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MG TD TF 1500 - TF's in OZ

To our valued Austalian participants:

It seems to me that an inordinate number of TF's are in Australia. This is just based on the general traffic I've observed here.

Is this true and, if so why? Is this simply a factor of how the sales progressed or is thiere some deeply engrained cultural factor at play here -----like Dwarf Tossing seems to be.

Any comments our Mates might have would be welcome.

Warmly,
Dick Thomas
TD13583
Dick Thomas

About 1,100 TFs came to Autralia and similarly large numbers of TCs and TDs. I keep a register of our TFs.
Club level motorsport was very popular after WWII. Local races and rallies attracted large support and were well reported in the media. Like the UK and USA, many of out top racing drivers started out in a stripped TC or similar. Before the war our major races were handicap events and MG often featured on the podium. Local sports car production was almost non existent and of the imported sports cars, MG represented good value partly because of the extensive BMC dealer network. Our stong links to the UK would also have had an influence. MGAs Bs and midgets were assembled in Sydney untill the early '70s.

Cheers,
Matthew.
Matthew Magilton

Matt Magilton is spot on here.Over here in Western Australia,TCs have a very strong following partly as a result of the incredible enthusiasm of the TCOC cented in Perth which among other members has the well known and highly respected "TCs Forever" book author/restorer Mike Sherrell as a long time driving force.TDs are also well used in WA.
In New Zealand however,I believe it is the TFs that are popular and are in good numbers.
I agree with Matt., the link re the vehicle scene with UK used to be very strong with Australians from the 1920s to the 1970s.This connection has been somewhat now diminshed.

Cheers
Rob.Grantham
TF3719("Aramis'),TF9177("Athos").
Rob.Grantham

Make that "centred".
Rob.Grantham

Quite surprizing really, seeing we're dodging kangaroos and wombats all the time, not to mention the bulldust. Regards, Richard.
R Payne

Mathew was spot on when he said "MG represented good value partly because of the extensive BMC dealer network." This extensive network was universal all over Australia and you only have to look at an early 1950's street scene photo to get some idea of the number of british cars on the road. Not only BMC but Rootes group and Standard Vanguards and British Fords etc were also very popular. Partly because of the general feeling in Australia of being part of the British Empire,(we didn't in those days have a great patriotic fervour for our own country, commonly called the "Australian Cringe".)
even up until the 1970's Australian passports had "British Subject" embossed into the front cover.
I remember when entering Britain from Holland in the 60's there were 2 aisles one for British Subjects and one for Foreigners, I was kicked out of the British subjects aisle so obviously the Brits didn't regard us the same as we saw ourselves.
WayneS

I think it was pretty well the same in Canada... we had an extensive dealership system... BMC's in every major town, sometimes two or more. In the early '50s, you saw Morris Minors, all the Austins, Rootes, etc.
I think the tariffs were lower on Brit cars. We had N/A companies with Canadian plants, but until free trade, they produced Canadian versions (Monarchs/Mercurys; Parisians Laurentions/Bonnevilles; etc)
gblawson(gordon)

Dry weather & salt-free roads in Oz also assist in their preservation of more examples.

Although I'd never imagine the day when it costs $50 to fillup a T-tank!! :(
Will

Will,

It cost me USD $67.50 last Friday here in Georgia. I have to use US 93 Octane because of my compression ratio.

Remember our US Gallon is smaller and the coat per gallon is more(??)

15 US Gallons @ $4.50
Don Harmer

U.S. gallons and U.S. money exchange still makes it cheaper to fill in the U.S. then in Canada ... $1.36.9 a litre (Toronto today)
gblawson(gordon)

About $AUS 1.70 a litre over here.
(I will let someone else do the coversion maths)
Matthew Magilton

Wayne must have come up against an ignorant immigration officer( not unknown). I entered the UK numerous times in the 1960s using the British Subjects line and never had a problem. Today try landing at Heathrow at 11.30 PM and getting to Immigration behind 250 Russians; it will take you 2-3 hrs to clear immigration. The immigration officer was embarrased and stated to my in orbit wife that there was a lot to be said for the old days when at least as Canadians we were treated as though we were comming home.

Gordon, at least until the early/mid 1970s there was no duty on British cars or parts. They were subject to the Manufactures Sales Tax but then so was everything. Terry
Terry O'Brien

This thread was discussed between 03/07/2008 and 08/07/2008

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