Nagara MG Midget 1500 Continental

Prototype

I have always wanted to build my own car. A few years ago I started work on a tiny coupe based on the wonderful little MG Midget 1500 from the 1970s. The original underpinnings used a monocoque (no separate chassis) body shell designed by Austin Healey in the 1950s for the ‘Frogeye’ Sprite and was based loosely on the idea of a structural tub like the larger Jaguar D-type of Le Mans racing fame.
BMC then fitted front and rear panels in the 1960s to make the MG Midget and Austin Healey Sprite - essentially the same cars with different badges.

By the 1970s, United States safety legislation required greater low-speed impact protection and lower emissions. The 1960s design was cheaply upgraded with a bigger engine, and huge bumpers that ruined the look of the car.

BMC, then merged to form British Leyland, also owned Triumph so they used the 1500 engine from the Triumph Spitfire. The Midget was only ever built as a convertible and I have always liked tiny coupes with a hatchback for practicality - so I designed one.

Kind words by John Kimber and others. Media interest and the bespoke suspension.

Why an MG Midget Coupe?

Though BMC also made the lovely looking Triumph GT6, a tiny coupe with a hatch and good performance from a 6 cylinder engine, I have never liked the body-on-chassis construction, used by Triumph, and all the problems associated with the restoration and repairs of those cars. The MG body shell is also more rigid and, in my view, a better car overall.

Future

Eventually I want to put this car into limited production. Customers can choose from a huge range of personal options including: petrol engine or electric propulsion; steel, wire or alloy wheels, standard or highly tuned engines, automatic or manual gearbox, standard or bespoke interiors, choice of colours, air conditioning and, indeed, whatever the customer fancies if it’s feasible. More details to follow.

For more videos on the Nagara MG Midget Continental please see my YouTube Channel