1938 MG TA Drophead Coupe

MG or Morris Garages Car Company was founded by Cecil Kimber in 1928. From its early days of building special bodies onto Morris chassis, the company came to epitomize the classic English sports car. The TA became the basis of the T-series to follow and was produced from 1936-1939. Sporting 4-wheel hydraulic brakes, a synchro-mesh transmission was phased in as a running change after the first few months of production. The pushrod 1292cc four-cylinder engine develops 50 horsepower and is based on Morris Ten components. Styling was similar to its predecessor, the P-Type, albeit with longer and wider bodies. Weighing just 1,802 pounds, it offered a top speed of 77 mph.

Just 252 Tickfords were produced making this an extremely rare car. Salmons & Sons of Tickford, England were the manufacturers of the folding top for which the car gets its name. It is unique in that it can be folded in three positions; closed, deVille (partially opened), or fully opened. In addition, the windscreen can be opened to let in air if it becomes uncomfortable inside the car. According to the current owners, the top is fully-lined and fitted with a mechanism that makes folding it effortless. Its heavy and wide-opening doors are mounted on three oversized hinges and features roll-up windows, a feature that would be absent on later MG roadsters. It was restored in 2002 and freshened in 2011.