MG TD Midget Overview: Specs, Generations, and Which Version to Buy
An overview of the MG TD Midget, the classic British roadster built from 1950 to 1953 with a 57 hp 1.3-liter engine, manual gearbox, and rear-wheel drive.
The MG TD Midget is a classic British roadster produced from 1950 to 1953, offered with a single 57 hp engine across its entire run. With a 1250 cc engine, manual gearbox, and rear-wheel drive, it suits collectors and vintage-car enthusiasts who want an open two-seater from the early postwar era rather than a modern daily driver.
MG TD Midget generations
1 generation (1950–1953)
The first and only generation of the MG TD Midget was built from 1950 to 1953 exclusively as a roadster. Power output stayed at 57 hp throughout the production run, so there is no spread between weaker and stronger versions to weigh. The lineup consisted of a single modification: the MG TD Midget 1.3 MT, with a 1250 cc engine, a manual gearbox, and rear-wheel drive. That one-engine, one-body, one-transmission structure makes the range unusually simple to navigate: every MG TD Midget you find is mechanically the same specification on paper, differing only by production year within 1950–1953.
Which MG TD Midget to buy
- 1.3 MT (1 generation): the only modification offered, with 57 hp from its 1250 cc engine, a manual gearbox, and rear-wheel drive — there is no alternative version to compare it against.
On the used market, the choice comes down to condition rather than specification. Since the MG TD Midget was built for only four years (1950–1953) with a single 57 hp drivetrain, no model year holds a technical advantage over another, and buyers can focus entirely on how well a particular example has survived since the early 1950s.
MG TD Midget summary
The MG TD Midget lineup is as straightforward as classic-car ranges get: one generation from 1950 to 1953, one roadster body, and one drivetrain — the 1.3 MT with 57 hp, a 1250 cc engine, a manual transmission, and rear-wheel drive. The power range of 57–57 hp means every car in the run delivers identical output. For anyone shopping for an MG TD Midget, the decision is not which version to pick but which surviving example to pick, since the specification sheet is the same for all of them. That simplicity is also practical when sourcing parts: with only one modification ever produced, the MG TD Midget 1.3 MT shares its mechanical specification across the entire 1950–1953 production window.