On the island, some interventions were also carried out to improve it even further. Originally launched at the 1953 Motor Show, the TF was received with mixed reactions from enthusiasts and journalists. It was no secret that the TF was a provisional measure due to the delay in putting the long-awaited MGA into production. This was entirely due to Leonard Lord, the general manager of BMC, who favoured the proposal put forward by Donald Healey for the Healey 100. Healey outmanoeuvred Abingdon's men by several days, which resulted in the long-awaited MGA project being put on hold for at least a few years. Lord considered that the MGA and the Healey were very similar and that is why the TF became part of MG's history. For the Abingdon engineers, led by Cecil Cousins, it was a model sufficiently different from its predecessor and yet they continued the traditional classic lines of the T series. The TF was introduced at a time when other manufacturers were producing very sleek and aerodynamic models. Other brands that MG had to compete with at that time were Morgan, Porsche, AC and Jaguar, with its impressive XK 120. Sales of the two versions of the TF, 1250 cc and 1500 cc, totalled 9,600 in 19 months. It was a commendable achievement. The TF prototype was produced in true Abingdon style and assembled in just a few weeks by Cecil Cousins and its team. Based on a TD chassis, the prototype was built without any reference to plans and was quickly approved by BMC before suitable working drawings were carried out in May 1953. In September of that year, the TF was put into full production. Essentially, the TF was based on the same chassis and mechanical components as the TD Mark II. The centre section of the bodywork remained largely the same as the TD. The most significant change was the adoption of a sloped radiator grille which, for the first time, hid a separate radiator. The hood also had a sharp forward slope, achieved by lowering the radiator housing by three and a half inches from the top of the hatch. The front wings were also restyled to accommodate headlights instead of the traditional screw on wing bindings like on the TD. The wings, in turn, were fitted to the sides of the hood, which, in short, helped to create a new simplified image. The rear of the car has received some general facelifts, with modifications to the fuel tank and spare wheel mounting, to help improve the car's overall appearance. The result was a car that was very pleasing to the eye, but still a bit dated compared to options from other manufacturers at the time. In terms of the interior, and in keeping with the external modifications, the cockpit layout was radically changed to that of its predecessor. A combination of items taken from the Y series sedans, the TD, and some items exclusive to the TF formed a comfortable and pleasant cockpit. Individual adjustable seats were provided in place of the normal bench-type seats. The front dashboard was completely new, with a welcome return to octagonal instrumentation. This was positioned centrally to allow easy construction of a left- or right-hand drive model; Many customers complained, however, that the tachometer was too far away for easy reading. Despite being advanced over its predecessors with many innovative additions, there was still no fuel gauge, which surprised many buyers. Other than that, the instrumentation was quite comprehensive, with an oil pressure gauge, temperature gauge, ammeter, and clock. Initially, the car was launched with the trusty 1250cc XPAG engine, which made its debut in the TB Midget, in 1939. Many enthusiasts were disappointed by this as they had hoped for more power, especially as the Triumph TR2 could reach over 100 mph compared to the 'flat out' 80 mph achievable with the TF. Mechanically, the car proved to be more reliable and felt very good to drive with impeccable grip and handling, however, the car was embarrassingly slow compared to its competitors, both in acceleration and top speed. It was clear that something needed to be done to overcome the lack of appeal caused by poor performance. There was no possibility of improving the aerodynamics, as this would have been expensive, and the EX 182 (codename of the MGA project) was already well advanced for launch in 1955. The only practical solution was to give the car more power, and although consideration was given to making the chassis lighter and the use of aluminium panels to improve the power-to-weight ratio, this was rejected for cost reasons. In the late summer of 1954, a new 1,466 cc engine was introduced in the TF, designated the XPEG. It was, in general, very similar to its predecessor, the XPAG TF. Externally, there were no visual clues, other than the engine numbers, to distinguish the two power units and there was little on the car to reveal its identity as a TF 1500, other than two discreet 'TF 1500' motifs on each of the hood’s side panels, and the addition of two rear reflectors. The larger power unit gave the TF a boost in sales, particularly in the US and of the 3,400 TF 1500s produced, only a few were sold in the UK. It is well known that Abingdon would have preferred not to have produced the TF if the MGA design had received earlier approval, however the TF, and particularly the 1500 version, became one of the most desirable classic MGs. The TF 1500 is one of two cars built in the development garage, with the other car carrying chassis number 0250. Most early MG models began their chassis number sequence with 251, which intentionally coincided with the factory telephone number, Abingdon 251. This tradition was interrupted when chassis number 501 was assigned to the first production TF. Brief technical specifications.
Datasheet Year: 1954 Brand: MG Model: TF 1500 Country: England Number plate: 22-00-MD Engine: 1.300 cc Gearbox: 4