MG D-type
title: "MG D-type" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["mg-vehicles", "cars-introduced-in-1931", "sports-cars"] topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MG_D-type" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox automobile"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| image | MG D-Type 1932.jpg |
| name | MG D-type "Midget" |
| manufacturer | MG |
| production | 1931–1932 |
| assembly | United Kingdom: Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England |
| predecessor | MG M-Type Midget |
| successor | MG J-Type Midget |
| class | sports car |
| layout | FR layout |
| body_style | four-seat roadster |
| four-seat Salonette | |
| engine | 847 cc In-line 4 |
| :: |
|image = MG D-Type 1932.jpg |name = MG D-type "Midget" |manufacturer = MG |production = 1931–1932 |assembly = United Kingdom: Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England |predecessor = MG M-Type Midget |successor = MG J-Type Midget |class = sports car |layout = FR layout |body_style = four-seat roadster four-seat Salonette |engine = 847 cc In-line 4
The MG D-type (also known as the MG Midget) is a sports car that was produced by MG in 1931 and 1932. It used the engine from the MG M-type in the chassis from the MG C-type and was only available as a four-seater. Of the 250 cars produced, 208 were open tourers, 37 were salonettes and five went to external coachbuilders.
The car used the M-Type 847 cc engine that was derived from the overhead camshaft engine from the 1928 Morris Minor and Wolseley 10 with a single SU Carburettor producing 27 bhp at 4500 rpm. Drive was to the rear wheels through a three-speed non-synchromesh gearbox with a four-speed gearbox was an option on later cars. The chassis came from the C-Type and took the form of a ladder frame with tubular cross members and passed under the rear axle. The suspension used half-elliptic springs and Hartford friction shock absorbers with rigid front and rear axles and centre lock wire wheels, the brakes were cable operated with 8 in) drums. At 84 in), 86 in) after the first 100 cars, the wheelbase was longer than the C-Type to cater for the larger body, but the track remained the same at 42 in).
In spite of its looks the car was not very fast, 60 mi/h being just possible in the tourer, the body being really too much for the small engine. The cars are quite rare today, many having been converted into C-Type replicas. At the same time as the D-Type was being made MG was also offering the 6-cylinder 1271 cc F-Type, and externally the two are virtually identical. The extra power of the F-Type made it a much better car, and it proved a bigger seller.
Gallery
File:MG D-Type 1931.jpg|MG D-Type 4-Seater Tourer 1931 File:MG D-Type 1932 2.jpg|MG D-Type 4-Seater Tourer 1932 File:MG D-Type 1932.jpg|MG D-Type 4-Seater Tourer 1932 File:MG D-Type Special Racer 1932.jpg|MG D-Type Special Racer 1932
References
- MG Sportscars. Malcolm Green. CLB International. 1997
- A-Z of Cars of the 1930s. Michael Sedgwick and Mark Gillies. Bay View Books. 1989.
- see also www.mgdgroup.org
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