The 1936-1939 MG TA was Abingdon's first offering after MG merged with the Nuffield organization, and rather different from the superseded P-Types -- and less distinctly MG.
The transmission (with synchromesh phased in as a running change after the first few months of production) and pushrod engine were both based on Morris Ten components; there were no other important mechanical changes. Styling was very familiar, and similar to the P-Type's, though bodies were longer and a touch wider.
The rakish roadster was joined in 1938 by a new drophead (convertible) coupe with full-height doors crafted by Tickford. TA's old-fashioned long-stroke engine was replaced on the 1939-only TB models by the new shorter-stroke (but still markedly undersquare) XPAG unit, which would run into the mid-Fifties. These models were important as the direct ancestors of the romantic postwar TC, which was essentially a carryover TB.
Pluses of the 1936-1939 MG TA/TB:
- Rarity, especially TB
- More space than PB
- Simple engineering
- Many parts common with TC
- 1930s MG appeal
- Ample club support
Minuses of the 1936-1939 MG TA/TB:
- Hard ride
- Still cramped despite larger bodies
- Bodies still rot-prone
- Not much go or refinement
Production of the 1936-1939 MG TA/TB:
- TA: 3,003 (1936-1939)
- TB: 379 (1939 only)
Specifications of the 1936-1939 MG TA/TB:
Wheelbase, inches: 94.0
Length, inches: 140.0
Weight, pounds: 1,960
Price, new: NA
Engines for the 1936-1939 MG TA/TB:Type Size Horsepower Years ohc
I-4 1,292 cc (79 cid) 52 1936-1939 ohc
I-4 1,250 cc (76 cid) 54 1939
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