Selling an MG T-Type

Choosing how to sell

T-Types change hands through the same channels a buyer uses, described from the buyer's side in On the Market Today and Auction, Dealer or Private?. For a seller the trade-off is between convenience and cost: the routes that do the most work for you take a share of the price, and the routes that cost least leave every enquiry, viewing and payment to you. Whichever you choose, the preparation is the same, and a car with an organised history file, a factory record and an honest description sells more easily through any of them.

The routes to market

Classic car auction houses

T-Types appear regularly at UK classic sales, including those of H&H Classics, Bonhams and Mathewsons, among others; the list is neutral, not a recommendation. You submit details and photographs, agree an estimate and a reserve, and sign an entry form that becomes your contract with the auction house. The car is catalogued, shown at viewing days and sold at the fall of the hammer if bidding reaches the reserve.

Seller's charges usually combine an entry or cataloguing fee with a commission on the hammer price, each plus VAT, often with a minimum fee, and withdrawing a car after entry carries charges of its own. Rates and payment timings differ, so ask for the seller's terms in writing before you sign. Keep the car insured until you have been paid. An auction gives a fixed date and a definite result; the risk is that the car fails to reach its reserve and has to be collected or re-offered.

Online auctions and classified sites

Timed online auctions, such as those run by Car & Classic and PistonHeads, list a car for a set period, usually with a reserve and an extension for late bids. The platform typically helps write the description, which you approve and remain responsible for. Fee structures vary, with some charging the buyer rather than the seller, so read the seller's terms before you list. Classified sites give the widest audience and leave every enquiry, viewing and payment with you.

The clubs and registers

Members of a marque club are often the best-informed buyers a T-Type can find.

• MG Car Club. Members can place free classified adverts in the club magazine, Safety Fast!, and the cars listed are reproduced on the club's MGs for sale page.
• MG Car Club T Register. The register's own pages carry a cars and spares for sale and wanted section, with an option to advertise a car for sale.
• MG Owners' Club. The club runs classified adverts linked to its magazine, Enjoying MG. Most of the cars offered there are later MGs, with occasional T-Types.
• New England MG 'T' Register (NEMGTR). Despite the regional name, the NEMGTR is the international register for T-Series and vintage MGs, publisher of The Sacred Octagon, whose classified adverts carry T-Series and pre-war cars and spares for members. It is the natural place to reach North American buyers, though a sale abroad brings shipping and export paperwork that this page does not cover.

A club sale is still a private sale in law, so everything in this guide about describing the car, test drives and payment applies in full. Other independent T-Series resources are listed on the links page.

Specialist dealers

A dealer can buy the car outright, take it in part-exchange, or sell it for you on commission, often called sale or return. An outright sale is the quickest, at a lower figure, because the dealer must prepare the car and make a margin. On a commission sale the dealer prepares and displays the car, handles buyers and payment, and takes a pre-agreed fee when it sells; the car stays yours until then. The agreement should set out the asking price, the fee, any preparation charges, the display period, who insures the car on the premises and when you will be paid. Marque specialists are listed in the specialists directory.

Selling privately

A private sale usually leaves the most money with the seller, along with the most work and the most risk. The sections below on viewings and payment are written mainly for private sellers.

The factory record

The first question a serious T-Type buyer asks is whether the car is what it claims to be, and the answer is the factory record. Which record exists depends on the model.

TF and TF 1500: a Heritage Certificate. The British Motor Museum at Gaydon holds factory records for MGs built from 1953 to 1980, starting with the TF Midget. Its 2026 certificate brochure states that the earlier TC and TD are not covered, and its records list starts in 1953, so the TA and TB are outside it too. A certificate is a certified copy of the car's factory ledger entry and can include build and despatch dates, engine and body numbers, colour scheme and factory-fitted equipment, though the museum notes that the amount of detail varies. Certificates are ordered online from the museum. If your TF already has one, put it at the front of the file.

TA, TB, TC and TD: the T Register factory production records. For the pre-TF cars the source is the MG Car Club T Register, which holds a digital copy of the original paper factory records for all T-Types and makes them searchable by chassis number or engine number. A search returns the production record for the car, including its original engine number, its production date, and both the Production Car No and the Chassis No; a T Register Notes field records engine changes and anomalies. For a TF the record also gives the original colour and roughly where in the world the car was delivered. The T Register advises using the Production Car No for DVLA purposes, or the Chassis No if the two differ. The search sits on the club's public website, and the production records page explains how to enter each number format. Print or save the result and keep it in the history file.

Preparing the paperwork

V5C (log book). Make sure it is in your name, at your current address, with details that match the car, and apply to update it if anything has changed. Show it to buyers in person, but do not send photographs or copies, or share its 11-digit document reference number: GOV.UK warns these can be used to obtain a fraudulent copy of the log book.

MOT history. A T-Type that has not been substantially changed is exempt from the annual MOT. Exemption does not stop you taking a voluntary test, and a recent result is independent evidence a buyer can check for themselves on the free GOV.UK MOT history service, which shows past results and recorded mileage from the registration number. The MOT and tax exemption guide explains the rules.

The history file. Put invoices, receipts, old MOT certificates and photographs of work in date order, and flag the major items: the ash frame, chassis repairs, engine rebuilds and any conversions. If the body has been re-framed, the invoices and photographs of the timber work are among the most valuable papers you hold.

Numbers. Check the numbers before a buyer does. On every T-Type the chassis number is stamped on the near-side (left-hand) front dumb-iron, and it should agree with the number on the plate under the bonnet. The engine number carries a prefix that identifies the engine type: MPJG for the TA, XPAG for the TB, TC, TD and TF 1250 (XPAG/TD, XPAG/TD2 and later variants on the TD, XPAG/TF on the TF 1250), and XPEG for the TF 1500. Left-hand-drive export TD engines carry an extra LHX in the prefix. A square plate with a letter prefix and a longer number marks a factory replacement engine rather than the original. The chassis and engine number guide shows where each number is and what each prefix means. Compare what you find with the factory record.

Describing the car honestly

The T-Type market rewards originality and punishes surprises, so the description should say plainly what the car is and what has been done to it.

The ash frame. Every T-Type body tub is built on an ash frame, and its condition is the largest hidden cost a buyer faces. Say what you know: whether the frame is original, repaired or renewed, when and by whom, and whether the doors shut cleanly. Buyers who know these cars will check the timber below the A- and B-posts, probe the main side rails from underneath and rock the scuttle, as the buying checklist and the ash frame guide describe. If you know of soft timber, say so before they find it.

The engine. State the engine type and whether it is the one the factory record shows. A replacement engine is common after seventy years and is not a reason to hide anything; it is a reason to describe it accurately. Some TAs carry later XPAG engines. A non-matching engine changes the price, not the legality of the sale.

The TF 1500. Only describe a TF as a TF 1500 if it carries an XPEG engine. The badges can be added to any TF, and the chassis number does not settle it, because XPAG and XPEG engines were fitted in alternating batches through part of 1954. If your car wears TF 1500 badges over an XPAG/TF engine, say so. Identifying a genuine TF 1500 and the TF 1500 page set out the evidence a buyer will look for.

The TD Mark II. A claim that a TD is a Mark II (TD/C) should be supported by the factory record, not by badges, because ordinary TDs have been dressed up as Mark IIs and earlier genuine cars carried no badges. TD2 is an engine designation, not the Mark II; the TD production changes page explains the difference.

Left-hand drive and repatriated cars. Every TC was built in right-hand drive, so a left-hand-drive TC is a conversion. The TD and TF were built in both, and most went abroad when new. Say whether the car was built for the home market or for export, whether it has been converted from one side to the other, and, if it has come back to the UK from abroad, when, with the paperwork that shows how it was registered here.

Conversions and upgrades. Five-speed gearboxes, front disc brakes, telescopic dampers, alternators, electronic ignition and negative-earth conversions are common on T-Types, as described in Modern upgrades for the TD and TF. List each one, with who fitted it and when, and keep the original parts if you still have them: a boxed original gearbox or dynamo goes with the car. A modern engine in place of the original type, or a change to the type of suspension or steering, may mean the car has been substantially changed and is no longer exempt from the MOT; the government's criteria and the site's MOT and tax exemption guide explain the test. Do not describe such a car as MOT exempt unless you are sure.

Preparing the car

Gather the hood and its frame, the sidescreens, the tonneau if there is one, every key, the handbook and any workshop manual, the tool kit and spare wheel, and any original parts removed during upgrades. Clean the car inside and out, fix small faults that cost little, and write down anything that does not work. Faults disclosed at the start do far less damage than faults discovered on the test drive.

Photographs. Take them in even daylight against a plain background:

• every exterior angle, hood up and hood down, with sidescreens fitted
• the engine bay, and a cold-start video if you can
• the chassis number on the dumb-iron, the plate under the bonnet and the engine number plate
• the interior, the dashboard and instruments, and the boot or rear compartment
• the underside, the main side rails of the ash frame, the timber below the A- and B-posts, and the chassis rails
• the wheels, and on wire wheels the spokes and hubs
• known faults, damage or repairs
• the factory record and the main invoices, with personal details covered

Never include a readable image of the V5C or its reference number.

Setting a price

This archive does not value individual cars. The Values and Price Guide sets out sourced condition bands for each model and what moves a car within them, and On the Market Today records individual results with their sources. Treat them as context, not a valuation, and take independent professional advice before you set a figure.

For evidence, look at what comparable T-Types have sold for rather than their asking prices. Auction houses publish results for past sales, and several websites gather them together. Check whether a figure is the hammer price or includes the buyer's premium, note how many cars failed to sell, and compare like with like: the model, original engine or replacement, TF 1250 or genuine TF 1500, the state of the ash frame, conversions, and the depth of the history file all matter.

What the law expects of a seller

This is general information, not legal advice.

Private sellers. The car must match the description you give it, in the advert and in conversation: under section 13 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979, goods sold by description must correspond with that description. A buyer misled by a false statement may be able to claim for misrepresentation and, in some cases, undo the sale. You must also have the right to sell the car. A private seller does not have to guarantee satisfactory quality or volunteer every fault, but anything you do say must be true. "Matching numbers", "TF 1500", "Mark II" and "original frame" are all statements of fact.

Roadworthiness. Under section 75 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is an offence for anyone, private sellers included, to supply a vehicle in an unroadworthy condition. There is a defence where the seller had reasonable cause to believe it would not be used on a road until made roadworthy, which is how a project can be sold lawfully. Say so plainly in the advert and on the receipt, and expect the car to leave on a trailer.

Trade sellers. A business selling to a consumer is bound by the Consumer Rights Act 2015: the car must be of satisfactory quality for its age and mileage, fit for purpose and as described, and a trader cannot remove those rights with phrases such as "sold as seen".

What "sold as seen" means. In a private sale it records that the buyer has inspected the car and accepts its condition. It does not excuse a false description or an unroadworthy car. Give the mileage as "indicated" unless you can prove it, and list known faults.

Viewings and test drives

Keep your phone number out of the advert text if the platform allows it. Hold viewings at your home or another place you know, in daylight, with a second person present if possible. Be cautious if several people arrive together: trading standards have warned of groups who distract a seller while one of them tampers with the car, then claim to have found a fault and demand a lower price.

Before any test drive:

• see the buyer's driving licence and check the photograph matches the person
• confirm they are insured to drive your car; your own policy may not cover them, and the "driving other cars" cover that some policies carry is often absent, limited to third party, or subject to conditions, so ask to see it in writing or ask the buyer to arrange temporary cover
• go with them, sitting in the passenger seat, and keep the keys until you are in the car
• never let a buyer take the car out alone or leave with the keys

A knowledgeable buyer will want to start the engine from cold and watch the oil pressure, and will expect to spend time underneath the car with a torch. Leave the engine unstarted on the day of the viewing, and allow time for the inspection.

Getting paid safely

Payment is where most of the risk in a private sale lies. The rule is simple: the car, the keys, the new keeper slip and the history file stay with you until the money is cleared and visible in your own account, checked by you in your own banking app or online banking, which you have opened yourself.

Bank transfer. A transfer is generally the safest method for a private sale. Faster Payments usually arrive within seconds, occasionally within a couple of hours, but each bank sets its own limit on a single payment, so the buyer may not be able to send the full price that way. CHAPS is designed for large same-day payments and has no scheme maximum, though the buyer's bank sets its own cut-off times, limits and fees. Agree the method in advance.

Fake payment screens. Police and Which? have reported fake banking apps that show a convincing "payment complete" screen when no money has moved, often with an explanation that the transfer will take a couple of hours to arrive. A screenshot, an email or a screen on the buyer's phone proves nothing. Only your own account counts.

Overpayment. A buyer who pays more than the agreed price and asks for the difference back, sometimes to a third party such as a shipping agent, is almost certainly attempting fraud: the original payment later fails and the refund is lost. Refund nothing until the full amount has cleared and cannot be reversed, and then only to the account it came from.

Shipping agents and overseas buyers. Many T-Types are sold abroad, and genuine overseas buyers exist. Be wary, though, of a buyer who offers the full price unseen and asks you to pay a shipping, insurance or export fee upfront to an agent they recommend. Those costs are the buyer's to pay.

Escrow and holding accounts. Fraudsters send convincing emails claiming that money is being held in a secure "holding" or "escrow" account by a well-known company; Action Fraud (now Report Fraud) warned that Amazon, for example, provides no such accounts. Some genuine online auction platforms build a payment service into their own process. Use only that, reached through the platform's own website, never a link a buyer sends you.

Cash and banker's drafts. If a buyer insists on cash, complete the sale at your bank so the notes can be checked and paid in. Banker's drafts can be forged, so have your own bank confirm one with the issuing bank before you release anything.

If something feels wrong, stop; a genuine buyer will wait for funds to clear. If you are targeted, contact your bank straight away. Fraud in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is now reported to Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud, at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.

Handover and the DVLA

Once the money has cleared:

1. Write a receipt. Two signed, dated copies, one each, with both names and addresses, the registration, chassis and engine numbers, indicated mileage, the price, "sold as seen" for a private sale, and anything else you agreed.
2. Hand over the documents. Give the buyer the green "new keeper" slip (V5C/2), the keys, the history file and the factory record. If you sell to a motor trader, keep the yellow slip (V5C/3): destroy it if you tell the DVLA online, or have the trader fill it in and post it to the DVLA yourself.
3. Tell the DVLA. Online is quickest, using the V5C reference number and the buyer's full name and address; you can also post the log book. After telling the DVLA online about a private sale, destroy the rest of the log book. You remain legally responsible for the car until the DVLA has been told.
4. Vehicle tax. Tax does not transfer. The DVLA cancels yours, refunds any full months remaining and cancels any Direct Debit. A T-Type in the historic tax class pays nothing, but the buyer must still tax it at the nil rate before driving away, or declare it off the road (SORN).
5. Insurance. Keep the car insured until the sale is complete, then tell your insurer; a policy does not end automatically when you sell.
6. Personalised registration. To keep a private number, take it off the car and have the retention certificate (V778) and new log book back before you sell. A historic vehicle needs a current MOT for this, even though it is normally exempt. The car must also be able to move under its own power and must be taxed or SORN now and have been continuously for the past five years, which matters for a car that has been laid up.

After the sale, the new owner may wish to record the car in the Registry; it is worth mentioning.

Selling checklist

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a Heritage Certificate for my TC or TD?

No. The British Motor Museum's records start in 1953 with the TF, and its certificate brochure says the TC and TD are not covered; the TA and TB fall outside its records too. For a TA, TB, TC or TD the factory record is the MG Car Club T Register's factory production record, searchable by chassis or engine number. A TF, including the TF 1500, can have a Heritage Certificate.

Do I need an MOT to sell an MG T-Type?

No. A T-Type that has not been substantially changed is exempt from the annual MOT, and an MOT is not required to sell it. A recent voluntary MOT is useful evidence of roadworthiness that a buyer can check on the GOV.UK MOT history service. A car with a modern engine, or a changed type of suspension or steering, may not qualify for exemption; see the MOT and tax exemption guide.

How do I show that my TF 1500 is genuine?

By the engine. A genuine TF 1500 carries an XPEG engine, not the XPAG/TF of the 1250. Badges prove nothing and nor does the chassis number, because the two engines were fitted in alternating batches through part of 1954. A Heritage Certificate showing the original engine number settles it. See Identifying a genuine TF 1500.

My car has a five-speed gearbox. Do I have to mention it?

Yes. Any conversion is part of the description, and a buyer will see it. List it with who fitted it and when, and include the original gearbox if you still have it. A five-speed conversion is common on T-Types and is a matter of preference; describing it honestly is what protects you.

What does "sold as seen" mean when I sell privately?

It records that the buyer has inspected the car and accepts its condition. It does not protect you if the car does not match your description, or if it is unroadworthy and you have not made clear it is not to be used on the road. Describe the car accurately and list known faults.

What is the safest way to be paid for a classic car?

A bank transfer into your own account, confirmed by you in your own banking app or online banking before anything is handed over. Do not rely on a screenshot, email or a screen on the buyer's phone. For a large sum, agree in advance whether the buyer will use Faster Payments or CHAPS, since banks set their own limits.

Does the road tax transfer to the buyer?

No. Tax never transfers with a car. The buyer must tax a historic-class T-Type at the nil rate before driving it, or declare it off the road. The DVLA cancels your tax when you report the sale.

Can I keep my private number plate?

Yes, if you take it off the car before you sell. You must have the V778 retention certificate and the new log book before the sale, and a historic vehicle needs a current MOT for the number to be removed, even though it is normally exempt.

Is selling at auction safer than selling privately?

At a traditional auction house it removes most of the payment risk, because the auction house collects the money from the buyer and pays you after the sale, less its charges. Online auction platforms differ: some offer a payment service, while others leave the buyer to pay you directly, so check before you list. You pay for that in commission and fees, the car may not reach its reserve, and you are still responsible for the accuracy of the information you supply.

Does this archive buy, sell or list cars?

No. The MG T-Series Archive does not buy, sell, list or broker cars, and carries no classified adverts. It provides the reference information that buyers and sellers need.

This guide is general information to help you sell, not legal or financial advice; auction terms, fees, bank limits and DVLA procedures change, so check the current terms that apply to your sale.