May 19, 2014
Gary P. Garry
Comments Off on Good Things Come in Small Packages: The MG Midget

Good Things Come in Small Packages: The MG Midget


The British Motor Corporation coalesced as a result of a merger between Austin Motor Company and Morris Motors. Founded in 1952, its name was changed to British Motor Holdings Limited in 1966. At that time the company acquired Jaguar Cars Limited.

The MG Car Company Limited was a division of the British Motor Corporation. One of their offerings was the MG Midget. The midget was a diminutive sports car that could seat two passengers. It was definitely not the car for Wilt Chamberlain, but it held some appeal for people who could fit into a car called a Midget.MG rolled out the Midget for the 1961 model year. It was initially powered by a 948cc, 46-horsepower engine with twin carburetors. The basic package was just that, extremely basic. If you wanted a heater, that was an option that you had to pay extra for; a radio was also offered as an option.

Toward the end of 1962 a stronger engine was introduced, a 1098cc that was rated at 56 horsepower.

The 948cc engine in the MG Midget actually produced some decent speed considering the lightweight nature of the car. A British automotive magazine tested the car with that particular engine. It could travel from 0 to 60 in just over 18 seconds, and it reached a maximum speed of nearly 88 miles per hour.

Classic car collectors have varying motivations. Some people are very interested in certain models for reasons of their own. There are also those who look for classic cars that are particularly rare. The early MG Midget is, in fact, a rare bird. There were just over 16,000 of the smaller engine models manufactured. The 1098cc Midget is even more rare; there were just 9,601 units produced.

As you might imagine, the MG Midget was quite economical to operate. The car could get around 33 miles to the gallon.

The second generation of the MG Midget began in 1964, and lasted until 1966. The engine got a bit more powerful, and a total of just over 26,600 units were produced.

MG got a lot of mileage out of the Midget. The car remained in production until 1980. Any car that stays around for a couple of decades would have to be considered a success. In all, there were 226,001 MG Midgets produced over the years. The Midget wasn’t the right car for everyone, but it served a niche audience and it will always hold a place in the history of British automotive manufacturing.


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