Awesome barn find in excellent condition. Recently and extensively serviced, ready to drive. Runs extremely well, everything works! Beautiful original leather interior. An inexpensive yet fun sportster with great patina, ready to enjoy!
Barn finds always hold a certain mystique for car guys-the hope that theres something special hidden away somewhere, just waiting to be unearthed like King Tuts tomb. While this handsome little 1952 MG TD doesnt offer you the thrill of discovery, it does have many of the other virtues of the barn find: solid originality, no nonsense, and great patina. We suspect that most of the paint is original save for the hood, which looks to have been amateurishly repainted some years ago. We gave it a thorough cut and buff and brought back the shine, and it looks quite presentable as it sits today. Its not show quality, of course, but its nothing to be ashamed of, either. Theres a nice depth to the black paint and as a car that has never been blown apart, the doors fit well, the hood snugs down easily, and theres a warmth to the overall look that no restoration can match. Sure, if you want perfection a car like this is a great place to start, what with its super clean bodywork and total lack of rust or rot, but in our opinion it would be a crime to repaint a survivor like this. Just looking over the curving fenders and rear-hinged doors, you can see the years that this little MG has lived honestly and without trying too hard to be something its not. Thats definitely worth something.
The green leather interior is the highlight of the car, and speaks highly of the dry, protected storage the car enjoyed for so many years. The hides are still supple and comfortable, there are virtually zero splits or tears, and sliding behind the wheel feels like 1952, not 2025. Theres a fragrant aroma that comes with it, something that could never be replicated in a restoration shop, and the cushions themselves are still supportive for longer drives. The matching instrument panel is full of beautiful Jaeger gauges that are all working properly, including the tachometer, and we believe the 65,71 miles showing on the odometer is an accurate reading. The steering wheel is deteriorated, so we wrapped it with a traditional leather cover, but it still feels great in your hands. The wooden shifter knob has years of shifting on it, so it feels comfortable and the wood has a smooth glow thats just right. The matching green fascia on the dash is in excellent condition, as are the door panels, and theres a nice little storage area behind the seats. The original canvas top is included, but its sadly probably beyond rescuing, although the wood bows and brackets are still 100% intact. The same goes for the side curtains-theyre included, but they probably need to be replaced. Fortunately, replacements, should you want them, are inexpensive and easy to procure from a variety of sources.
The sturdy little 1250cc inline-4 is definitely a runner. All the fluids have been replaced, the cooling system has been flushed, and the entire fuel system rebuilt, so it is mechanically excellent and ready to run. Give it a little choke, pull the starter knob, and it fires up easily with a traditional British sports car blat, sounding much more formidable than it is. Everything under the hood has been cleaned and serviced, meaning the ignition system has new points, condenser, cap, rotor, wires, and plugs, and as I mentioned, the carburetor and fuel pump have been rebuilt. On the road, the torquey little engine makes the most of its modest horsepower and well-chosen gears in the 4-speed manual transmission mean that its easy to keep up with todays traffic. Looking underneath youll see fresh floorboards, new steering components, a new exhaust system, and rebuilt brakes, including hoses, shoes, master cylinder, and wheel cylinders. Fluids in the transmission and rear end are fresh and the gas tank was cleaned and sealed, so its ready to run. Youll also find nice little details like fresh bump stops and U-joints-the goal was to make the car as mechanically fit as possible, and I think weve succeeded. Factory 15-inch steel wheels are fitted with new 165/80/15 blackwall radials, although the spare still appears to be the original Dunlop-hows that for authenticity?
All the hard work has been done, here, leaving a car that looks ancient but drives almost like new. MGs are a joy to drive, just as they were when they were new, and theres a tremendous enthusiast support network for events, knowledge, and spare parts. If you like your cars with a little patina, a story to tell, and mechanically fit, this MG deserves a closer look, especially at this price. Call today!
Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.
