1966 MG Midget

1966 MG Midget Roadster In one of the most transparent incidents of rebadging, or badge engineering as it's sometimes called, the introduction of the MG Midget in 1961 which was almost identical to the Austin Healey MKII Sprite. The Sprite filled the gap left when the larger and more expensive MG MGA hit the market and when they began to sell well, MG made minor changes and rebadged it as the Midget. Today, you'll often hear sports car aficionados calling both cars the Spridget. For consignment, a 1966 MG Midget roadster, a second generation version which included 1964 to 1966 models, also known as MKII model, and wind up windows were added as were external door handles, separate locks, and curved windscreen with a more substantial frame. Exterior You could have a vintage sports car in any color, but you can't go wrong with red which covers this little frogeye in very nice fashion. The diminutive car has plenty of silver trim to create visual interest and depth and it starts with the vertical, grinning grille fronted by a wraparound front chrome bumper, bookended with the rear bumper, both wearing bumper guards that increase their heft. The body trim rides high and is split only by the gaps created by the cowl section that rides between the fenders and the doors. A center spear on the hood stops short of the cowl while a pair of side mirrors extend the width of the car, but not by much. The black canvas top and its three plastic windows are in good shape, as are the 13-inch wire wheels with knockoffs. The metalwork and paint are in great shape and the only imperfection we find is long ding and missing paint above the wrapped section of a bumper. Interior Simple black vinyl door panels are enhanced by some white piping and this combination transfers to the bucket seats where the piping defines sections of the seats which are both in very good condition. The simple steering wheel shows some patina especially in the center cap, and fronts a basic black dash housing the speedometer and tachometer in front of the driver with fuel, water, and oil gauges to the left, along with some toggle switches on the black panel that would benefit from restoration. The straight shafted shifter rises from the transmission hump which is covered in low pile black carpet which is covered by rubber mats in the footwells. The trunk is covered with a rubber mat and contains a spare wire wheel with a tire. Drivetrain Driver quality but otherwise clean in the bay, we find the 1098cc inline 4 cylinder engine rated at 59 horsepower and fueled by a Weber 2-barrel carburetor. The 4-speed manual sends power to the rear wheels and 4.22 gears. Disc brakes are up front, and drums take their place in the back. Undercarriage Ample surface rust exists underneath on the frame, the exhaust, suspension parts, and elsewhere. Residual oil and gunk build up is seen on the rear differential, and some sling off the rear U-joint. Other than some surface rust and areas spray painted black, the belly pans appear to be in good shape. The single exhaust travels through a stock style muffler before ending with a straight pipe out back. Coil springs in front and leaf springs in back comprise the suspension. Drive-Ability These are collectible British roadsters but it's about as close to a toy car as you can legally drive on the street, and by toy, we mean fun! Small, nimble, and feeling quicker than it actually is, the Midget gets around our test loop with eagerness and handling, even with 165R13 tires, is spirited. As far as functions, we note the low beams don't work, the brake lights do not illuminate, and the tachometer is not calibrated as it reads a higher rpm than the car is producing. All other functions work as they should. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase. Small cars