Description

1972 MG Midget MkIII

Just two owners in 28 years; a very sound example of this charismatic liitle sportscar that is crying out for more regular use 

Essentially a slightly more expensive badge-engineered version of the Austin-Healey Sprite MkII, the MG Midget was launched in 1961, initially with a 948cc twin carb A-Series engine producing 46bhp.
In 1962 the engine was uprated to a 1,098cc unit now with 56bhp and brake discs replacing the drums at the front. With the launch of the MkIII version in 1966, the engine was enlarged yet again to 1,275cc and now produced 67bhp. The rear axle ratio was also raised for more relaxed cruising along with a host of minor revisions to the interior and exterior, including more rounded rear wheel arches from 1972 onwards.

Eminently tuneable, the MkIII is now particularly popular in the many race series that are organised for MG Midgets to compete in. On the road it is an exhilarating car to drive as you always feel like you are going twice as fast as you really are!

First registered in December 1972, this MkIII has had just two owners for the last 28 years and has been in the current ownership since 2004. Very little used in recent years, it comes with 11 old MOTs showing that it only covered 1,900 miles between 2003 and 2015 when it was put into storage.

Various invoices show routine maintenance over this period, the most significant expenditure being in 2004 when it received a new clutch kit, new timing chain, a suspension overhaul with reconditioned stub axles and king pin assemblies plus various other minor jobs at a cost of over £1,000. We are told that it has been fitted with a later engine at some point.

The BRG paintwork is still nice and shiny, the brightwork still gleams and the panels all fit well with no real signs of corrosion either up top or down below. The blue leather seats are nicely mellowed, the canvas soft top is faded but serviceable and the hood cover looks in good shape.

Starting promptly and running nicely as we have moved it around on site, it also comes with a handy bag of spares in the boot (wheel cylinders; plugs and plug leads; distributor cap; points etc) which is invariably the sign of a careful owner. Your correspondent’s grandfather would never dream of driving anywhere without such a spares kit to which he always added a spade, a bag of road salt and a thick woollen rug in the winter. Didn’t help him much when he got arrested after crashing his Manx Norton into the Gouthwaite Reservoir gatehouse one night, but that’s another story…
For more information contact James on 07970 309907 or email james.dennison@brightwells.com