MG Quiz

I WAS BORN,[WITH THE HELP OF NHS] OCT '48 YES?

By 1948 the company decided that an export market existed for a four seat version of the successful "TC" roadster. Such sports touring cars had been popular in Europe before the war. The Y Series saloon was therefore modified into a four seat convertible with two wide doors, a 54 b.h.p. power unit with twin carburettors, roadster-style fascia and a left-hand drive option by relocating the battery box and modifying the oil pump. This model was designated "YT" and introduced at the October 1948 Earls Court Auto Show. Owners generally found the performance of the tourer to be excellent but the car never achieved the popularity of the roadster, with only 877 tourers being built between 1948 and 1950. The biggest proportion of YTs produced were right hand drive, primarily for the Australian market and 874 cars were officially designated for export sale. After the introduction of the later YB saloon, the earlier saloon models were known as "YA" although this was never a factory designation. A handful of YA saloons were left-hand drive, of which six are known to survive

helsbyman wrote: By 1948 the company decided that an export market existed for a four seat version of the successful "TC" roadster. Such sports touring cars had been popular in Europe before the war. The Y Series saloon was therefore modified into a four seat convertible with two wide doors, a 54 b.h.p. power unit with twin carburettors, roadster-style fascia and a left-hand drive option by relocating the battery box and modifying the oil pump. This model was designated "YT" and introduced at the October 1948 Earls Court Auto Show. Owners generally found the performance of the tourer to be excellent but the car never achieved the popularity of the roadster, with only 877 tourers being built between 1948 and 1950. The biggest proportion of YTs produced were right hand drive, primarily for the Australian market and 874 cars were officially designated for export sale. After the introduction of the later YB saloon, the earlier saloon models were known as "YA" although this was never a factory designation. A handful of YA saloons were left-hand drive, of which six are known to survive

Nice try! But not the answer I am after. Sorry! The changes I'm after aren't mechanical.

I can't find much to do with any MG TC in 1948 except for the export model below, so I guess with Sri Lankan independence they had to find a new source of wood for the frames and started using a vacuum cleaner for the wood shavings on the factory floor

Exports became important for MG so in December 1948, a USA export model (tsill RHD) was produced for 1949:

ABOUT THE EXU MODEL

Feedback from the important American market led MG to develop this special model for sale to the U.S. Beginning with car number 7380 in December 1948 and produced "as needed" throughout 1949 only 494 were produced -- less than 5% of all MG TC production.

Such cars were recognized under the coding "EXU" (for export unit) and stamped "EXU" on the chassis number on the guarantee plate.

In addition, they included the following improvements:1


Full-width bumpers, front and rear (allegedly for the way "women parked in the United States!").2

Central MG medallion on rear bumper (some suggest one of the rarest items of any MG, since the medallion was only installed on the 494 EXU units).

Two Lucas Windtone horns mounted under the bonnet instead of the badge bar. (Because of the harsh U.S. winters)

Steering wheel in gold pearl finish instead of black.

Rear number-plate mounted centrally above the rear bumper with Lucas number/license plate lamps above it.

Lucas type S.700 headlamps.

Lucas type 482-1 stop and tail lamps mounted on each side at the top of the petrol tank.

Laminated (versus toughened) windshield glass.

Badge bar, fog lamp and external horn deleted.

No"Thirtilite," but two map reading lamps.

Rear-view mirror above dashboard.

Flashing directional indicator (turn signal) switch with built-in warning lamp in place of inspection lamp socket.

High-beam warning lamp (versus fog lamp switch).

Instrument panel rearranged:
Ammeter and oil gauge mounted in center
Ignition and lighting switch on the outside left
Horn push and dip switch on right.

USA and CANADA dealerships open

Think we are all still wide of the mark, looking at Hari's clues so far;

tui wrote: You've got the references about Sri Lanka and the Hoover Company (well almost - the factory was actually opened on 12 October) but the rest of it is wrong I'm afraid

There were two changes made to one model MG, linked to the above by when they happened.

and

tui wrote: ... not the answer I am after. Sorry! The changes I'm after aren't mechanical.

So the changes are to one model of MG at the times stated and the changes are not mechanical

Not all of the shotgun answers I gave were mechanical

EXU +Full-width bumpers, front and rear (allegedly for the way "women parked in the United States!").2

Central MG medallion on rear bumper (some suggest one of the rarest items of any MG, since the medallion was only installed on the 494 EXU units).

Two Lucas Windtone horns mounted under the bonnet instead of the badge bar. (Because of the harsh U.S. winters)

Steering wheel in gold pearl finish instead of black.

Rear number-plate mounted centrally above the rear bumper with Lucas number/license plate lamps above it.

Lucas type S.700 headlamps.

Lucas type 482-1 stop and tail lamps mounted on each side at the top of the petrol tank.

Laminated (versus toughened) windshield glass.

Badge bar, fog lamp and external horn deleted.

No"Thirtilite," but two map reading lamps.

Rear-view mirror above dashboard

Are you copying my answers, John?

PQD44 wrote: Think we are all still wide of the mark, looking at Hari's clues so far;

tui wrote: You've got the references about Sri Lanka and the Hoover Company (well almost - the factory was actually opened on 12 October) but the rest of it is wrong I'm afraid

There were two changes made to one model MG, linked to the above by when they happened.

and

tui wrote: ... not the answer I am after. Sorry! The changes I'm after aren't mechanical.

So the changes are to one model of MG at the times stated and the changes are not mechanical

To make the clues a little more obvious... One change was made in February 1948, the other in October 1948. Both changes were made to the interior of a particular model MG.

Finally...

February 1948: The TC dash changes from walnut veneer to rexine somewhere between TC4868 and TC4926.

October 1948: TC Control Panels are switched from black with white lettering to a painted gold finish with black lettering (somewhere around TC6889-TC6909).

Finally!! Well done Martin over to you