While it never achieved the same sales as the MGB when new, nor has it become a favourite with enthusiasts of British sports cars today, the postwar Midget is still an important model in MG’s history. A very early part of that history saw the diminutive roadster receive a serious upgrade from the aftermarket, but as so few were built, it’s an almost unknown part of the MG Midget story today.
While the Midget that most enthusiasts know of made its debut in 1961, the name has history with MG going back to the late 1920s. The original ‘M-Type’ Midget was a two-seat sports car where all previous MGs had been tourers or saloons (sedans). Fabric-covered, timber-framed bodies for the M-Type were the norm before metal panels became standard. Power was supplied by a Wolseley-derived 847cc four-cylinder engine, matched to a three-speed non-synchro manual transmission. In 1931, a D-Type Midget offered seating for four,and could be had with either the 847cc or the supercharged 746cc engine.
