The selling dealer, West Coast Classics, has sold several vintage MGs on Hemmings before and is offering a true icon, a fully restored 1958 MG TC Convertible that is an AACA National first prize award winner. The car is said to have its original numbers-matching engine (XPAG 5545), per the chassis plate. The roadster looks positively charming in its Sequoia Cream over Shires Green leather livery. The restoration is described as “nut-and-bolt thorough,” and the photos certainly support that description. The chassis has the proverbial “so clean you could eat off it” appearance. Period-correct accessories include proper Lucas headlamps, signals, and hardware, a matching canvas top, and side curtains. The 42 miles shown on the odometer indicate road miles driven after the restoration. The car is presented as turnkey, ready for driving and/or showing.
The MG TC was an improved version of the pre-war TA and TB models, with a wider cockpit to appeal to export markets. While sports car lore holds that American servicemen bought TCs and shipped them home, the reality was that after WWII, British manufacturers, including carmakers, were under heavy pressure to find export markets to bring money into the country or risk losing their steel allotments. It turned out that Americans liked sports cars. Even so, MG made just 10,000 TCs through 1949, and all were right-hand drive, a sales-limiter in the U.S. Still, the TC was a major influence. American racing legends Phil Hill and Carrol Shelby got their start driving TCs, including Hill’s first-ever win.
The selling dealer states that it will provide a clean and open California title for the proper transfer of ownership for this vehicle. This restored 1948 MG TC Convertible appears to represent this iconic British sports car in exemplary fashion. The car is presented as turnkey and ready for driving or showing, or both.
Please note: If the winning bidder is a California resident, the selling dealer is required by California law to register the vehicle in the buyer’s name and collect the appropriate sales tax and registration fees. Out of state buyers will have the title assigned to them but will not be charged the California taxes and fees.