1954 MG TF |

Closed Auction- Unsold

1954 MG TF

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Mileage~4,735 on clock
TransmissionManual
Engine1.25-litre
LocationRugby

AUCTION CLOSED

1954 MG TF

Introduction

Glyn Parry

Professional Consigner

Timeless British design meets spirited performance -the iconic MG TF captures the pure essence of vintage motoring.

The 1954 MG TF stands out as one of the most desirable of MG’s post-war T types and a symbol of MG’s rich history. As the final iteration of the celebrated T-Series, introduced in 1953 to succeed the MG TD, the TF blends classic design with improved performance from its predecessors, cementing its status as an iconic British roadster.

Featuring a 1,250cc four-cylinder engine and a four-speed gearbox, it reached a top speed of ~90MPH from factory. Notably, the instrument panel is centrally placed to accommodate both left and right-hand drive versions. A distinctive dummy radiator cap sits at the front of the bonnet for styling, while the functional cap for the pressurised cooling system is located beneath the bonnet. Sales of the two TF versions, the 1,250cc and 1,500cc, totalled ~9,600 in under ~2 years on sale, which for the time, was a remarkable achievement.

This TF comes to market after ~12 years with our vendor it has an excellent amount of history behind it, with paperwork going back to 1984. Exported to Sri Lanka in the early 1980s, then to the USA in 1987, it returned to the UK in the 1990s. The MG has been extensively restored to maintain its classic condition with major restoration, carburettor upgrade, new final drive system, gearbox and engine rebuild, all completed by 2002.

With its convertible styling and classic looks, the MG TF is a car that's clearly been loved over its years, really enjoyed and ultimately, ready to continue many more journeys ahead.

This listing was written from information supplied by Glyn after meeting Dennis the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

I've always had a place in my heart for MGs, it's a car from my childhood with many find memories and I've enjoyed every minute of ownership.

The current owner, Dennis, is a real fan of all things MG, when the TF became available through import back to the UK, it was a natural decision for him to purchase this one.

Dennis has owned many other MGs and still owns an MGB as part of his collection today, Dennis lets us know, "My fascination for MGs has always been a part of my life, there's just something I can't put my finger on for the styling and drive of these cars and I've never been disappointed owning one".

Despite owning the car for many years now, Dennis' situation has changed and with family living further afield, the time has come to sell the MG to its next owner. Dennis tells us, "I really love the TF, but we have family who live in Cornwall and I need something for the future that will take in longer miles. I know I'll regret selling it but there could always be another one I get to own again".

Dennis will be happy to answer any questions on the car in the comments section below.

Dennis

Vehicle Owner

Ask Questions

CONTACT OWNER

Exterior
Interior
Mechanics
History
All Images

EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

With its sleek silhouette, flowing lines, and iconic MG grille the TF exude's timeless elegance.

Wheels and Tyres

Fitted with 15" alloys finished in silver, the wheels appear in a respectable condition. There were no signs of any majorly concerning damage during our visit, but there were notes of surface rusting and marking to the wheel edges. The spare tyre and wheel to the rear of the car showed well.

The MG is fitted with Hankook Centrum tyres, the tyre spec showed with 165/80 all round. We were unable to verify the age of the tyres, so, for the benefit of safety, these may be a consideration to upgrade by the next owner.

Overall though, these appear to be in good condition, with a good amount of tread remaining.

Bodywork

Looking over the MG on our visit, the car maintains good visual panel gaps and both doors, bonnet and the boot open and close smoothly. We did have to prop the bonnet open which is noted in some of our gallery images.

There were a few signs of surface rusting when we looked over the car, underneath the door edge showed notes of this. We did note a few areas of stone chipping to the exterior. The drivers side runner board shows a slight ding to the surface edge which shows some paint damage. We noted a scuff to the rear arch section also.

We've highlighted our observations in more detail through our hi-resolution images and videos, so please take the time to look through all the media files for a detailed view of what’s on offer and to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

The unique beige paint has an even finish across all the panels, overall showing in good condition and compliments the car well. There were no signs of any major concerns with the coverage and the colour showed nicely in the light.

Signs of paint wear, where the door sill meets the door edge were noted, which would benefit from some attention by the future owner.

The images are taken from a few different angles to show off the car as you would see it if you were standing there for yourselves. So please take the time to fully assess these high-resolution images and videos of the car, for you to make up your own minds about the condition of the paint.

Glass and Trim

The glass on the TF looked in good condition, in line with the age of the car; we didn't notice any cracks or discolouration on our visit. The window seals look in respectable condition when looking over the car.

The trim and seals are all present and MG badge logo in place. A lovely feature was the elephant mascot located pride of place at the front of the car. The chrome sections to the rear showed a few signs of marking, mainly due to age.

The MG is supplied with the soft top roof as a convertible option. This, along with the clip in side windows show nicely, just some age related marks observed. The tonneau cover is supplied with the car, no rips were noted and this zipped up without issue.

VIEW ALL

INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

With its elegant leather seats and charming wooden dashboard, the MG epitomises classic British motoring.

Seats and Carpets

The MG is kitted out with a period relevant green leather interior. We didn't note any concerns with rips or tears to the front or rear seats. The rear section showed in nice condition, door cards were nicely presented too.

A great note was the MG's lap belts, manufactured by an aerospace company in the US, completed as part of its restorative work overseas.

The main carpet of the interior showed in a lovely condition and over in the boot the carpet areas looked in a great condition too.

We cover the cabin area of the MG in further detail in our interior review video.

Dashboard

The dashboard presented well with no visible cracking, warping, scuffs or marks when we visited the car.

All the numbers on the dash area appeared clear and legible and the clocks and dials appeared well when looking over the drivers section.

The switches and controls all appeared to be in good condition.

Our interior gallery section offers a closer look at the MG TF dashboard.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

A classic three-spoke MG wheel is fitted, with a wooden grip.

The outer rim of the steering wheel presents in a nice condition - we just noticed a crack to the underside of the centre section of the wheel, fairly typical for the types of materials used here. The black gear selector looks good with numbers clearly legible.

Additional images of the cabin area, including the steering wheel, are available in our Interior Gallery section - visit to see more details of what the MG has to offer.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

The MG TF showcases engineering excellence with its spirited four-cylinder engine and manual gearbox.

Engine and Gearbox

Starting up the engine sounded good - we didn't notice any untoward noises either at start up or whilst on the road. Running the car gave us no cause for concern, the engine idled steady when stationary.

Looking underneath the bonnet does show the age of the MG with a few signs of surface rust and paint flaking, but nothing that was overly concerning and typical for the age of the car. We noted there was a small oil leak which is likely to originate from the rocker cover gasket. A new battery was noted when looking over the engine area.

Take a look at our "On the Road" video where we cover off the engine start up, idle and rev check and take the MG around the local area to find out a little more about the TF.

Suspension and Brakes

We noted no knocks, bangs, or other issues from the suspension when we were on the road, and it gave us no concerns in its performance or handling. The brakes felt great and were easily able to bring the TF to a stop.

The underside of the car showed in good condition and we noted very fews signs of issue here.

We cover the underside of the car in our 'Mechanical Gallery' section. Head over to our video section, where we've summarised our visit in more detail for you to view for yourself. We take you around the mechanical elements of the car and give you an overview of what's on offer here.

The Drive

The MG TF is the very definition of charm and felt really comfortable on our test drive, riding with no issues through our journey on the road. No issues were heard when out in the car and the changes through the gears were very smooth.

Overall, a really smooth and enjoyable ride where we heard no unwanted noises or anything that caused us a concern. Our 'On the Road' video gives an overview of the car on some local roads and how it performs whilst driving.

Electrics and Other

All switches, dials, and gauges appear undamaged and in good condition. Dennis mentioned that he's had no issues with the electrical elements of the car and confirmed everything working correctly to his knowledge, with the exception of the water temperature gauge.

The MG is supplied with the soft top roof as a convertible option. This, along with the clip-in side windows shows nicely, just some age related marks observed.

The tonneau cover is supplied with the car, no rips were noted and this zipped up without issue.

Over on the boot area of the car, a spare wheel with Hankook tyre was also present.

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History and Paperwork

One of those special cars that stand out for the right reasons - an original matching numbers example with handwritten history from 1984.

This car has had significant work carried out over its history to keep it in the lovely classic condition you see today. The car was originally exported to Sri Lanka, historically known as Ceylon, in the early 1980s, then across to the USA in 1987 and finally returning home to the UK in the 1990s. An overview of its movement and import / export details are featured in the paperwork gallery section for further information.

Much of the work carried out on the MG was completed before Dennis' ownership where extensive restoration work was carried out between 1987 and 1988 in the US. Receipts for the service work on 5th April 1988 show the mileage reading to be ~25,137.

Between 1989 and 1990, additional restorative work was actioned, as well as an engine rebuild during this time.

With its return to the UK, the car was then dry stored for ~8 years when it was then sold to a local garage owner in 2000. In 2002, the next keeper took the MG into their ownership with the mileage reading ~4,678 miles on the clock, a likely but unconfirmed note of the engine rebuild work that was carried out in the late 80s.

The MG was taken on by its next owner in 2006 who rebuilt the carburettors, gearbox and fitted an MGA 4.3:1 final drive system and additionally, had the instruments refurbished.

Please take a look at the paperwork gallery to see all the work completed on the car.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and actioned a HPi check on the vehicle.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house.

Service History

Date	Type	Mileage
14.03.2012	MOT	12,674
03.03.2011	MOT	11,407
25.02.2010	MOT	10,793
24.02.2009	MOT	9,695
13.03.2008	MOT	6,738
19.03.2007	MOT	5,643
04.10.2006	Engine Rebuild	5,284
07.02.2006	MOT	4,703
09.06.2004	MOT	4,438
06.06.2003	MOT	4,008
09.01.2001	Service	3,176