1971 MG Midget 1275 Resto-Mod

Description

This 1971 MG Midget is more than just a traditional British sports car, it's a weaponized version of the minimalist car that does it all. Fully rebuilt and upgraded for combat, it loses none of its elemental appeal, it just turns everything up to 11.

You always see these cars in cheerful colors, but somehow this awesome blacked-out MG takes on a whole new attitude by being deadly serious. The paint is called Black Diamond, and it's an awesome dark metallic gray with a ton of metallic in it to really make it sparkle. All the trim has been painted satin black, so it all blends in seamlessly and there's a stylized Union Jack on each fender, just in case you don't know where the MG's home turf is. You'll note all the lighting is now LED, including the cool light bar that takes the place of the front bumper and the ultra-bright headlights. There's no grille, but that adds to the industrial-strength look and even the traditional MG taillights have been blacked out. The bumpers have been shaved and suddenly you realize that the Midget is a very appealing car without the heavy US-spec rubber bumpers and we really dig the industrial look of the back-up lights out back. You also get a pair of antennas on the rear deck for the powerful stereo inside, perhaps acting as a hint of what's to come.

The purposeful interior uses black buckets that really grab you and hold you in place, a 4-point roll bar, and plenty of modern tech to upgrade the driving experience. New carpets and door panels make it feel finished and the factory dash still uses lovely Smiths gauges for a traditional British sports car look. The center stack has been extensively modified for the touch screen entertainment system, which is powered by a big amplifier in the trunk plus a host of speakers and subwoofers stashed throughout the car. The blending of the new components and original switchgear is rather clever and the 4-speed manual shifter remains right where it's always been, just at your fingertips. A snug-fitting collapsible top with crystal clear windows is included with the car, but if you're doing it right, you'll never need it.

With the car only weighing in at about 1700 pounds, you know there's plenty of performance on tap with the upgraded 1275 cc engine. It's the original, numbers-matching powerplant, but I don't know if the guys at Morris Garage would recognize their work today. There are twin SU carburetors, an MSD ignition system, a custom header, and a giant aluminum radiator up front to keep it all cool. Almost everything under the hood is brand new and it runs superbly. Heck, they even kept the heater ducts in place! Upgraded disc brakes live at all four corners, and those are the bright red brake lines you see in the engine bay. It also has a trick suspension with adjustable shocks, a panhard rod, and a straight pipe with a raspy muffler on the end for that cool raspy British sound. The undercarriage is obviously extremely clean and has no secrets and those blacked-out Minilite wheels look flat-out awesome. Sticky staggered Yokohama tires measure 165/60/14 in front and 175/65/14 in back, proving that less weight needs less rubber to get superior results.

Beautifully built, very fast, and incredibly eye-catching, this might just be the ultimate Midget. Call today!