1937 MG TA

This MG racer lookalike is arguably the one that kick started the modern trend for taking TAs and modifying them to resemble factory Q-type racers. Built back in 1990 by pre-war MG authority Steve Baker and his father Raymond, Steve lusted after a period MG racer, but was unable to afford one at the time, as his son Luke (who also worked on this MG) reveals. “It’s built on a 1937 TA rolling chassis by my dad when he was younger. A Q-type racer came into the ’shop for repair and dad was able to copy it. This car is the first racing Q Type special that my dad built with my grandfather Raymond Baker.” 

Looking over the dimensions of the circuit star and the TA, Steve realised they were almost identical, which sowed the seed of an idea to build replicas based upon the TA platform, something of a controversial decision at the time, but one that’s since become commonplace.

This example was Steve’s first conversion of this type, work he continues – with his son Luke – at Steve Baker MG today. The fundamentals of the build involved a custom-made aluminium body – built by Nottinghamshire firm Compound Curvatures – an MG TC engine block and a Ford five-speed Type 9 transmission from a Sierra. Having kept an eye on his creation over the years, Steve noticed it had been stripped awaiting a rebuild that never happened and so he bought it back and rebuilt it last year, though sadly no longer with his late father.

The intention was to rekindle a little nostalgia, returning this important custom MG to the road with the next generation, son Luke. After months of extensive overhauls and mechanical rigour, the pair had the car back together and better than new, ready for a shakedown. Its extended (few hundred miles) test period now over, the car’s ready for the road once more.

On a glorious sunny day, such as the one we were blessed with for our photos, there seems to be few more appealing places to be than ensconced within the cabin of this MG. Just looking at these images, you can almost smell the barely metered petrol and hear the whining gears. Steve and Luke made the decision not to repaint the body of this MG, despite its long-term storage and the odd mark. That choice seems to have been the right one as there’s a lovely, aged patina to the finish that seems bang on for such a vintage machine. That’s not to say the paint isn’t appealing, far from it, there’s a lovely glossy quality throughout, though we did notice a few small chips – patch on the nearside wing bottom and another around nearside rear spring hanger. There’s also a little mild corrosion forming on the wheel arch support struts.

Brooklands embossed folding fly screens are about all that keep you from ingesting passing insects and an older, faded MG Car Club sticker on offside reminds you that this body likely hasn’t seen paint since it was last applied 34 years ago. The chrome grilles over the headlamps and leather strap holding the spare tyre in place – the latter still showing its new marks – reinforces the period racer aesthetic. Those Blockley tyres, according to Luke, are a new matching set. Despite the look, it’s thought that this MG hasn’t seen much (if anything) in the way of competition. 

Taking their craft seriously, Steve and Luke were keen to revamp the interior of this MG, after its layup, yet didn’t want to ruin too much of the patina it’d gathered. All seats, wood floors and trim that needed to be renewed was, but the dashboard and its fabulous, huge and evocative Jaeger dials were retained. A quick-release steering wheel has been fitted to allow easier access and hint at security, with the battery cut-off on the driver’s floor further enhancing the latter.

Despite retaining the original shift pattern on the gear knob, due to the Ford five-speed transmission nestled beneath, that’s obviously no longer accurate. There’s really not a lot to the cabin of this old MG, with everything a driver needs and nothing he/she doesn’t. What is there has been made to work as it should and the trim provides just enough comfort for short trips on fine summer days. With around 60-70hp, Steve suggests that this would make a great fun road car, rather than an outright racer, which surely only further adds to its appeal. 

With nothing in the way of invoices – Steve and Luke having carried out the work themselves – the pair are happy to give a more thorough rundown of the 200-hour recommissioning. Here’s Steve’s assessment of the car’s genesis and how it stands today. “After its storage with a previous owner, the engine was deemed beyond salvaging, so we rebuilt and installed a genuine MG XPAG engine. The Xpag motor was re-bored (+60), the crank was re-ground, we fitted new bearings, gas flowed the head and added big valves. Basically, we replaced everything that was worn and that included a new water pump, refurbished oil pump, high-torque starter, flushed the petrol tank out and added new lines and a pump.”

That was far from all the father and son team apparently did to this MG. “We weren’t very happy with the old-type electrics so upgraded to a ‘dynamator’, basically an alternator within a dynamo housing. We fitted new wheel cylinders, resealed the master cylinder and added new floorboards. The paint and chrome were in good shape and didn’t need replacing. Everything just aged nicely, and we didn’t want to ruin that.” 

As mentioned, a paper trail doesn’t exist for this car, unfortunately. Other than the V5C, all we have are the recollections of its builder Steve, who charts what he knows of the car’s history. “I used it for a little while before it was sold to a chap in Monaco, where it stayed for more than a decade. When it came back to the UK, it lived with a chap in Leicestershire who stripped and stored it, awaiting a more comprehensive motorsport rebuild that never happen.

“That brings us to last year when we bought it back and undertook the work. Part of the 200 hour restoration was spent stripping the engine and rebuilding it, the same for the carburettors, differential and all the trim – other than the tonneau cover. We’ve done a few hundred miles since and it’s now ready to go.”

What you want from any pre-war car is surely a greater degree of useability and reliability. The modifications to this car do just that, with its more modern and relaxed transmission – with its extra ratio – giving better comfort and economy and its more efficient electrics offering greater reliability.

As this has been such a personal build for the Bakers, we’ll leave the last words to them, Steve summing up the car as follows... “Nostalgia was the driving force for us with this one. We wanted to return it to the road in the best possible manner and it’s clear that our work has improved, as it’s now better than when I first built it. 

“Having worked on it with my father, who is no longer with us, it was nice to get back to how it all started. It’s a perfect little car that’s nice to drive and has the pre-war look but with Morris 1000 manners and running costs.”

We are happy to offer this vehicle for auction with an estimate in the range of £25,000 - £35,000.

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