A veritable time capsule went up on sale earlier this week: a 1949 MG TC roadster imported to New Zealand with fewer than 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) on its counter. The asking price is £75,000, or slightly more than $90,000.
The current owner of the car says he bought it in the late 2000s because he had always dreamt of a car like this. Having had some fun with it, he now wishes for it to go where it belongs – into a European classic car collection.
The production took place in a now-defunct MG factory in Abingdon, UK. A South African fan of the British car brand bought it to drive on rare track days. The next owner was a collector who never used the car. Only when he passed away did his son sell the roadster to the New Zealand buyer.
An expert was called upon to confirm the authenticity of all units and components. The car is considered to be in great condition considering its age, with hardly any restoration done on it except for regular maintenance and tire changes. The spoked wheels have been repainted on a few occasions, too, but that’s about it. The original license plate issued by the South African Republic is included in the sale.
The total number of MG TC roadsters produced worldwide borders on 10,000. The production ended in November 1949, while this particular car was assembled in July. Powered by a 1.25-liter engine, it had 55 horsepower (40 kilowatts) and needed roughly 23 seconds to reach 100 km/h (62 mph).