1933 MG J2

The two-seater J2 was introduced for 1933 and derived from the first Midget - the M-Type. The J2 would establish the classic MG appearance that would characterize the Abingdon marque's sports cars into the 1950s.

Sports cars are often impractical and expensive, but General Manager of Oxford-based Morris Garages, Cecil Kimber brought them within the financial reach of many individuals, beginning with the first 'M' Type. It first appeared at the 1928 London Motor Show and was based on modified Morris Minor running gear and used the latter's 847cc single-overhead-camshaft four-cylinder engine, but with two-seater coachwork. Manufactured by Carbodies of Coventry, they had a boat tail rear end and a small, lightweight footprint with a narrow width.

The MG J2 that followed the 'M' Type continued the sporty persona, affordable price tag (under £200), and outstanding value. The race-bred pedigree and sporty appearance made the J2 very popular in period with 2,083 examples built. The attractive styling included a fold-flat windscreen, fixed cycle-type mudguards, and deeply cutaway doors. The Midget's 847cc, overhead-camshaft, Wolseley-derived engine was coupled to a four-speed gearbox and housed in a simple D-Type chassis frame (with an 86-inch wheelbase) with half-elliptic springing all round and solid front and rear axles. Braking was handled by four-wheel cable-operated drums.

by Dan Vaughan

Midget Roadster

The MG J2 set the fashion for British sports cars for many years. It was introduced in 1932 and many sports cars of the thirties copied the body style with its cut away doors, cycle type mudguard, fold flat windscreen, and slab gas tank with spare wheel on the back. It remained the basic MG style until 1955, when the TF was replaced by the aerodynamics of the MGA.

The J-Series was available either as a J1, an open four-seater or closed coupe, or the J2, a small two-seater open sports car. The significant change made to the J2 during its production was the switch to swept wings and running boards in 1933. This J2, which was sold new in July 1933, was assembled five cars from the end of cycle wing production.

The J2 has a four-cylinder, single overhead cam engine with a cross flow head and dual SU downdraft carburetors. Its 847cc engine produces 36 horsepower and was rated as an 80 mph car by the Autocar magazine in 1932. The gearbox is a four-speed designed by Wolsley. The car has cable-operated brakes.

There were just over 2,000 J2s produced during the 1932-1934 production run. The cost new in 1932 was 199.10 Pounds Sterling, which was twice the price of the cheapest British car on the market at that time, a Morris.

Midget Roadster

Morris Garages (MG) was a dealer of Morris cars in England. They began producing their own customized versions using designs created by Cecil Kimber, the general manager. The first cars to wear the MG-badge had custom two-seat touring bodies and appeared in 1923. The Midget was introduced in 1928 and would be the companies breakthrough car for the company. The company would pass through a series of owners over the years including British Motors, Rover, BMW and currently produces cars in China under a Chinese owner.

For many years, the MG J2 set the style for British sports car design. The MG J2 began production in 1932. It was marketed as a simple, low cost sports car with an original price of £199.

The cycle-fender MG J2, designed by Sid Enever and Hubert Charles, began production in July of 1932 with 2,082 examples built. There were less than 1,480 examples with cycle-fenders. Power was from an 847cc four-cylinder overhead cam engine with an 8-port cross-flow head and a slab-tank body with cut-away doors. Top speed was 65 mph though a specially prepared version tested by The Autocar magazine reached 82 mph.

This MG J2 was found in an Indiana barn hayloft in 2003. At the time it was just a bare chassis plus a collection of parts including the original instruments, radiator shell and windshield. Because of the deterioration of the wooden framed body, a new one using authentic jigs was fabricated. Using original factory build records an authentic restoration to its original Carmine red and Saratoga red with red leather interior was completed in 2008. The J2 featured an overhead cam 847 cc four-cylinder engine with an eight port cross-flow cylinder head.

Midget Roadster

The MG J Type was manufactured from 1932 to 1933 and it was MG's first successful sports car. About 2,000 J Type MGs were built. The J Types were powered by an 850cc overhead am engine which could propel the car to 80 mph. The success of the J Types as sport and race cars helped build the MG's early reputation as a producer of sporty cars. These cars were the predecessors to the P Type and the later well-known T series MGs. In many ways, the J Types represented the beginning of the popular British sports car movement.

This particular MG J2 has the cycle wings (fenders) characteristic of these cars. It has the added performance option of a front mounted roots-type supercharger, a close ratio ENV transmission and larger 12 inch brakes. It is restored to its original two tone red with red interior.

Midget Roadster
Chassis number: J2972
Engine number: 934AJ

MG introduced the J2 model in 1933. They featured a folding windscreen, fixed mudguards, and cutaway doors. They had powerful engines, lightweight bodywork, a strong chassis, and wonderful handling.

This particular J2 Roadster was produced by the factory in Abington-on-Thames on March 1st of 1933. It was supplied to University Motor of London on March 20th and then purchased that same day by a Mr. H. Hole. The remainder of the car's history is unknown through World War II. In 1957, it was purchased by Stanley Crater, an American G.I. stationed in Europe. Mr. Crater brought the car back home with him to Michigan when he returned from serving overseas that same year. The car accompanied him back to the United States on the troop ship S.S. Andria.

Upon arriving in the United States, the car was put into storage with the intention of restoring it once he finished work on some other project cars he had acquired. The MG, however, remained in storage in Crater's ownership until it was purchased by its current Ontario-based owner in 2005.

Under the new ownership, the car was given a restoration. It was completely disassembled in order to bring it back to as-new condition. Every mechanical piece on the car was either rebuilt or replaced. The interior was given a completely new upholstery in its original color of Connolly hides.

This car is fitted with several accessories, including dual Brooklands windscreens, headlamp stone guards, and a custom-fitted tonneau cover. A rebuilt Jaeger speedometer/odometer has been fitted, and it shows just 19 miles.

The restoration work was completed in the summer of 2013. The engine is an 847cc overhead-camshaft four-cylinder engine with dual SU carburetors and offers 36 horsepower. There are a four-speed manual transmission and four-wheel cable-operated drum brakes.

Midget Roadster
Chassis number: J2932
Engine number: 1752 AJ72

This 1933 MG J2 Midget Two Seater is powered by an 847cc overhead valve inline 4-cylinder engine fitted with two SU carburetors and develops 36 horsepower at 5,000 RPM. There is a four-speed manual transmission, front beam axles with leaf springs, live rear axle, and four-wheel drum brakes. In 2006 it was acquired by the Oldenburg Family from California and has seen only modest use while in their care.

by Dan Vaughan

Midget Roadster

MG or Morris Garages was founded by Cecil Kimber in 1928. From its early days of building special bodies onto Morris chassis, the company epitomized the classic English sports car. MG produced 2,083 J2's from 1932 to 1934 marking a significant improvement over its predecessor, the M Midget and the EX120/C-Type experimental racing car. Power is supplied by a 36hp OHC 847cc 4-cylinder engine. A large number of the J-Type production cars have been documented to have motorsports history. This car was built at Abingdon-on-Thames on October 2, 1933, and delivered to University Motors in London on October 24, 1933. Its first owner was S.T. Bailey, Esq., of Sheffield, United Kingdom. He purchased the car in November 1933. The car first came to the U.S. in August 1969 but was never registered until late-2011 by the current owner.

Midget Roadster

The first owner drove this MG from Leeds to Germany and Switzerland in 1934, with his new Leica camera. The current owner met the original owner's son in England, where he was given the photos from that journey.

The MG J Type was a two-door sports car produced from 1932 through 1934 and incorporated mechanical components from other marques. The engine was an overhead camshaft unit from the Morris Minor or Wolseley. The chassis was from the D-Type comprised of half elliptic springs and Hartford friction shock absorbers. Both the front and rear axles were rigid.

The J1 was a four-seater version available as a closed salonette and powered by a 36 horsepower engine. The J2 version was the most common of the series. It was a two-seater sports car that had a top speed of about 65 mph. The early versions had cycle wings. The J3 and J4 styles were racing version using a 746 cc engine outfitted with a Powerplus supercharger. The J4 was a light-weight version of the J3.

by Dan Vaughan

MG, or Morris Garages, has become a name that is synonymous with classic British sports vehicles that are enjoyed throughout the World. Morris Garages began its motoring adventure by tuning Morris cars to higher performance levels. The Morris name was after William Morris, who eventually became Lord Nuffield.

The M-Type Midget was developed from the baby Morris Minor during the 1920's, and resulted in a basic, cheap, fun, two-seater, with sporting pretensions that eventually triggered an entire dynasty of Midgets. The Midget series is responsible for establishing MG as a manufacturer of sports vehicles with an excellent reputation in motorsport.

The MG J has been considered by many enthusiasts as the pinnacle of pre-war MG Midgets as it was the original of the traditional 'square-rigger' style. From 1932 to 1934, a total of 2,463 models were produced in both 2-seater and 4-seater open configurations. The models that followed in later years were updated to offer swept wings as standard.

The J was capable of delivering a 78 MPH top speed, and it carried an 847 cc engine. Unfortunately, the two-bearing crank was the weak link of the design of the MG J.

The MG J carried an updated version of the crossflow engine and overhead camshaft that was used in 1928 Morris Mino and Wolseley 10 and previously fitted in the MG M Type Midget of 1929 to 1932. The 'J' had a chassis from the D-Type with suspension by half elliptic springs along with Hartford friction shock absorbers all-round, with rigid front and rear axles. The vehicle also had a wheelbase of 86 inches and a track of 42 inches.

Costing only £199, the adorable little J2 was released in 1932, following a wave of popular success from the 'M' type Midget. The J2 held an 850cc engine, and the instruments inside the little car were responsible for setting MG design for the next 20 years. The unembellished 2 door body came with a slab tank, door cutaways, fold-flat windshield, and octagonal dash instruments. Eventually, the stark and sporting 'cycle' type mudguards were updated to sweeping wings and running boards in 1934. The full-length type of wings was typical of all sports MG's up to the 1950's. The J2 was capable of reaching a top speed of 65mph.

The MG J3 was a more supercharged version of the J2 with an updated 750 cc displacement. This open sports 2 seater was designed specifically for the street, and small occasional trials work, only a rare 22 models were produced between 1932 and 1933.

The MG J4 was even rarer still with only a total of 9 models that didn't appear until 1933. The release of the J4 was delayed due to the pre-existing 8-inch brake gear that was considered insufficient for such a speedy car. A new gear was prepared, and a new system was being developed for the 'L' type, which was a larger 6 cylinder MG. The J4 had the capability of reaching 120mph from a 750cc engine. The J4 was of a much superior quality that was intended as a serious contender in all-out racing, and strictly not for the amateur.

In 1933, two other versions of the 'J' type were released, a sliding door salonette, and the J1 four-seater.

by Jessican Donaldson