1979 MG Midget 1800 K-Series

In June 2025, the seller found himself facing a uniquely #firstworldproblem in that both his classic cars were off the road having their engines rebuilt, and rather than simply curse his poor timing and remain immobile he faced the challenge like a champ and bought a K-series-engined MG Midget.

As you do.

Lurking beneath RLV 843T’s bonnet is a twin-cam, 16-valve 1800cc K-Series engine that sends its 118bhp to the rear axle via a five-speed Ford Type 9 gearbox – and because it’s been thoughtfully tuned using a variety of parts including a larger metal throttle body, an upgraded cooling and fuelling system, lowered suspension, and Minilite-style alloy wheels, it produces way more power more reliably AND handles better than stock.

The interior has also been backdated to the earlier style, while the exterior has been debumpered and made to look like an early square-arch car.

It also features a Rover 45 ECU, complete with remote fob, enabling you to immobilise it just like you would a new car. This is a feature insurance companies love – and it’s been correctly registered with the DVLA as an 1800cc car.

The result is a sublime blend of retro looks and modern performance in a lightweight package, seamlessly fusing all the good bits you’d pay a fortune to install while removing the Midget’s few weak points – while also dialling in unified anti-theft protection.

British Racing Green is such an iconic colour that no car, sports or otherwise, is diminished by its use – and this Midget looks especially good thanks to the quality of its application.

The shutlines on the front wings and doors are excellent, and while the bonnet and boot lid don’t align quite as neatly (and the latter has quite a few small dents) everything else is free of dents, dinks, scuffs, and other obvious damage.

The brightwork might be limited but what there is is both perfectly judged and in an excellent condition with no serious pitting or rust spots.

The lamp lenses, which include Cibie headlamps, LED front indicators and reversing lights, and genuine Lucas rear lamp lenses, are all in good shape too with no chips or cracks. Heck, even the screws that hold them all in place are bright and shiny.

The 13-inch Minator alloy wheels, which are made here in the United Kingdom, have only a few age-related marks on them rather than anything more serious like kerbing scuffs and scrapes. The centre caps on the Minilite-style wheels are good too, as are the bolts holding them on.

They’re also fitted with matching 165/70R13 Silverstone Synurgy tyres on all four wheels. All still have good tread left on them but as they were made in 2009 and 2010 you’d be pushing your luck if you didn’t replace them sooner rather than later.

The black fabric roof can be tucked neatly beneath a very tidy matching black cover. It furls and unfurls smoothly and easily too, and sits nice and taut when it is latched into position. The three plastic rear windows are still decently clear and they, like the main body of the roof, are free of damage other than a small hole on the seam above each rear quarterlight.

There is an impressive attention to detail throughout the car, both inside and out.

Take, for example, the door mirrors, which clip neatly onto the front quarterlight frames. These in turn draw your eye to the plump and pliable rubber seals around the windows and windscreen, which in turn showcases the satin-polish finish of the windscreen frame itself.

Moving to the rear, apart from the square wheelarches, the fuel filler cap is a thing of beauty; filling up might be a financial pain these days (although we suspect the Midget is more economical than most sportscars…) but there is pleasure to be had in operating such a finely crafted piece of engineering, even if it is a bit tarnished. (Besides, it’s got a full tank of petrol, which is worth noting given current events…)

The debumpered rear end looks good anyway, but when you factor in the design and noise of the exhaust tailpipe, you can see that just as much thought went into the underside as everywhere else.

As for work to do, apart from the bits and bobs we’ve already covered the paint is cracked besides the offside front indicator, the bonnet has a scratch that leads onto the nearside wing, and there is rust on the leading edge of the driver’s door. Finally, the entire car would benefit from a machine-polish to remove the polishing swirls and allow the BRG paint to really pop.

The seats are from an earlier model with new black vinyl covers, so they look every bit as fabulous as they perform – and they perform very well indeed, gripping their occupants tightly about the hips yet the absence of pronounced side bolsters make getting in and out of the Midget much easier than it would otherwise be.

They’re very comfortable too, and there is ample space behind them for bags and suitcases; thus equipped, the Midget is probably a better long-distance touring car than you might imagine – as long as you pack light because the boot is pretty much full already with a full-size spare steel wheel and Michelin tyre plus a Facet fuel pump, an alloy swirl pot, high-quality Cohline fuel hoses, and the fuel filters for the fuel-injection system.

Still, who cares when it looks this pretty?

And yet, it is more practical than many; while a lot of tuners would see the loss of the heater as a small price to pay to lose a bit of weight, this example has retained it ensuring it remains habitable all year around.

Other accoutrements include drilled window winder and door handles, and a matching wood-rimmed steering wheel.

The carpets are in good order bar a small hole in the horizontal section behind the driver’s seat. Lifting them up shows what seems to be nothing but solid metal floors.

As for things to do, well, you could straighten the gearknob but that’s about all we can see that might demand your attention.

The K-Series engine is held in compression with long through-bolts that pass from the cylinder head through the block and into a ladder-frame main bearing cap. First used in military aircraft in WWI, it is genuine fighter technology that adds sufficient rigidity to enable the engine to reach 7,000rpm reliably and safely.

The fuel injection system ensures that the K-Series engine starts first time, every time, even when it is cold. It also gives it a rock-solid idle and helps it rev extraordinarily freely. As for its health, the dashboard shows around 40psi oil pressure at idle, rising to 60psi when it is revved.

Of course, in a car as small as the Midget it also endows the car with extraordinary performance and given Our Man’s only comment after taking it out was “this Midget is an absolute RIOT!” it’s probably fair to say he enjoyed his all-too-brief test drive.

The seller estimates the engine is putting out around the stock 118bhp (“it is pretty lively”) and while the upgraded throttle body might add a little bit more, it’s raison d'être is more about giving the Midget an even better throttle feel.

Regardless of the actual figure, that power is sent to the rear axle using a reconditioned Type 9 gearbox, which is both stronger than the original unit and offers five forward gears.

The aluminium radiator and expansion tank, silicone hoses, three-inch Rule air blower, and wrapped tubular exhaust manifolds help keep engine heat under control, while engine oil filtration is taken care of via a Mogul filter assembly with a spin-on oil filter.

You may have noticed that the Midget sits a little bit lower than normal, a move that was made because the car’s weight loss led to it sitting higher than it should. The result is a perfect stance in a lightweight car, and it really doesn’t get much better than that, does it?

That said, the seller is honest enough to admit that the front suspension would benefit from some attention. He says it’s a bit wallowy, and that sharpening it up a bit would help you make the most of that magnificent engine.

Speaking of which, the engine bay is very well presented. Neat and clean enough that you’ll want to put a bit of effort into keeping it looking good, it nonetheless is still very usable; this isn’t a car you’re going to be afraid to use long and hard when the mood takes you.

As for the underside, while the low ride height makes inspection a touch difficult, our double-jointed photographer nonetheless managed to take enough photos to show that while the underneath of the car appears to be nice and solid, it has rather a lot of overspray on it, so it may be worth spending a few hours over the winter tidying it up.

Or not, it’s your call; we’re not your parents.

The Midget does not have an MoT certificate. However, the last one only expired in 2023, and it was issued with no advisories. The history file also contains expired MoT certificates dating back to 1985.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for a change of colour from brown to green.

The history file includes a substantial number of invoices, including many from well-respected suppliers such as the MG Owners’ Club Spares shop, GSF Car Parts, Moss Europe, JJC Race and Rally, Merlin Motorsport, Speedograph Richfield, North West MG Centre, and more.

With both his cars sporting freshly-rebuilt engines and space for only two in his garage, it’s time for the Midget’s owner to say farewell, something he admits has been harder than he anticipated; it seems the Mighty Midget has a way of worming itself into your heart.

We’ll certainly miss it.

As for its value, the fact it’s not a standard example will count against it for some folk, so it’s probably going to be cheaper than you think: We suspect the final tally will be somewhere between £7,000 and £10,000, which would be a fraction of what it would cost you to build one yourself.

And yet, because it is being offered with no reserve, it might struggle to reach even that.

With a couple of months of summer left, we can’t think of a better four-figure sportscar in which to enjoy the last few heatwaves of 2026.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.