Overview
of the MG Midget 1961-1979
The
first MG Midget MKl to appear in 1961 was little more than a
re-engineered Austin-Healey
Sprite MKII complete with the Sprite's quarter-elliptic sprung rear
axle.
Outfitted with an A-Series engine (948 cc, 46 hp at 5500 rpm with 53
lb-ft of
torque.) In October 1962, the engine was upped to 1098 cc, which gave
drivers a
3 hp boost and a push to 62 lb-ft. The former drum brakes were replaced
with
discs and wire-spoked wheels became an option (as did a heater.) The
1961 model
saw a production run of 16,080 and the 1962 version ran to 1,098.
In
1963, external changes included outside handles on the doors and locks
as well
as wind-up windows. Swiveling quarter lights were added and a slight
curve put
into the windscreen. The rear springs became semi-elliptics, while the
engine
gained a stronger block and larger main bearers. These changes took the
horsepower up to 59 at 5,750 rpm with 65 lb-ft. of torque. Production
run on
this model was 26,601.
Between
1966 and 1974, the Midget piggy-backed work on the Mini-Cooper S with
both good
and bad results. While the engine went to 1275 cc, it produced only 65
hp at
6000 rpm with 72 lb-ft. of torque. Special cylinder heads in the Cooper
S with
extra large valves tended to fail when cracks appeared between the
valve seats.
Unlike
earlier models in which the hood had a removable frame that had to be
in place
before the cover was put on, the hood on these Midgets was attached.
Black
sills and a revised black grille were also added and the Rubery Owen
"Rostyle" wheels standardized. (Spokes continued to be an option.)
The formerly squared arches of the rear wheels were rounded off in
January
1972, the same year the cars
gained a
Triumph steering rack resulting in slightly lower gearing. A second
exhaust
silencer was also added. Between 1966 and 1969, 22,415 Midgets were
made, with
77,831 manufactured between 1969 and 1974.