MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Lucas SLR/SFT 576 Driving Lamps

I have learned some things about these lamps I wanted to share. The information comes from Stephen Levy, who is a regular purchaser and seller of Lucas driving lamps on eBay. Before mid-1963, the crests (a wedge-like cast chrome part on top of the light shell that has 'LUCAS' on the front) had straight sides rising to a flat top. All lights with these crests were date-stamped with the month and year of manufacture. The date stamp is usually on the mounting spigot above the two small rivets that hold the tang that keeps the threaded post in the spigot from turning.

In mid-1963, the 576 lamps acquired a step on each side of the crest. About a year later, in mid-1964, Lucas stopped date stamping the lamps. So there are three variants:

1. Flat top with date
2. Stepped top with date (for about one year only, from mid-1963 to mid-1964)
3. Stepped top, no date, which continued from mid-64 until Lucas stopped making these lamps.

Apparently, in some instances the date stamp was on the lamp shell near the LUCAS SLR/SFT 576 stamping. The earliest Lucas 576 lamps Stephen has seen date from mid-1954.

Although I have fitted Lucas 576 lamps to my MG TD (manufactured in 1952), perhaps a more period correct lamp would be the Lucas 700 driving lamp.
Larry Shoer

Larry
Do know when Lucas stopped making the 576 lamps?
John James

Stephen Levy checked his information and with another person, too. That person reports seeing dated 576's as early as 1951.

As to when production of 576's stopped, Stephen says:

"Believe it or not, nobody I know can pin a date on the end. The last year they were actually specified as manufacturer's optional equipment was 1964, but they continued on at least a few more years, and maybe even into the early '70s, as an aftermarket accessory."

"Thing is, with the advent of the quartz-halogen FT/LR 6/9s about 1965, they were old-tech, illumination-wise."

Larry Shoer

This thread was discussed between 26/01/2004 and 27/01/2004

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.