The XPEG arrives, TF 1500
The MG T-Series in 1954
1954 is the year the TF gained its larger engine. The 1,466 cc XPEG was first fitted from 21 July 1954, and from TF 6951 on 10 September 1954 it ran through to the end of production. Between 6501 and 6950 XPAG and XPEG batches alternated, so the chassis number does not prove the engine.
In production this year
MG TF
In production, XPEG TF 1500 introduced
Full MG TF reference →Specification →Chassis & engine numbers →Production figures →
Production notes
- The first XPEG batch, chassis 6501–6650, began on 21 July 1954.
- From chassis 6951, on 10 September 1954, the XPEG ran to the end of production.
- 9,600 TFs were built in all: 6,200 with the 1,250 cc XPAG/TF engine and approximately 3,400 TF 1500s with the 1,466 cc XPEG.
Engine and chassis traits
XPEG 1,466 cc engine
The TF 1500's XPEG is the largest engine fitted to any T-Type. The prefix stamped on the block is the only reliable evidence, on a TF the chassis number never proves which engine the car left with.
Alternating batches between 6501 and 6950
Cars numbered 6501–6950 could leave Abingdon with either engine, because XPAG and XPEG batches alternated through that band. Read the block, not the chassis plate.
Independent front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering
The TD's box-section chassis carries coil-and-wishbone independent front suspension derived from the Y-Type and rack-and-pinion steering, on bolt-on 15 in disc wheels with 5.50–15 tyres. Look underneath at the frame below the rear spring hangers, where TD cracking is well documented.
Reading the numbers on a 1954 car
- Chassis: TF6951 and above is a late build with the XPEG. Below TF6501 predates the first XPEG batch.
- Engine: XPEG for the 1,466 cc car, XPAG/TF for the 1,250 cc car.
Only the MG Car Club T Register factory production records give an exact despatch date. Enter your numbers in the dating tool for a likely span first, then confirm it against that record.
1954 cars in the registry
Verified survivors recorded here as 1954 builds. Owner-submitted, and a useful sanity check on what a car of this year should carry.
1954 TF 1500, HDP16/8411
Ivory with red upholstery (recorded as Cream on the V5C) · XPEG · United Kingdom
WSU 141. A TF 1500 built at Abingdon in December 1954 for the home market, one of the earliest TF 1500s, with its original XPEG engine. Heritage Certificate obtained and the car restored and re-registered as WSU 141 in 1989. Five-speed gearbox and gas-flowed unleaded head fitted by Brown & Gammons in 2003. See the featured page on this site for the full story.