MEET THE OWNER: JASON FARNHAM AND HIS MG MIDGET MK.I

During the heyday of Abingdon, MG’s principal export market was the USA. This splendid Midget Mk.I resides in California, and it is both Jason’s first Octagon badged car and indeed his first classic vehicle.

Jason found the Midget by surfing Hemmings.com. “I also saw a very helpful YouTube video by these two guys called ‘Two Chaps’ - they did a review of a Midget, and it sold me on it. She’s a lot of fun to drive. All my previous cars were automatic, so I had to learn how to drive manual on her! It’s like driving a cool old toy car down the street, and it is so old that it doesn’t even have a radio or glove compartment”.

Unlike the UK, BMC’s US dealers sold the MG alongside the Sprite Mk. II. In 1962, Car and Driver noted:

The list price for the Midget is $1,939, including a tachometer and windshield washers. People who are diffident can spend $1,868 for a similarly-equipped Sprite. The difference is that the MG features better quality exterior trim, and more of it, has more luxurious seats and higher-grade floor mats.

And the conclusion to the report must have been music to Abingdon’s export department:

So if you haven’t been happy with a sports car since your TD died and you can’t bring yourself to buy a 3000, try the Midget -it’s even less expensive than the TD’s were. It has all the qualities a sports car should possess and, with the optional performance equipment available for it, should make a good showing on the circuit. It has all the traits experienced drivers crave, yet its price and deportment should appeal to first-time sports-car buyers.

In other words, the Midget offered near industrial levels of enjoyment for an extremely reasonable outlay. Triumph offered no rival model, as the Spitfire would not make its bow until 1962. Production of the MG ceased in 1979, having outlasted the Sprite by eight years and today, Jason’s car embodies the Midget’s essential appeal. He also points out:

No modifications have been made by me; it is in pretty original shape. There are some small places where you can see the paint has been painted over a long time ago, although you have to get up pretty close to see it. The previous owner took really good care of it and regularly replaced engine parts as needed. It has only 41,000 miles; I’m not sure if they’re original or not, but I’m guessing so because the car is in immaculate shape for how old it is.

The Farnham MG also features new red vinyl upholstery and carpets, which only enhances its appeal. Jason finds that “It makes people smile when they see it; the Midget is like driving a cool old toy car down the street”. The brochure could not have put it better.

With Thanks To: Jason Farnham