1978 MG Midget 1500 - Unregistered - 45 miles from new

Only one motor manufacturer can boast a near 50-year dominance of the “nippy sports car” market as MG did between the 1920s and the 1970s. Starting with the home market demand for a reasonably priced convertible, with equal parts optimism and stoicism on the part of the driver, MG led the field both at home and abroad. The Midget moniker was first used with the introduction of the MG M-Type produced between 1929 and 1932, one of the first genuinely affordable sports cars to be offered by an established manufacturer.

Successive generations of the Midget were so universally popular that a fluttering headscarf was as likely to be seen as a flat cap by a passing motorist. Perhaps the last British sports car to hold the driver’s enjoyment and budget in equal measure, the MG Midget’s fifty-year production run has a legacy represented today by the surviving examples and affectionate reminiscences by previous owners.

The car's swansong arrived in 1978 in the form of the MG Midget 1500, easily distinguishable from its predecessor by the impact-resistant rubber bumpers required for the US market, whilst beneath the familiar coach lines there lay a Morris all-synchromesh gearbox. The adoption of head restraints, inertia-reel seatbelts, and dual-circuit braking were amongst improvements made before production ceased at the end of 1979. We lead nicely, therefore, to this remarkable car’s story that started with its purchase by a Mr Taylor.

The accompanying Bill of Sale from Dutton Forshaw Ltd., of Blackburn on the 16th June 1979 confirms the purchase price of £2,624.26 and a letter dated 12th October 1979 from the dealer offers advice on how to register his new car. The Heritage Certificate confirms that the car was manufactured on the 27th October 1978, finished in black, with a matching hood and interior, fitted with Rostyle wheels and dispatched a few weeks later on the 15th November.

It's understood that a second MG Midget was used as a daily driver by Mrs Taylor and, consequently, this car remained unregistered and dry stored over the following decades with protective plastic coverings over the seats and floor mats. The interior is a remarkable study for any car enthusiast and remains as crisp as the day the components were fitted. Starting on the key with the help of the choke, the engine ran and idled well and likewise forward and rear gear selection proved to be smooth. We note that the car, whilst dry stored, has acquired some surface 'browning' to certain metal components, caused by condensation, which is typical for cars stored in this manner and, in fact, adds to the originality of this very special little motorcar with just 45 miles on the odometer from new.

Supplied to auction with its Handbooks safe in the bright blue Leyland Cars pocket folder, each booklet is crisp and the Leyland Cars SuperCover literature even contains the original self-addressed envelope. It's presented with both sets of keys, the original Bill of Sale, purchase receipt, dealer correspondence and its Heritage Certificate.

Simply remarkable.