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1933 MG J2 United Kingdom

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Sellers description

1933 MG

Fresh from a total nut-and-bolt restoration; engine fully rebuilt with new Phoenix crank; from long-term ownership; a cracking example of this quintessential pre-war sportscar Considered by many enthusiasts to be the pinnacle of pre-war MG Midgets, the beautifully minimalist J-Type was launched in 1932 and remained in production for just two years. Four versions were offered, the four-seater J1, the two-seater sports J2, and the J3 and J4 racers. The J2 was by far the most popular, accounting for 2,083 of the 2,463 J-Types produced in total before production ended in 1934. Developed from the C-Type MG or ‘Montlhery Midget’ as it was better known, the J2 used a traditional chassis layout with semi-elliptic springs all round, Hartford friction shock absorbers, rigid front and rear axles and cable-operated drum brakes at each corner. Its 847cc engine had a simple two-bearing crank, while the cross-flow head was fed by two SU carburettors. Developing around 36bhp at 5,500rpm with a top speed of 70mph, a sensible set of gear ratios in its crash box meant an enthusiastic driver could make the most of the modest power aided by its excellent handling, relatively light weight, low centre of gravity and precise steering. The earliest cars had cycle-type front wings (as here) but these were replaced with more streamlined swept wings on later models. Other rakish design features included a rear-mounted slab fuel tank, cutaway doors, fold flat windshield and octagonal dash instruments. The car cost £199 at launch (twice the price of a contemporary Morris Minor) and proved very successful in competition both on the track and on the ever-popular trials scene. First registered in Derbyshire in June 1933, this gorgeous J2 has been in the current ownership since 1982. It comes with a large history file extending back 60 years or more showing that it was fully restored by our vendor over a 15-year period in the 1980s/90s. This included the fitment of a new steel-panelled body and a full engine rebuild with a counterbalanced steel crankshaft with larger 1 5/8" big end journals using P-type rods, all the work being fully documented in numerous invoices and photos on file. Shortly after the restoration was completed in 1998, a house move and change of job resulted in the car being mothballed for the next two decades.

In 2017 the car was brought out of storage and treated to a second restoration by Hennessy Motorsport of Lower Broadheath, Worcs, at a cost of over £17,000 (invoices on file). This included completely dismantling and rebuilding the car with all mechanical aspects attended to as required, including a second engine rebuild using new pistons, modern oil seals and a Phoenix crank. Treated to a bare metal repaint in red, it was also fitted with a new fuel tank, new tyres all round and a new tonneau cover.

Since the restoration was completed the car has only covered a handful of ‘shakedown’ miles and will require a period of careful running-in before the performance is exploited to the full. Along with the many invoices on file, there is also a wealth of technical information about the Midget range and several old logbooks detailing all the previous owners of RB 8632 since 1952.

As good an example as we have ever offered, it is now crying out for an enthusiastic new owner who can reap the benefits of all the hard work lavished upon it to date by driving the wheels off it in the way that its makers intended!

LOT NO.201
REGISTRATION DATE1933
MAKE & MODELMG J2
COLOURRed
REGISTRATION NUMBERRB 8632
CHASSIS NO.J2824
ENGINE SIZE847 cc
ENGINE NO.1541AJ
DOCUMENTSV5C; buff logbooks; large history file extending back 40+ years; invoices; parts books etc
ESTIMATE£28,000 - £32,000

Genre

Restored



Vechicle details

  • Ad Ref : 7A191100009
  • Auction Estimate : n/a
  • Location : United Kingdom
  • Make : MG
  • Model : J2
  • Year : 1933
  • Miles : n/a
  • Kms : n/a
  • Steer : RHD
  • Gear Box : Manual
  • Cylender : 4 cylinder
  • cc : n/a
  • Cu in : n/a
  • Engine No : n/a
  • Chassis No : n/a
  • Exterior Color : Red
  • Interior : Leather
  • Interior Colour : n/a
  • Doors : n/a
  • Condition : Excellent
  • MoT. : n/a
  • Part exchange Considered : n/a
  • Country of Manufacture : European Cars
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  • Location : United Kingdom
  • Seller : Brightwells Ltd
  • Phone : 015 68611 XXX
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