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MG TD TF 1500 - TF North American Exports

I am trying to get a list of the TF exports for North America

I would ideally like it broken down into 1953, 1954 and 1955.

Anybody have a source for this?
Chris Couper

Clausager's Original MG T Series, EX NA:
1953: 1374
1954 (1250): 2374
1954 (1500): 1826
1955: 661
Total: 6235.

Clausager also gives figures per country for 53 and 54:
1953: USA-611, Canada-12
1954 (1250): USA-1614, Canada-262
1954 (1500): USA-1506, Canada-0.

I cant figure out why the big difference in the two sets of figures. Mexico took a few and even the West German cars do not make up the difference.

Matthew.
M Magilton

I thought 1954 / LHD / TF1500 was 661?
David Sheward "IZZY" TF 7427

661 was in 55 if Clausager is correct?
M Magilton

Thank you Matthew. I guess I was too lazy to open the book.
Chris Couper

My T is a 1954 TF 1500. Built 13-15 October 1954 and shipped to unspecified US dealer, LHD.

Chassis no HDC46/7481 and engine no XPEG 1292. Colour MG red wtih red interior, biscuit soft top, and wire wheels.

I have always wondered which us dealer it was delivered to, but the tracks are cold until the car turns up for restoration in Ohio in the early nineteen eighties.

We'll, this was not what Chris is asking for, but really a question about the possibility of any major dealer archives still existing in the US?

Regards

Jan
JE Kristoffersen

Is there any way the port of entry can be found? I can't find any info on TF8353 for port of entry or dealer. PJ
Paul S Jennings

I had reason to suspect that my TF #7157 was shipped to the main BMC dealer in San Francisco. I wrote to the dealership but they had no records that old.
Jack Long

That's one of the main problems Jack, no one keeps records very long any more. I guess if it was in the computer era, there might be a possibility, but it would be tons of paperwork back then if they kept everything. Seems like 5 to 15 years for purging as far as the states records are concerned. Don't know in the UK. PJ
Paul S Jennings

The reason I asked is that I am doing some research on imports and dealers. I can tell you that there is almost nothing out there, period. Even the importers are gone and their records with them. Its hard to find any evidence of these cars anywhere. Even pictures of dealers cannot be found on the Internet.

Basically you could convince me that these cars did not exist if did not see them today. The most data out there is in the racing forums. But they only catalog by owner, year and model, not car number.

Every TD had one of these (I suspect the TF had something similar) attached to its windshield when imported. The same data was logged at the factory and the importer got a copy too. But alas all that went in the ash bin when the factory closed (or sooner) and Hambro, I would suspect, threw all of that away as soon as possible too. But they are gone also. In 1957 they renamed the import company the Hambro Automotive Corporation in the United States.

Chris Couper

I wonder if export or shipping documents are available that would show where a car was shipped to - or better yet a specific location.
The Heritage Trust Factory Record shows my TF Chassis# HDC46/8263, Engine# XPEG/2110 with a Build Date of 20-30 November 1954 and a Date of Dispatch of 1 December 1954. It also shows it was produced as a LHD, North American Export.
The California DMV records only go back to 1990 ownership. Since the TF is a California Black Plate I suspect the car was originally shipped to California but really can't confirm that.
The rear license plate surround appears to be original to the car and has a dealer name of "Town & Country Imports" on the top and "Compton" (California) cast into the bottom. Anybody ever heard of this dealer?
Thanks,
Mark Stolzenburg
Chesterfield, Missouri, USA
Mark Stolzenburg

Mark,
If you find anything, I would love to know. My TF, 8281 was built on the same day as yours. I have traced the history back to Fresno California in 1963, but the trail is cold before that. Due to the fact that it is a low mileage car, and there is zero rust or rot on the car, I am reasonably confidant that it was always a California car.
I don't know if there were any shipping records, or dealer invintory records.
I have traced my TC to J.S. Inskip in New York. I believe it was the last TC sold in the USA. I have traced the TD to M&V motors in Mineola New York. I've got nothing on the TF before 1963. I've asked the car numerous times, but she won't say a word. I'd sure love to know...
-David
D. Sander

I guess I'll make a formal request - Does anyone on the Forum know if shipping or export documents for TF's exist? If they do, how does one obtain them?
The reason I ask is that on my 1949 TC, the shipping document listed the license/registration number that I was able to trace back and get a copy the original British registration.
Thanks,
Mark Stolzenburg
Chesterfield, Missouri , USA
Mark Stolzenburg

Mine 8353 was built Dec. 17,54. It would be great to have some documentation on it, but I don't have much hope. PJ
Paul S Jennings

Mark - where did you find the "shipping document" for your TC?

The Heritage Trust Factory Record adds one bit of information to what I have in the Production Records - the date dispatched.

Thanks.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

Tom,
I found the shipping document for the TC in a folder that came in one of the boxes that came with the car. I bought the car in pieces. Restoration of the car had started 25 to 30 years before I bought it in the late 90's.
Mark Stolzenburg
Chesterfield, Missouri, USA
Mark Stolzenburg

Mark: A little off topic since we are talking about a TC but can you post your shipping document so we can see how it compares to the one for a TD above?
Chris Couper

The T types sold through the Melbourne and Sydney importers had metal dealers plates attached, covering about two thirds of Australian imports. Many of those plates have been lost over the years and during restorations.
Attached a pic of the original plate for my car.

Matthew.

M Magilton

Matthew,

That's got to be a valuable addition to your car.

I can confirm the number of TF1500s imported into Canada as 0.

In 1955, I recall speaking with Bob Cooke, the importer for Canada, and he said there would be no TF1500s 'till the existing stock of 1250s had been sold.

By that time, the MGA was on the way.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A Clark

Gordon, it was a similar situation for Australia. Sometimes when a new model was in the pipeline we seemed to get a rush of the old model, as if Abingdon was 'clearing the decks' and sending their old stock off to a far-away market. This is supported by the Sydney import records that I have seen.
Does/did Bob Cooke have the import records? Do they survive?

Matthew.
M Magilton

You guys have probably seen this article about how BMC and British Leland grew itself to death?

http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/history/pdf/bl_death.pdf

There are many stories like this all over.
Chris Couper

Chris, Attached is a copy of the shipping document that came with my TC. While I realize this is a little off topic because it's about a TC, but I think the real issue is if shipping documents were available (like the one you attached in your Feb, 1 note)we could find out a lot of info about our cars.
Obviously the document that I have attached is not from the factory. But the info it provided was invaluable in obtaining the providence of the TC. For instance the listing of the "Consignee(s)" names helped me find and communicate with both W.D. Welch and Robert Larkin, it showed the shipping date from London to be Sept. 1964 and the British license number of LMA183 helped me obtain a copy of the original 1949 registration and owners name.
If we could find the shipping documents we could realize where our cars were shipped to and when.
Mark Stolzenburg
Chesterfield, Missouri, USA

Mark Stolzenburg

This thread was discussed between 31/01/2014 and 07/02/2014

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