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MG TD TF 1500 - Model year date change?

Does anyone out there have the exact date for the 1954-1955 model year change at the MG works, and more to the point, is there any record of the car numbers manufactured on that date? I have TF #6540 (engine
#XPEG566) which I know was built somewhere near the changeover, but I'd like to pin the date down more precsely. So far I've only been able to determine that #6501 was built on 22 July '54, and #6650 was built on 24 August of the same year.

I'd appreciate any additional information on dating the manufacture of the TF model. The paperwork I have with the car is less than useless, as one piece describes the car as a 1956 model! Thanks.
Jim Threadgill

Jim - Back in the years of the T series cars MG did not recognize model years, only the year that the car was built. The "model year" was assigned by the local DMVs in each state whenever the car was first registered. This, of course, results in the situation that one of our members of the Northwest MG 'T' Register has a 1954 TD! He (our member) thinks that this is so funny that he has a personnalized licence plate that reads "1945 MGTD". What you have is a mgtf 1500 built around the last of July or the first of August of 1954. Things were somewhat vague in the factory as to where one modle quit and another began, often with both models being coproduced for a period of time. Perhaps the Hertiage Center in England could help pin point your date further. Hopefully someone else on this BBS will supply you with the contact point for the Heritage Center, as I don't have it (how about it someone out there?).

Good luck
Dave
David DuBois

Dave is right about about MGs year quite often being the year sold and not the year produced. Mg went more by model, not year until you get into the MGB series. I have a 1958 twin cam which is registerd as a 1959. I'll bet you can find some cars registered as 1982 MGBs which is two years after the factory closed!

It's going to be hard to get a date for change over. The following quote is from Graham Robsons's book, "The T Series MGs, "During the autumn of 1954 the first TF1500 engines were ready, and during November of that year they were gradually fed into the production lines at Abingdon. Confusingly enough for historieans, resorers and proud owners, there was no simple and decisive changerover from TF1250 to TF1500. At chasis Number 6500 a change was made to the first 150 TF1500s, but this was followed by another 100 TF1250s before uninterrrupted TF1500 production began at Chassis Number 6951."

The last I knew, the heritage center doesn't have email. YOu'll have to write.

Safety FAst

Blake
Blake J.

If ist any help, we have HDC 46/6688, a 1954 TF 1250, XPAG/TF/36351, Body 17240. We estimate that this car was "numbered" about 14 Aug 1954.
By the way, some info I have shows 6650 to be the last 1500 XPEG built during the 21 Jul to 26 Aug run. Then they went back to XPAG's with 6651.
colin stafford

Jim: Try the British motor heritage trust. I have the address somewhere and will send via e-mail when I find it. Once they have your cars numbers they will provide certificate authenticating dates of manufacture and when it left the factory as well as original equipment etc. My car is a TF 1250 HDC46/1085 XPAG/TF/31311 body #9669 built November 11-13 1953 dispatched from Abingdon on 16 Nov 1953. The certificate will cost abiut $40 but well worth it.
Jeff Payne

I presume the question is, what was the last car manufactured in 1954, and the first in 1955?
It is actually quite complicated. The car last made in 1954 was chassis # 8643 (on 30th. December), and the first was # 8644 (on 4th.January). However, a small batch of cars with the # 8571-8575 were recorded as made on the 3rd.January, for no obvious reason.
It is very unusual for the chassis numbers not to be in chronological order, so I have this picture of a very alcoholic New Year (strangely, the English did not celebrate the New Year in those days, only the Scots.did), when the guy who kept track of the chassis numbers simply lost count, and found 5 cars lying around when he got back to work.
The above is derived from the factory production records, I am the registrar of TF models for the MGCC.
Chassis# 6540 was manufactured on the 16th.August 1954, and the engine number of 566 is original.
john dutton

Very interested in finding date of birth for my TF1500 : HDC46 / 7427.
David Sheward

The information on the British Motor Industries Heritage Trust can be found at the following URL:
http://www.mgcars.org.uk/namgar/ once there go to the drop down menu at the top of the page and select BMIHT - Trace Certificate.
David DuBois

David DuBois,
Thank you for "the link"!
This could be a mistake...if she was built on my wifes birthday... no doubt the little woman
will lay permanate claim to my babie!
Thanks, David
David Sheward

David - My wife already did that with our TD some 25 years ago. It was her everyday car, in which she haulde kids groceries, dog lumber, vehicle ramps, etc. (usually two or more of the above at a time). Now that it has been restored, it is still her car of choice. Fortunately, the weather here in western Washington state is mild enough that, other than getting the car wet, it can be driven year around (and since restoration cured the rain dripping on her leg, that is what she does). At least you will be able to look at the car while your wife drives it. Good luck - Dave
David DuBois

This thread was discussed between 07/05/2000 and 29/05/2000

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