1939
MG TB
The rarest T-Type.
The MG TB of 1939 is the rarest T-Type: just 379 were built before Abingdon was turned over to aircraft components and tank modification. It introduced the 1,250 cc XPAG engine — 54 bhp at 5,200 rpm — and a dry-plate clutch, and was offered as an open two-seater or a Tickford drophead coupé.
- Years
- 1939
- Engine
- XPAG
- Capacity
- 1,250 cc
- Power
- 54 bhp @ 5,200 rpm
- Approximate built
- 379
Cut short by war
TB production began in the spring of 1939 and ended within months when Abingdon emptied its buildings to build aircraft components and modify tanks for the war effort. Just 379 cars were completed, making the TB the rarest T-Type by a wide margin.
The XPAG engine arrives
The TB introduced the 1,250 cc XPAG engine that would power every T-Type through to the TF. Derived from the Morris Ten Series M but far more highly tuned, it used twin SU carburettors, a 66.6 mm bore and 90 mm stroke, and produced 54 bhp at 5,200 rpm.
Dry-plate clutch and revised gearing
The oil-immersed clutch of the TA gave way to a conventional dry-plate unit, with gear ratios revised to suit the new engine — changes carried forward, essentially unchanged, into the TC.
Bodies: open two-seater and Tickford
TB buyers could choose the traditional open two-seater or the more luxurious Tickford drophead coupé, with wind-up windows and a folding hood — a genuine all-weather MG.