To tell a real MG TD from a replica, look for three things: a water-cooled XPAG engine at the front with an engine number prefixed XPAG/TD, a steel body on an ash frame over a separate steel chassis, and chassis and engine numbers that check out against the MG Car Club T Register. The commonest replica is a fibreglass kit car built on a Volkswagen Beetle floorpan, and many US listings sell one as a “1952 MG TD” or “1953 MG TD”.
What the replicas are
From about 1979 several American firms sold kit-car bodies styled on the TD. Most were built on a Volkswagen Beetle floorpan with the air-cooled VW engine. One example is Classic Roadsters Ltd of Fargo, North Dakota, founded in 1979, whose “Duchess” resembled the TD and used a VW Beetle chassis (source).
How they are titled
Replicas are often titled by the year of the donor car, or described by the year of the car they copy. The title year alone proves nothing: a document reading “1952 MG TD” can belong to a Beetle-based kit car.
Quick checks
- Engine layout. A real TD has the water-cooled XPAG four-cylinder at the front, with a radiator behind the grille. A Beetle-based replica has an air-cooled flat-four, usually at the rear.
- Body construction. A TD has steel panels on an ash frame. A replica usually has a one-piece fibreglass body. Tap the panels, and look inside the wings and the boot area.
- Chassis. A TD sits on a separate box-section steel chassis. A replica sits on a VW floorpan with its central tunnel.
- Numbers. A TD carries a chassis plate on the bulkhead, with chassis numbers running 0251 to 29915, and an engine number with an XPAG/TD, XPAG/TD2 or XPAG/TD3 prefix stamped on the block. See the chassis and engine number guide for the formats and where to find them.
- Wheels. A TD runs on 15 in bolt-on pressed-steel disc wheels with the TD pattern. A replica usually keeps VW bolt patterns.
- Dashboard and interior. Compare the instruments, switchgear and interior dimensions with a known TD. Specifications are in the MG TD model reference.
For everything else to inspect on a genuine car, see the MG TD buying guide.
Check the XPAG engine number
The engine prefix is the quickest single test. The MG Car Club T Register records that TD and TD Mark II engines were prefixed XPAG/TD/ (oval water holes, 7¼ in clutch) or XPAG/TD2/ (8 in clutch), and that some TD Mark II engines were prefixed XPAG/TD3/. Export left-hand-drive cars carry an extra LHX in front of the number, though normally only on the bulkhead plate. On the TD the number is on a plate on the forward right-hand side of the block, and is stamped again on the shallow plinth just above it.
A Beetle-based replica has an air-cooled VW engine and no XPAG number at all. Be aware that a genuine TD may also have lost its original engine: the T Register notes that many cars now carry Morris or BMC Gold Seal replacement engines with a letter prefix on a square plate, or an engine that began life in a Y-type. That is a question of originality and value, not of whether the car is a TD; the chassis number settles that.
Verify with the T Register
On every T-Type the chassis number is stamped on the near-side dumb-iron or chassis extension, and it should agree with the number on the identification plate under the bonnet. TD chassis numbers run from 0251 to 29915. Compare what you find with the MG Car Club T Register’s chassis and engine identification guide, and if the numbers do not agree, ask the T Register through the MG Car Club before you buy.
A fun car in its own right
A replica can be an enjoyable car to own and drive. The problem is only paying TD money for one. Before agreeing a price, check what a genuine car is worth on the values and price guide.
Common questions
Is my MG TD a replica?
Look at the engine first. A real MG TD has the water-cooled XPAG four-cylinder engine at the front, with a radiator behind the grille. A replica built on a Volkswagen Beetle floorpan has an air-cooled flat-four, usually at the rear. A real TD also has steel panels on an ash frame, a separate box-section steel chassis, a TD chassis plate and an XPAG engine number. A one-piece fibreglass body or a VW central tunnel means a replica.
What were MG TD replicas built on?
From about 1979 several American firms sold kit-car bodies styled on the TD, most often built on a Volkswagen Beetle floorpan with the air-cooled VW engine. One example is the Duchess from Classic Roadsters Ltd of Fargo, North Dakota, founded in 1979, which resembled the TD and used a VW Beetle chassis.
Can a replica be titled as a 1952 MG TD?
Replicas are often titled by the year of the donor car, or described by the year of the car they copy, so a listing or title reading 1952 MG TD does not prove the car is one. Check the chassis plate, the chassis number and the XPAG engine number against the TD records.
Are MG TD replicas worth buying?
A replica can be a fun car in its own right. The problem is only paying real MG TD money for one. Know which you are looking at before you agree a price, and compare against the values for a genuine TD.
What engine number should a real MG TD have?
An XPAG number. According to the MG Car Club T Register, TD and TD Mark II engines were prefixed XPAG/TD/ or XPAG/TD2/, and some TD Mark II engines XPAG/TD3/. On export left-hand-drive cars an extra LHX appears in front of the number, normally only on the bulkhead plate. The number is on a plate on the forward right-hand side of the block and is also stamped on the shallow plinth just above it. A VW engine, or no XPAG number at all, means a replica or a replacement engine.
How do I verify an MG TD with the T Register?
Read the chassis number stamped on the near-side dumb-iron and the number on the identification plate, which should agree, then the engine number. Compare them with the MG Car Club T Register's chassis and engine identification guide: TD chassis numbers run from 0251 to 29915. The T Register is the MG Car Club's register for these cars, and can be contacted through the club for help with a car whose numbers do not add up.