1939 MG TB Tickford

Drop Head Coupe
Chassis number: TB 0440

The MG TB was announced in 1939 at the MG Car Company in Abingdon-on-Thames, England, as a successor to the MG TA. Production was limited to 379 cars when later that year England entered WWI and MG began military production. Only 60 of these cars were manufactured with the exclusive Tickford Drop Head Coupe body design from Salmon and Sons of Newport Pagnell. Approximately 25 survive today. This TB Tickford was built in July 1939, and purchased by Mr. G. Kitchingman. Five owners and 38 years later, the car was shipped to Australia, where it remained until 2002, when the present owner purchased the car and shipped it to the United States. A three-year restoration was completed, with parts sourced and imported from England. The four-cylinder engine, which powered MGs from 1939 through 1954, delivers 54.4 HP through a four-speed gearbox.

Drop Head Coupe
Chassis number: TB 0440

A Rare MG by Salmon & Sons

The MG TB was announced in 1939 at the MG Car Company in Abington-on-Thames, England as a successor to the MG TA. Production stopped at 379 cars later that year when England entered World War II and MG began armament production. Only 60 of these cars were manufactured with the exclusive Tickford Drop Head Coupe body design from Salmon & Sons of Newport Pagnell. Approximately 25 survive today.

The MG TB came with a four-cylinder XPAG engine, which powered MG's from 1939 through 1954. It delivered 54.4 horsepower through a four-speed gearbox.

This TB Tickford (440) was built in July 1939 and was purchased by Mr. G. Kitchingman of Leeds. Five owners and 38 years later, the car was exported to Australia, where it remained until 2002, when the present owner purchased the car and shipped it to the United States.

This car has undergone a three year restoration, using parts sourced and imported from England.

The Tickford Drop Head Coupe was a special body built by Salmon & Sons on the MG chassis in Newport Pagnell.

TB 0440 won Best of Class at Amelia Island in 2006. And Best of Show in Gatlinburg in a field of 380 MGT-cars.

Drop Head Coupe
Chassis number: TB 0440

This MG TB Tickford was built in July 1939, only months before the outbreak of war in Europe, by Mr. Kitchingham, who owned it for 38 years before the car was shipped to Australia. The current owner acquired it there in 2002.

A complete restoration was undertaken that took three years to complete. Since then, it has been a consistent award winner at shows at which it has competed.

Only 60 special-bodied Tickfords were built; 25 are known to exist. The TB was powered by a four-cylinder, overhead cam engine that developed 50 horsepower.

Drop Head Coupe

The MG Car Company started building cars in the mid-1920s and the famous T-Series began in 1936 with the MG TA. The TB began production in May 1939, and a total of 30 Tickford Drophead Coupes were built before Hitler ended MG production later that year. Salmons and Sons of Newport Pagnell, a short distance from Abingdon-Upon-Thames, where the standard sports cars were built, built Tickford bodies. Price for the special Tickford bodied MGs were 275 GBPs compared to 222 GBPs for the standard sports 2-seater.

After the current owner purchased the car in 2010, a complete restoration followed and was completed in February of 2012. While it is not certain what the original color was, silver was found in many areas during the early stages of restoration - under many layers of paint. Silver was a standard MG color for the period.

The MG TA Midget appeared in the spring of 1936 as a replacement for the MG PB. It featured many components borrowed from Morris. Channel sections replaced the tubular cross-members making the vehicles ride more comfortable. The suspension was provided by leaf springs and beam-axle in the front and rear. The brakes were hydraulically operated drums, a first for MG. The body shell was assembled around the MG traditional way of using a wooden frame. All this added up to a total weight of 1,765 pounds.

A 1292 cc, overhead-valve, pushrod, four-cylinder engine was placed in the front and powered the rear wheels. Outfitted with dual horizontal SU carburetors, the engine produced 50 horsepower. The four-speed manual gearbox was synchromesh, another first for MG.

When first introduced, the two-seater vehicle could be purchased in an open and closed configuration. Later, the open coupe, referred to as an Airline Coupe, was replaced with a Drophead style. The Drophead used a soft-top that could open and close depending on the driver and the weather conditions.

In 1939 World War II was beginning. MG was introducing its latest vehicle, the TB Midget. It was basically the same as the TA but was equipped with a larger, 1250cc, engine. The four-cylinder over-head valve, XPAG power plant was borrowed from the new Morris 10. It produced 45 horsepower and was much more reliable than its predecessor. When the war began, production ceased. MG shifted its focus to creating equipment for military purposes.

At the end of the War, MG introduced the TC Midget. This was essentially a TB with very few modifications. The chassis was modified with rubber bush shackles in place of the sliding trunnion spring mountings. The transmission was the single-plate dry clutch and four-speed synchromesh unit. The engine was the XPAG 1250 cc pushrod engine. It was essential a TB offered in one body style, an open two-seater.

Even though the TC was a rebirth of an old model and used outdated mechanical equipment but with a modern interior, the TC Midget was very successful. During its four-year production run, lasting from 1945 through 1949, more than 10,000 TC's were created.

In 1949, the TC was replaced by the TD Midget. It visually appeared like the previous Midgets but was very different in mechanical ways. With a new chassis, it was sturdier and provided a comfortable ride. An independent suspension with double wishbones and coil springs were placed in the front. The vehicle was left-hand drive. The engine and transmission were identical to the TC. To comply with newly developed safety concerns and regulations, bumpers were placed on the front and in the rear.

A Mark II version used a more powerful version of the XPAG engine. With larger carburetors and higher compression ratio, the vehicle produced 57 horsepower. The suspension was modified and the interior received bucket seats.

During its four-year production run, the TD experienced even more success than its predecessor. Just like the TC, many of the TD Midgets were exported to the United States.

In 1953, the TD was updated and dubbed the TF. It was given a 1466 cc engine. Production continued through 1955 when it was replaced by the MGA.

Prior to World War I, the future of the company was unknown. Thanks to the success of the TA, the road was paved for MG to continue its prosperous status after the War. The models that followed brought modifications both visually and mechanically. The T-Series, lasting from 1936 through 1955, was a simple and reliable two-seater sports car that was fun to drive.

by Dan Vaughan