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MG TD TF 1500 - How many left?

What is the best guess on the total number of TD's still around?
BEC Cunha

I have heard people guess 8 to 10 thousand and I know there are several registers but do not know what totals they now show.
I am just surprised by how many turn up in my own metro area. At our annual car show we usually have 3 TD's, plus a TF and 1-2 TC's, but some non-club member usually comes up and asks about repairs or values and then says they have a TD in the garage.
Just within a mile of my house is a TD in the backyard under a tarp -- wife wants it gone but husband has had it for 24 years -- just slowly deteriorating.
Will be curious to see what totals are suggested by those most knowledgeable.
Regards,
Dennis
D F Sexton

That is one of the reasons I asked the question. I also tend to find TD's just about everywhere I go.

According to Clausager, there were 29,664 TD's produced. 8 or 10 thousand still around would seem a pretty good survival rate for a 51 to 55 year old vehicle.

I wonder how this survival rate compares to other classic vehicles?
BEC Cunha

Ya know, about every other week there is another guy parting out a complete TD on eBay. THAT's cutting down on our numbers.
John Redman

The UK MGCC T Register has 3413 TC's, 2941 TD's and 1804 TF's on it's register which has been running for many years and is worldwide.
John James

John,

Those numbers seem odd considering the numbers of TDs and TFs built compared to the TC. As you noted, they are worldwide, not just home market.

I would be interesting to get data from the New England MGT Register to compare the UK MGCC T Register (not sure how many would be listed in both places).
Larry Thompson

Larry

It's not odd at all iof you look at the numbers of TCs that were sold in the UK compared to the numbers of TDs and TFs. The largest proportion of the latter two were exported to the USA.

Clausager reckons that only 244 TF 1500s were first registered in the UK.

I presume that the MGCC register is UK biased.

Regards

David
David Wardell

David,

I had thought about that consideration, since most of the TDs and TFs were exported to help the British economy after WWII, leaving a disproportionally higher number of TCs vs. TDs/TFs in the home market compared to the actual number produced. Though, as John states, the register is worldwide, and would theorectically include TDs/TFs exported. I guess, as you stated, in reality, the register would attract mostly UK cars, rather than worldwide (especially here in the States). I'm not familiar with the UK MGCC register, and if I were, being UK-based, I'm not sure that I would have registered anyway.

At any rate, the numbers of TDs/TFs registered on the UK MGCC list is pretty impressive, considering how few were left in the UK. I would guess that one could assume a proportionally high number of TDs/TFs remaining in the States. I wonder how many of the TDs/TFs in the UK are "expatriate" cars being shipped back "home". I recall seeing threads a while ago asking questions on how to convert from left-hand drive (the right way) to right hand drive (the wrong way) ;-)

Larry
Larry Thompson

Larry
The (UK) MGCC T Register quarterly newsletter states: "There was a particularly large number of TC's notified to us from USA Groups this yeas (2003).
Unfortunately there is no break down of export/home market numbers. Interestingly there are an impressive 1161 TA's on the Register.
John
John James

Larry

You've got me going on one of my pet (wife translates as 'most boring') subjects!

Hmmm. Most trains travel on the left hand track - like the roads in the UK. My theory is that the left had side is better because most people have a better, stronger right eye than left eye and therefore they can keep a better lookout when overtaking etc in a right hand drive car ... !!

Regards

David
David Wardell

David,

I figured the right vs. wrong side would spark a few comments!! I guess I always have been a bit of an antagonist (at least that's what my wife tells me) ;-) I won't argue which side is best, other than to say, when in the States, drive on the right, and in the UK, on the left. Get those reversed and I think you have trouble. As we say over here - Keep the shiny side up, and the greasy side down!

Safety Fast!
Larry

John,

Interesting note in the UK MGCC register regarding the TC registration from this side of the pond. I wonder if the TD/TF registration was equally represented (I would guess not, otherwise it would have been noted). The large number of TAs is quite impressive. I have seen three over here at car shows in the last couple of years, and they have been shown a great deal of care.

Regards,
Larry
Larry Thompson

They drive in the middle of the country roads here in West Sussex. Especially the drivers of school buses, skip lorries and 4 X 4's. Cutting across the centre line on blind bends is very common.

Larry
New cars to the register in 2003 were TC 137.
TD 41. TF 23. There is no indication of where they live.
John
John James

As long as we are on the subject, yet off the main subject, could someone on that side of the pond verify the story I heard about how driving on the left was started?

The way it was explained to me was this;

Back in the day, when when people traveled on horseback with swords and shields, you always carried the shield on your left, (over you heart?) and sword in your right. In order to attack the person coming towards you, it was best to face them with your shield, hence traveling on the right side of the trail.

In order to prevent being surprised by a person as you were passing them, you would pass on the opposite side of the road / trail / etc? I am left handed, doesn't make any sense to me...

Although not as far fetched as the other urban folklore on the net about the space shuttle booster engines being limited by the size of a draft horses ass.

In case you haven't heard that one, the short story goes like this, the boosters are limited by the train that transports them, the rails are based on the size of the roads that were in existance, which were based on the two tracks left by chariots, which were based on the width of two horses.

Blair
Blair Weiss

Blair
According to the man who set up the Audi museum they used to drive on the left in various states of Italy and Germany before closer unification. Many accidents happened when crossing state borders! I seem to remember him also saying that Stage coaches and traps were driven from the right seat so early cars followed that custom. Quite a few beautiful old Alfas have steering wheels on the right.
John
John James

Larry:
You must keep in mind that you right-road siders will shortly be a peripheral minority. Note that India, Japan, Indonesia and China in addition to the other highly civilized countries of the world, Australia, New Zealand and (at a stretch) Britain, all hang the right elbow over the door. With Chinese development going gangbusters there is considerable risk of developing a serious head-on problem in central Asia.
Bill McGee

Well, I would like to add my "knowledge" as to why the USA drives on the righthand side of the road with the steering wheel on the left. There is in a book somewhere because I remember reading about it back in the 1950's, where HENRY FORD in deciding where to put the steering wheel on the model "T" (he was a maverick you know) He said "where,why put it on the left so nobody will confuse it with His Majesties vehicles." Back then a lot of the small "independant" builders of vehicles had the steering on the right especially in the New England area, but Old Henry wanted to do it His way. A lot of early American cars had steering on the right. Henry brought it to the masses and forced "POLITICIANS" to create conformity!
Greg & Grimm
1952 TD (should be 1951)
G.J. Cenzer

I was living in Belgium in the early sixties and sometime during that time Sweden was starting to convert from RHD to LHD. They did something very strange and downright dangerous to acclimate the people to the change. During the weekends(I'm not certain of starting or stopping time ) all traffic changed over to the right hand side . Apparently it worked as they now drive on the RHS of the road.It was an experience going across the channel and changing sides for the trip. I lived through it and enjoyed it. I have been driving a RHD MG for some 18 years now.No problem.
Sandy Sanders
Hudson Florida
conrad sanders

This thread was discussed between 12/05/2004 and 19/05/2004

MG TD TF 1500 index

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