AJ’s Car of the Day: 1949 MG TC EXC Roadster

AJ’s Car of the Day: 1949 MG TC EXC Roadster

Car: MG TC EXC Roadster ( Car shown at Dragone Classic Motorcars in Orange )

Year: 1949

What makes it special: The MG TC is the car credited with starting the sports car craze in the U.S. after servicemen brought them home after the war and began racing them. The EXU was produced in small numbers with just 300 made, and were made specifically for export to the U.S., and actually had a starring role in such movies as “The Way We Were” and raced by big names like Carroll Shelby, who went on to create his own line of Shelby race cars, such as the famed Shelby Cobra.

What made famous: Coded as “EXU” for Export Unit, the MG TC EXU was powered by a 70 bhp, 1,250 cc OHV inline four-cylinder engine with an Arnott supercharger, manual gearbox, live axle suspension with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel disc brakes.

Why I would want one: To me, this is the epitome of “British Sports Car.” This conjures up images of speeding along a winding road.

Fun fact: Britain’s “Export or Die” mantra was why MG developed the TC Roadster specifically for the hot American market.
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