from a frame-off restoration, the car is perfectly straight, free of rust and factory correct. All of the panel fits and gaps are excellent and there’s no evidence of accidents or bondo. The correct, numbers matching XPAG 1250 engine is fantastic, starting easily, idling flawlessly and pulling strongly. The transmission shifts as well as the day it left the factory and the car drives and brakes straight without any shuddering or odd noises. Everything works as it should and the car is a truly a joy to drive, whether enjoying a carefree jaunt up the coast or just tooling around town. The original books and manuals are intact and included with the car, as are quite a few spare parts.
