Description
Offered for sale is a beautiful, very original, numbers matching, mechanically sound, entirely solid, correct and charming little 1949 MG TC finished in ever-appropriate and factory original Shires Green over a Black interior with smartly offsetting white wire wheels and its original cream canvas top and side curtains. Acquired following 20+ years in a large franchise dealership owner’s sizable collection, the car was built in November, 1948 and delivered new in February 1949 to a Midwestern buyer. According to its prior owner, the car remained in the region for the ensuing 65 years and was always well maintained and cared for, never left to fall into disrepair or subjected to the elements. This is further evidenced by the strong running original engine and the condition of the body and chassis, both of which are correct and free of any cancerous rust or evidence of significant accidents.
An older repaint in the original color, the Shires Green finish is accordingly not without its blemishes, but as the pictures exhibit, they are completely insignificant in terms of taking away from the car’s substantial overall appeal. The car’s body is straight and correct with consistent panel fits and gaps throughout, and all of the brightwork is in excellent original condition. The foldable windscreen is free of crack or scratches and the canvas soft top and side curtains are all in great original condition, entirely serviceable and showing their age gracefully due to a lack of substantive use. The white-finished original wire wheels are in excellent shape, wrapped in tires with plenty of remaining tread. The car’s interior is equally as clean, the black seats and interior showing only negligible wear and the correct dash housing a fully functional array of gauges and switches.
The numbers-matching original 1250cc XPAG engine (No. 8026) starts effortlessly and, following some spirited motoring on some of Santa Barbara’s quiet back roads, I’m happy to report that it idles consistently and pulls strongly and smoothly under acceleration with excellent, even compression across all cylinders. The gearbox shifts crisply through each of the gears without any grinding or strange vibrations and the car’s cooling system functions as it should with not indication of overheating, even through a few miles of stop and go traffic. The car’s a joy to drive, whether tooling through town, winding through the canyons or even bombing down the highway, providing a truly vintage, visceral and grin-inducing ride quality that is the tenet of the early T-Series cars, considered by many to be the first sports car attainable by the mass market.
This is an excellent opportunity to acquire an honest, correct and desirable TC that needs nothing but another doting new owner to be enjoyed for another 65 years. Values have been appreciating strongly over the past decade and with show quality restored examples now demanding upwards of $70k-100k, there appears to be no signs of slowing. While not a concours level car (and priced accordingly), this is a beautiful, entirely solid, original and incredibly fun to drive investment suitable for the novice weekend hobbyist and a serious MG enthusiast alike.
