The Tiny Sports Car that Changed the World
2023 ж. 9 Шіл.
129 900 Рет қаралды
In this video we're looking at the history of the iconic MG Midget, and how it changed the way we look at sports cars.
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I bought a brand-new British Racing Green Sprite in 1965. Rollup windows instead of plastic sliders, crashbox first gear, Lucas electrics, and (unfortunately) Dunlop bias whitewall tires. After putting Pirelli Centurato radials on it, it was crazy fun to drive on twisty backroads in Virginia. It would drift sideways through turns with no hint of oversteer or understeer. Easy to work on, easy to push if necessary. $1990 off the showroom floor. Never had a car that was as fun to drive, including a 427 Corvette, SLK55-AMG Mercedes, and a late-model Miata. Cheap thrills at sane speeds.
Amen to modest horsepower, wind in hair, more-or-less within the speed limit, all-out stickshift fun.
You should give more credit to the Elan, which was the direct inspiration for the Miata. I owned British sports cars when I lived in the UK, ending up with a TR7. But when I bought a Miata in 1991, I knew I had a keeper. Drove it today, and at 32 years of age it's as much fun as ever. I get face ache from all the grinning. Something about the Midget that is true for the Miata: it's more fun to drive a low-power car hard, than to drive a high-power car gingerly. I can spend more time with the pedal on the floor than anyone with a Porsche or Mustang ever can. That's the real win for us lightweight low power sports car owners!
Yep the MX5 was far more like the Elan than the Midget in concept. I have an MX5 and really like it but I would also like a '69 Mk3 1275 Midget with wire wheels.
Though my 1st year 1989 built "1990" white MX5 did look an awful lot like Emma Peal's Elan...it was more like an MGB in the seating, handling and price. I've owned both...but the Miata was a combo of styling cues: Frogeyed Sprite Lotus Elan Spridget Spitfire MGB. The designers were going for the MGB road feel, driving posture and sound. The 1800cc RWD motor (though my 1st year was a 1600cc), Mazda engineers actually listening to a recording of a 1970s MGB gearbox to get the sound just right, the seat and footwell arrangement. The spridget always felt like you were squeezed into an industrial combine sitting over a girder unable to move anything but your ankles unless you were Gidget Sized.
The Elan provided the visual inspiration for the MX5/Miata, but they were definitely not cheap if you bought one ready assembled rather than building it from a kit.
@@emmajacobs5575 Quite so. The Mazda took its styling cues from the Elan, but the concept was pure MG, using lots of parts, engine included, from popular Mazda models and, above all, it was affordable. A factory-built Elan cost more than a big Healey.
My Dad (1930 RIP) had TCs and TDs but the one he remembered most fondly was the TA that he never failed to mention, "raced on Brooklands". But he would argue that any tiny sports cars genesis story is very incomplete without honorable mention of the Austin Seven.
Hi Bart: Thank you sincerely for producing this video. It brings back so many wonderful memories. I am now 75, but when I was 17 to 19 and a senior in high school, I lifeguarded during summers and into the later fall and late spring. For a young buck in perfect shape , it was a perfect job and my Austin Healey Sprite Mark II was the ideal car for attracting young ladies. I absolutely had fun with the ladies, but I had more fun with that car than anything that I have driven since that time. It was truly the first of the Spridgets. I did everything with that car, all the mechanicals, all the body work, including some minor customization and many things just because it was so much fun. I must confess that with one particularly accommodating young lady, I did get lucky a number of times in that car, but I was in perfect shape and much slimmer back then. At one stage the engine died on me, so I had the engine rebuilt professionally, but I did all the removal work and reinstalled the engine afterwards. I used to tune up and synchronize the twin SU carbs every Friday or Saturday because I just loved working on that car. So thanks again for this video, it brings back so many wonderful memories, Bill in Toronto
How dare you say that the Frogeye looks Goofy? Even today my stock 948cc version is tremendous fun to drive, it gets me into many interesting conversations, and, astonishingly, on a twisty back road it can outrun most moderns thanks to its 650kg weight and its amazing front end that will turn in at just about any speed (but watch out for the back end trying to overtake the front!).
'60 Sprite, the most driving fun I ever had in a car at less than 60 mph.
The little bug eyed Sprite was inovation in style and design. Where did the Lotus Elan idea come from? And would the modern MG Midget even had existed if it had not been for the cute little popular Bug eyed Sprite that kept the small sports car alive? After all the modern MG midget was just a Sprite re badged. And it never looked as good as the bug eyed Sprite.
Nothing wrong with goofy, people love goofy.
One of my favourite things I had a couple of opportunities to buy them for next to nothing and been kicking myself ever since
! was just 12 when late in 1958 I saw it for the first time: the Austin Healey Sprite. I knew immediately: this is it! And this has never changed: the Frogeye Sprite is my favourite car of all times (and all sizes)! In 1974 I bought a 1959 'Frog'. I have never felt that well in any other car; it was just fun to drive and it fitted like a glove. (Maybe I am one of the few people who have slept in a Sprite.) Over the years I have had several other small sports cars: MG Midget 1500, Reliant Scimitar SS, Suzuki Cappuccino and 4 Mazda MX5 (all RHD). The Sprite was the best, closely followed by the Cappuccino.
Sorry but the Austin Healy Sprite pre-season the MG Midget by about three years, only when the sprite mark two came out was the midget was badge enginered from it
My brother had a bug-eyed Sprite. He traded it in on a Triumph GT-6.
Both of my brothers had MGAs.
1926❓ MG started using the “Midget “ name in the 1920’s. - and continued using the name on the “T Series “ cars. Even the TC, was called “Midget “. Personally, I like the little “bug-eye” [ though I’d lean mor towards the Reliant Sabre ]. - but I’m an American, so I’ll probably be disqualified. 🚗😁
IN TERMS OF "SIMILAR" FORMAT CAR, THE AUSTIN SPRITE WAS 1958, MG MIDGET WAS 1961. THAT SAID; HOWEVER, The name “Midget” was first used by MG in 1929 ascribed to the M Type, this being MG's first baby sports car based on the then newly released Morris Minor. (It's always something)
@@chrispontello9949I also had a Triumph GT-6… the 6 cyl. fastback Spitfire. Had a ball with that car. Bought it after selling my ‘58 Berkeley to my buddy. I kick myself for selling that car.
Bart, you did a great job explaining the essence of the small sports car appeal, especially for one who didn’t grow up in the era. I’m sure enough posters have bashed you about the mythical single carbureted Sprite. There was one, but it had a Morris Minor 948 engine swapped in by a broke college student. Jaguar owners will take umbrage at you suggesting that Austin Healy was the premier British marque of the era. The Mark 2 Midget was wholly derived from the Bugeye Sprite, but featured significant improvements. Donald Healy deserves big credit for making the change to unibody construction early on. This significantly reduced overall vehicle weight improving performance. An interesting technical note is that the early Sprite gearboxes used mainshaft bushings, while the Midget, being $100 more expensive, used needle bearings. I rebuilt many back in the day, along with the motors. As far as stock production performance goes, the 1967 model year Sprites and Midgets fitted with the 1275 cc motor and rib case gearbox were the fastest and rated at 67 horsepower here in the US. From then on federal emission and safety regulations decreased power, increased vehicle weight, and eventually raised the ride height ruining the handling. The big valve 948 motors could be modified from 42 to around 60 horsepower. The 1275’s could be bumped from 67 to 100 horsepower if you had the money. 100 horsepower in a 1300 pound car was pretty quick back in the late 1960’s. I could beat most Alfa Romeos and bigger Triumphs with my modded 1275. Top speed at 7000 rpm was near 110 mph. But engine life expectancy was measured in weeks, not years. I broke more than a couple crankshafts, and was constantly rebuilding the gearbox. A new second gear with syncro cost $12 in 1969. The cluster gear was $85. Treated kindly, the drivetrain was good for 70-80,000 miles. Like the VW Beetles of the era, there was a broad ability to swap parts around with other BMC products and model years. Many early Sprites and Midgets can now be found with later engines, transmissions, and brakes. I owned dozens of these wonderful cars over the years and have my fondest moto memories attached to same. My favorite escapade involves luring the local police into a chase, only to disappear through a large culvert into an undeveloped park. Sadly that Crown Victoria squad car was just too porky to fit.
Hilarious. My older brothers playing ditch em with their FFA friends who had a triumphant , Brothers had a two-door 1961 Chevy corvair and the other boys had pickup trucks 1 was 48 Chevy half ton etc. Small-town Wyoming Luring the cops into a Chase on our motor cycles then jumping the canal with our motorbikes running up in the hills and thumbing our noses at em. Until they came down to the house later in the day and took us down to the cop shop for a nice conversation. Sad kids nowadays don't have testosterone enough to do it. Now the minute you let a fart in the same town somebody will call the cops and they'll lock you up in jail for life. What a shity world we live in now.
@@tomstulc9143 Thank you, Mr. Duke.
The Frogeye was "goofy"? Heresy! It's gorgeous.
Thanks for a great video about those little British cars (which BTW, I've owned several myself) and the LOADS OF FUN they truly were!
The nice thing about all BMC cars is that each one used bits from other models. So Austin A30's and A35's, Morris Minors, even Minis shared heaps. Thus spares were usually available from sources that competed and kept prices reasonable. Horsepower and reliability were left wanting.
Great video! I own a NB (second gen) Miata and every time I drive it I thoroughly enjoy the fun factor of the car. I've never driven a Midget or a Sprite, but I have driven an MGB and there is a definite connection between my Japanese funbox and the older British roadster. I don't care whether or not it is the greatest sports car. I cannot afford an old 911 or a clean Lotus Europa, but the Miata is long paid for and still gives me great fun.
As a former NB owner, I know what you mean. Mine was my daily driver for more than ten years. I never got out of it without a grin on my face and feeling like I had somehow gotten away with driving a go-kart on the street.
A great video. When I retired I sold the Austin Healey Bug Eye Sprite I had for 34 years to a New Zealander who moved to America. It sold the first day it was advertised. It even had strips of the original Austin Healey Blue ribbed rubber floor strips next to the seats, along with the faded paper signed inspectors sheet glued to the central tunnel. I hope he is still taking good care of it.
My sister owned a Midget for a short time, but her prior car, a 76 Pinto, had been wrecked, and she'd get flustered in heavy traffic. The Midget scared her, just no protection. She traded it off for another Ford. Many years later a coworker bought a Midget project car and fully restored it. He drove it at least three days a week. He took it to local classic car shows.
I always regretted "upgrading" from my Midget to my MGB. It just didn't have the free spirit of the Midget - you got into it instead of putting it on.
I really enjoyed the heck out of this video. Thanks! I owned MG's as a kid and now have a Miata, precisely because it reminds me of my MG's. As Jay Leno likes to say, "You can use all the power all the time." Yes the Miata is heavier, but it is also more reliable, handles better, and has real brakes!
Brakes? I’ve heard rumors of brakes…. (6x British sports car owner).
@@tedecker3792 Ha, my '58 MGA would scoff whenever I stomped on those four drums. "Oh, would you like to slow down old chap? We'll see what we can do. Have some tea and we'll be right with you."
@@jeffhildreth9244 Cool, yeah later I had a '62 1600 MkII that had the 1642 cc and front disc brakes. Thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Truthfully I really don't remember having any issues with the '58's drums, but then we didn't concern ourselves too much with brakes back then. It was mostly about making the girlfriend scream.
That's a great one Bart! You're the master of well researched and wonderfully presented sports car mini documentaries as well as motorcycle retrospectives! Thanks very much! 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦
Great summary of the midget .My first car in 1978 was a 1963 MG midget that I exchanged for a wrist watch.The registration number 608PP .This by the way this is in England.I had only MGs for the next 12 or so years B roadsters B GTs and the round wheel arch midgets.I was on a visit to the factory in Abingdon with the MG owners club on the day it was announced production was to cease,An end to an area at the least .Some me included would say an end to old England.
Your video was extremely well done. I enjoyed every minute of it. Cheers!
Always loved the MG's , they had something about them. Never owned one, but had a friend that had a new 71-72 MG Midget, very fun little car that looked very cool. Always wanted the MG MGB-GT, it looked so cool to me. Miss all those old little sports cars, Fiat, MG, Triumph, etc. I had a 69 Fiat 124 Spider, loved it.
My MGB-GT was a great travel car, and one of the best in the winter also. Traction was so good I could plow bumper deep snow through a field and keep going. Loved it. The hatch also could hold an amazing amount for travel. The 1968 GT also handled better than the Convertible, which I also had --1969.
So did I.
I’ve owned two Sprites. One Bugeye and one Mark II. I really wish I could’ve kept the Bug-eye. So much fun and so easy to work on as long as you didn’t need to get under it. So many words you could say if for some reason the hood dropped on you. An absolutely wonderful little car.
LOVE the Midget! When I was a kid, my uncle had a '62 Midget. Such a thrill to ride in and a great memory forever! Also love the Miata, worked at a car dealership and got to drive several trade ins. Mazda nailed it!. Been toying with the idea of getting an early one just to experience that thrill again, without breaking the speed limit lol! Subscribed!!
Great documentary - happy that I'm one of your first 350 subscribers!!! Always a good feeling to be in at the start of something great.
Had a first gen Miata. and a Volvo 1800 (my favorites). Also, a Karmann Ghia, 75 Corvette convertible, 65 Pontiac LeMans convertible, 71 Cougar convertible , 2010 Mustang 5.0
the two open sports cars ive had are a '64 AH Sprite and a Mk2.5 (NB) MX5. Loved them both and wish I still had them, so really appreciated your video.
Good for you Bart!!! I owned a number of sports cars, but my first MG, a TD, set my mind to own a TC. That came about in 1963, becoming part of my family; we even squeezed our two giggling youngsters in the space behind the seat. The kids loved it, even when during a sharpish curve I would take my hands off the driving wheel as the old steering box would stick! Bart, your video is a wonderful reminder of having fun!! Thank you. Rodney Vancouver Island Canada
Great video. I have to say that I had so much fun driving my Morris Minor, 2 Sprites, and MGB. Even when the Morris broke down (often) I met great people. Thank You
Really enjoyed your video Bart. I have a little Spitfire over here in the UK which is a fun car too. I always admired the Midget. Such a pretty car. Cheers, Richard
You're spot on. The Midget is cheap, fun to drive and perfect for a hobby mechanic
Except that not all of these MGs he talks about were actually Midgets. The TC -- TFs for instance were much more related to the A and B models no matter what they were still called colloquially. Why he ignores these latter two when it comes to being influential is baffling.
Great video, I have always had a fondness for small cars, not necessarily fast or flash, but small and fun to drive. I love feeling the road, wind and the car itself without the fear of flying off the road at 240 miles per hour. Cuz you know that if it can go that fast you’ll probably push it. Enjoyed the video, subscribed.
I love how you blended the story of the British cars, right into the Miata. When I met my wife, I was driving an MGB. We had some great times courting in that car & after we got married, for a while, it was our only car. Eventually, it became impractical and we sold it. Decades later, I told my wife I wanted something like that again. However, now spoiled by Japanese car reliability, I was reluctant to go with another British car. I considered an S2000, MR2, Z3. But once I drove a Miata, I felt like I had entered a time machine.
All on point, having owned a few of your historical motors. My second MGA was sold in Paris and carried a symbol for a twin cam, but that engine was replaced somewhere before it got to Iowa. And yes, the Miata was the MG that did not break things or need SU balancing or have snow blow under the side curtain. They are just a memory now. Trouble or not, I miss them all.
I'd love to own an MGA, definitely a dream car for me. I'm from Iowa, did some Iowan put an american v8 in it?
@@bartscarstories You can squeeze a 289 or 283 in a MG but is very tight, takes some sheet metal bending and you live with all the equipment stressed beyond the B motor 1500 power. Better to buy a Sunbeam Tiger or better yet a Miata 1800 and up power plant. I was told the twin cam Rover engine in the 60's MGA was not reliable. MGAs are hot in summer and cold in winter. The Miata solves that with roll up windows, good heaters and A/C. I drove MGs because they were available and cheap at the time but neither is true today. Go with Miata. I bought mine in Dubuque. I can tell you the three minor things that go wrong. The go-wrong list for MGA, TC, TD, TF, B and Spitfire will be long and expensive and besides they leak in the rain.
@@jeffhildreth9244 In the midwest used rag top cars are somewhat hard to find. They were so common in California, Myth-busters used then as remote controlled crash cars. Miata flip lid 1800 go wrong list: power window switches, clutch slave cylinder, maybe one spark plug wire. MGA and Spitfire: I never got to the end of the list. I always wanted, but never owned a T series MG but once I visited and camped in GB, I understood that weekends were for fix up and wash up and the local roads are curvy and so smooth that lever shocks don’t need to work, and drum brakes are just fine.
The modern MG Midget was the epitome of badge engineering. The original midgets were the TA, TB, TC and TD MGs. After the MGA was superseded by the MGB, they decided they needed to have a smaller and less expensive vehicle. So, they brought out the MG Midget. This one though was easy to build. They had the Austin Healy Sprite for the body and Spitfire 1500cc engine. The only thing MG about the newer Midget was the MG badge.
A wonderful video, and well narrated.I learned a lot from this, so educational.
I really enjoy your format of your channels.
Great video, Bart. You nailed the attraction of a Light Weight Sports car, the essence of the Miata concept.
Had a Triumph GT6, only car i have owned that had a "soul" independent suspension made the handling awesome.
Nice video. I had an early seventies Midget Mk IV and now have an NA8 Miata. In motorcycle terms, going from the Midget to the Miata was like going from Moped to a sport bike. The Miata is the original sports car idea perfected. As for the bug eye Sprite, it doesn't look "goofy"... it looks ridiculous! 🤣
Great video! What you said about having fun is spot on. Back when I was a young lieutenant my '78 323 BMW would do 240km (I know because the the 325 that I was racing on the autobahn keep pulling away). But my TR-6 (now the 3rd one that I've owned over the years) is more fun. It looks fast, it sounds fast, and it feels fast; it doesn't matter that the soccer mom who is late for her kid's practice in her mini van just passed you...
Hey Bart, at 10:06 you mistakenly claim that the Sprite only had one carburetor. Better check on that...the AH Sprite frogeyes all had dual SU H1 carburetors.
In high school (1965) I had a 1959 MG-A Dual Cam. A few years later while in the Air Force I had a 1964 Austin Healy Sprite. I see those cars now and can't believe how small they are. Really loved those little cars!
I love my '73 MGB-GT and I've ALWAYS said, "It's way more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow".
My best friend's first car was a Midget. I remember riding to our first college football game (1967) with him and another friend. Yes, three of us! I was grateful that the other rider volunteered to sit on the little space in front of the trunk. I can't remember where he put his feet. Great memories!
That's amazing. I bet that was a fund ride. I make my kids sit in that little spot when we do family rides around the neighborhood
@@bartscarstories Thinking back, what we did may not have been much more dangerous than your neighborhood rides. We lived next to the Mississippi river, so we rode the ferry to Baton Rouge, then maybe 3-4 miles to the LSU campus. Game day traffic would have slowed everyone down. Ray, our friend on the trunk, probably had to lean forward going up the levees. I guess that Steve, the driver went through the gears carefully. Popping the clutch could have flipped Ray off the back.
Love the channel... had to head back to the first few episodes before I found the channel. ~NC Miata driver
Really nicely put together video (spoken by the proud owner of a 1966 Mk2 Midget) 😉👍🙏
Happy memories. Very nice entertaining informative video from which I learnt a lot. There was a Morris Garages in the town where I grew up. My sister’s boyfriend had a Midget and it was great fun and used to blast out the Beach Boys music from his 8 track stereo). And my first car was the MGBGT. I would love a little Midget now. Test drove a MX5/Miata a few years back and was a bit disappointed.
Thank you for a well-produced story. That's it.
Really well put together video. Thank you! (I own and drive a 1966 Mk 2 Midget, all over Europe, doing at least 3000 miles a year on road trips. I wouldn’t swap it for anything else because of its ludicrously high fun factor).
I was racing go karts when I was 10. Ever since I have preferred small cars. I learned to drive in my moms 65 3spd 6cyl. Mustang, since then it has been a 65 Beetle, 73 240Z, 67 Austin Sprite, MG B, Fiat 124 Spider, mid 70's Fiat X19, Vw Rabbits and Jettas, Toyota Corolla, Ford ZX2, and now a 2015 Honda Fit 6spd manual. None were extremely fast but all were a blast to drive and the Fit fits the same bill today. It's not what you drive but how you drive it.
MGs have always been my favorite sports cars because of their model A look, and it's gratifying to know, now, what truly great little cars they really were and are.
I had a 1973 MG Midget with the 1275cc engine. My wife killed the engine when a radiator hose blew, and she thought she could drive it 3 miles to a gas station to get it fixed. Unfortunately, that killed the engine. We started to tear down the engine (together!) when a co-worker sold me the 948cc engine from his bug-eye Sprite. He had replaced that with an English Ford Cortina engine so he could run the Sprite in gymkhanas. I popped the 948cc engine in, hooked everything up, and drove the Midget for another 2 or 3 years. The biggest problem I had with the car (other than the blown engine) was that it kept eating throwout bearings. After replacing the throwout bearing for the third time, I decided to sell the car. The Midget was the most fun we ever had in a car. It was always breaking down, but when it was running, it was a blast to drive. I still regret not buying the Sprite from my buddy for $600, but we'd just had a baby and money was tight. That would have been a fun car to have too.
Well, we had more fun in cars than driving the Midget (nudge, nudge, wink, wink), but that car was the most fun DRIVING!
Lovely video!! Love learning about MGs!! I have a BGT!
My brother had a Sprite (not the bug-eye), wired positive earth :-) I had a Spitfire. Both small, fun, low to the ground, great handling --- all at low speed. I'd be interested in a video on the Spitfire!
My brother in law had a '66 MG Midget. Was immediately impressed with how the hood (bonnet) sloped down so severely that you couldn't really see it from your seat, all you that really saw was the road ahead. This one had wire wheels which really looked hot & classic & classy.
Untill they needed a good clean & polish !!
I once did a 9 hour road trip in a Midget when I was 19 years old, stopping only once for petrol (I had to guess where since the fuel gauge didn't work). When I reached my final destination I was unable to extract myself from the car. I had to fall out of the door, then drag myself out. Big fun!
I have owned several MG’s. Fun to drive!!!
Great video. Obviously u love these cars and aren’t just “reviewing” one. It shows, and it’s what makes this video great. I have a buddy whose dad had more than a few slowly dying in his yard… i loved them and always wished he would finally get one running. He never did, though his son got one running once when he was on vacation… the mgbgt hardtop of course… he had 2. Think he finally just scrapped them all one day. Broke my heart when i found out. I hope to god my 89 240 doesn’t end up the same way.
Why wasn’t the fixed roof gt mentioned? Is this thread dead?
Great video. I still own my MG Midget and agree it’s so much fun. The gearbox was always a joy to shift. It was under powered but it didn’t matter. Was alway worth jumping in the car and going for a drive just for the sake of going for a drive. Also own a Caterham 7 which is a different type of fun, bonkers fast and handles like it’s on rails.
In 1965, my father's best friend bought a midget. I was 8; we would spend many days that summer, driving down the shore, swimming for the day FOR FREE on the beach, and then driving back home. I conveniently rode behind the seats. We did the same next year, and those are some of the happiest memories of my life. I wish I could drive a Miata; unfortunately, at 6'4" tall, with long legs, I can't even get into it with the top on, and can barely move my legs even after getting into it by removing the top. Sadness. So I'm stuck with a Mustang convertible, which is not a bad car at all.
Had a MG midget, racing green, real knockoffs, etc. Had XKE, Had and loved AustinHealy 3000, most recently, now sold a BMW Z4. I categorically submit the MG Midget was the most REAL fun driving I ever had. Would have slept with it if allowed🫢!
I was able to drive an MGA. It left a big impression on me. I wish they were still making them.😊
I lived only 2miles from the MG factory in Abingdon UK for many years. Right through the Migit, Sprite, MGB & V8 GT series. But I tried a Fiat 124 sport one day. Never went back to British cars afterwards. I'm now on my 5th BMW. ❤
Great video! I have a 1974.5 MGB, and I love your point that the small cars make you feel like you're going faster! My MGB isn't going to win any races but it sure is fun to drive and feels fast!
The monoquic chassis has never been bettered!The mgb could sell today with updated electronics without any other Changes.There are genius cars Peugeot 504 Volvo 240 which have never been surpassy!
Had a 71 Healey Sprite Mk IV which was almost identical to Midget Mk III. Best car I ever owned.
When I was a teenager in the late 70's my friend had a '62 Midget. We had so much fun running around in that car! Fast forward to 2016 and I bought a 1991 Miata that I enjoyed for five summers. I sold it when I bought a house and I really regret not keeping it.
My first car when I was in high school was a 1964 MGB roadster I bought in 1969. Blown synchro in 2nd gear forced me to learn to double-clutch downshift and it steered like a truck. Handling was okay. Not as nimble as my friends Sprite though. Fast forward to 2007. I was looking for something new to race and came across a 1991 Mazda Miata. This is what British sports cars were all about minus the unreliability and 3 main bearing engines that were so prevailant in '50s-'60s british cars. I still own it and it still puts a big smile on my face whenever I have my Red Barchetta moments. Lightweights forever! Nothing better than a sub-2000lb. car
Ive got a 62 Sprite with a 1098 engine. Its absolutely the most brilliant fun car to run around in.
They're beyond cool and you literally can't go anywhere without getting people staring at you
Love the video! Of course it brings back memories, some Great some not so. I won't discuss Lucas, but my 65 MGB started my mechanic days. Still loved that car and think about buying one even today. I now have a Mazda ND, and the reason I do is because of the MGB. As far as Porsche goes I have a Cayman, two totally different cars. 😎
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. At one time I owned a customized "64MG Midget and a '65 Austin Healey Sprite. The Sprite had twin carbs, 1250cc motor, straight cut gear box, up rated differential, wire wheels with knock off hubs. That car moved! It also blew the clutch bearing on a regular basis, so I learned to shift sans clutch, not easy with a straight cut box, timing had to be exact.
What clutch bearing, the graphite release/throwout bearing? They lasted longer then the car IF they weren't abused sitting at a stop in gear.
Yes, with the straight cut gearbox unless timed perfectly it would shatter. I got to the point of being able to swap it out in around two hours.@@alro2434
Great work Bart....Never owned an MG ...My sports car in the day was the 240Z...My friend had a MG B...It was a lot of fun but did have its share of problems. LUCAS.
And as a former happy owner of a VW Rabbit GTI, I'd have to say the GTI was a great little sports car and that's the reason I bought it. I was a young, single soldier who wanted something affordable and sporty and the GTI was perfect and no way would I have ever spent the money, had I even had it, for a Porsche at that time, just no need for that when the GTI was truly affordable and functional fun.
nice vid, thanks - always wanted an Austin Healy MKIII 3000
I had a MkII- a real beaut in Healy Blue (silver blue); a beast to drive until you got the hang of 1st gear, then lookout!! Lights & gauges by Lucas (The Prince of Darkness), tho. Great times.
As a Tr-250 owner I enjoyed the video and am looking forward to getting out in mine this weekend...
Thanks for this. As a Brit who has owned several classic British sports cars, including an MGA and AH Sprite (or Spridget) I must say that you got this bang on. Well done. I'd love to own another little bundle of fun, but realistically I'd struggle to get in and out of one now. A four-inch ground clearance means that my knees would never cope with that kind of leverage! And using a stick for assistance rather spoils the image... :)
Love my B, but was at a car show recently that had 5 bug eye sprites lined up in a row. Truly a sight to see.
I purchased a midget as my very first NEW car - what a hoot it was
Wow can I relate to this. I grew up in northern Michigan in the 80’s and 90’s, and in the late 80’s my dad bought a MG Midget from my uncle in Cincinnati. I think it was from the 60’s. It was in so-so shape, but did run. I can remember it had that old British car smell of gasoline, oil, and leather sitting in it. My dad planned to restore it, but in a little over a year we essentially weren’t able to do anything to it, it sat in our garage, and we sold it. Fast forward just a few years, and we bought a red Mazda Miata in its very first year out. Especially in the earliest years we had that car, and living in a very small, low income little town of 1,800 people, that car was like a spaceship. For the time it was SO contoured, and for our area it was so impractical. We would store it each winter, being pretty impractical as a tiny convertible for Michigan winters, and then pull it out once the spring hit. I took it to two proms and a homecoming dance, and we used to have such fun with it. It had a small contoured spoiler, a boot to cover the soft top when down, a hard top with matching red paint, and we eventually upgraded the stereo with a CD player, new speakers throughout, and an amplifier in the trunk. My parents held on to that car for a good 26-27 years, before finally selling it around 2017. But it was babied and meticulously cared for that whole time. It held a lot of memories, even if it wasn’t a Porsche or another more luxury car. To this day I love sporty little cars, and have had two new MINI Cooper S models the past 16 years.
To paraphrase James May, it's a lot more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow, which is what you always wind up doing on public roads, because its capabilities will so far exceed what you can legally do.
Working in a large UK office in the 1980s the European car manufactures switched to selling "Hot Hatches". Like the Ford XR2 and XR3 and VW Polo and Renault 5 Turbo. Until they were killed off by unaffordable insurance rates. I knew people who progressed from a XR2, to a XR3 to a BMW 3 Series as they were promoted in the company.
Excellent video, thanks Bart! - Subscriber 168
Nicely done video but many statements are incorrect. The Frogeye was created by a request from the head of BMC to Donald Healey to create an entry level low cost sport car. The body changed in 1961 but mechanicals were mostly the same and the Midget was a rebadge of the MKII Sprite to extend the MG line-up. Also the Frogeye had dual 1 1/8 carburetors.
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I read that opening headlights were intended but eventually nixed by Bean counters. Ended up being up all the time
@@paulblouin6955 correct. On the prototype the lenses aimed straight up, like a Muira and rotated forward by metal rods and levers like an Opel. It was a complicated expensive design so they nixed the idea and mounted the headlight pods to the bonnet.
Well done !
I owned a 77 rubber bumper Midget for 20 years, and even though stock they were strangled by weight and smog equipment, they’re still very fun. I did some handling upgrades and some extensive engine upgrades (UK market pistons, twin carbs, camshaft, and a big valve Triumph 1300 head milled for 9.4:1 compression), and impressed even some of my fellow Spridget owners with the venerated 1275s. They all are great cars IMHO
Great video
The the Midget’s bigger brother, the MGB, was the biggest selling sports car before the Miata came along. I own a 1979. The MGB is the biggest bargain in the collector car market. A nice specimen in running condition can be had for less than $5000. I value my ‘79 @ $8000. Hagerty charges me less than $250 a *YEAR* for insurance. Driving cheap collector cars makes economic sense. In some states, you don’t have to undergo or pay for vehicle inspections!
You explained it well. I never had an MG but I sure did love my Fiat 1200 Spyder (not to mention the top that I could put up or down in seconds, even while driving it at a slow speed)
If I could buy a FIAT 124 spyder I'd rathe have that than any of the cars mentioned here
@@tirebiter1680 I had a 1969 Fiat 124 Sports Coupe. Loved that thing!
I owned a MkIIa Sprite in the 60s in Australia. Great fun for an 18 year old. Later in 90s in the US I had an NA Miata. Definitely in the same fun category. 2 differences were that the Miata was comfortable to drive and you knew you were going to get home without using a tool kit!
The Bugeye Sprite was one of the most fun cars to drive and lovely, not "goofy". In the 70's I had two(one for parts). It had a removable hard top and a soft top. I often drove it up and down the coast highway in California. Second-hand, they only cost two or three hundred at the time. Nowadays they are 30k and up. I also had a Morris Mini and a Morris Woody Station Wagon. Both great fun. As I knew about cars, I rebuilt the engines and all of them ran like dreams. I would drive the Woody from California to visit friends in Colorado and go around California on camping trips with friends. If something went wrong(rarely), it was easy to fix. Once, on a road trip far from home, I recognized a camshaft problem. There were friends in reachable distance and I stayed with them for the couple of days I needed to take it out and replace it. Basically I always had a small tool box with the essentials, especially a torque wrench.
Prior to the MG Midget there were cycle cars that were also small. The first sports car that was small, I believe, was the Austin Healy Sprite. The headlight position on the hood made it look a little like a frog. Also, it had no trunck lid. The whole front end tilted up to reveal the engine compartment. Later the MG Midget came on the market as a variation of the Sprite.
Great video. Long live the little guy
Have owned 3 Midgets: 63,68,76. So much fun. Later had an MGB and then an XKE.
Me too! 62,65,67 then a 65 MGB, Fiat 124, Datsun 2000, another 67 Sprite, 66 Lotus Elan, 64 E Type then A 2001 Miata that I still have. There is nothing like the XKE but it is not fun. The Elan was nice but not as great as the Magazines have said and the engine had its problems. Pure driving on mountain roads the Sprite/Midget was the best. Hammer the seat back so you can take lean back more and remove the wooden strips under the tracks to lower it just a bit and I could fit nicely at 6'1.
@@werickson3783 you kind of “wear” a midget (I’m 6’). A friend saw me in the 63 and said “that looks good on you”! I bought my 63 E type roadster for $900 in 1975, it had been damaged and left outside for a couple of years. I fixed it up in my moms garage. She told me every time she heard me mention MG she knew Moms Garage was going to be tied up for a couple of months. E-Types could be a handful, mine was the only car I’ve ever spun out into a ditch.
During the late 1960s a coworker bought a Sprite. Occasionally I would ride with him down I-280 from San Francisco to Palo Alto during the evening rush hour. Even now, it's hard to say whether those experiences were exhilarating or terrifying. 🥺
Owned a 1969 midget. Loved driving that car!
Hello from Ohio! You are right on about how much fun these cars are. I have a 59 BE with the early 9-stud windshield frame and a 68 Sprite MKIV.
Interesting! My first two cars were Austin Healey Sprites. One was a 1967 Mark III which the first owner had tricked out as a race car. The other was a 1969 Mark IV. It was pristine and had a separate hard top and roll bar (the Mark III also had a roll bar, or course). My third car was a 1969 MG B. All these were bought in the 1970s. My brother's first car was a 1968 Triumph GT6. He still has that car (sadly I don't have any of mine left) and recently took it completely apart and rebuilt it. We souped these cars up massively. They were fun to drive, reasonably fast and handled well. An additional feature was that the women loved them. On driving fast on an English country lane, I have lots of experience with that. It was magical. I lived there in the early 21st century. I didn't have a Midget or B, but an Alfa Romeo GTV. That was a fantastic car as well.
Mazda should have purchased the MG name badge…Mazda Garages! I loved my 1971 MK III Midget, I had so much fun on and off track. You are right, the Midget can be driven hard within its limits of traction and control…and can be slowly tuned as you grow in confidence and skill. My Midget started out with 70bhp top speed on track about 73mph and ended up with 130bhp with a top speed over 97mph.
I had a 1969 Midget in high school 1980-ish. Had great times, could park on the sidewalk in Berkeley. A girl liked my car and we used to drive all weekends despite many break-downs and tows. The girl and I eventually married 38 years ago.
Wow, great story. Cool to see how these machines play a part in our lives
When I was in high school, a friend had a Midget that had an Austin Healey bug eye Sprite front end. It bolted right on there!
Those squared off rear wheel arches were made that way for a reason,they strengthen the unibody frame.The reason they discontinued the round arches was because under hard use(like rallying) the frame would sometimes buckle and give way behind the rear seats.
Brilliant! 🇬🇧
My cousin Donna had a 1275 twin carb midget. I used to trade with her when she wanted to use my 1966 Westfalia. It would run with my friend's series 2 Spitfire but not my other buddy's x-19. Donna and her sister Denise did a round trip from so cal to central Maine. No mechanical grief. Many of the components are very similar to the Morris Minor and variants. The track was wider on the Minor. Read a biography of Harry Weslake. Every variant of the engine, even pre OHV, were built to Weslake patents and he got money every time one was built. They could have used an overdrive. A Datsun 210 transmission was an upgrade but there hasn't been any of those to be found for decades. The mini Cooper S had more power and bigger valves. I've owned Elans. Sprigets are not something to pay attention to at an autocross. My 1968 4 door Cortina has beaten every Triumph or MG in an autocross. At the Portland ABFM the Cortina has been beaten by a Sunbeam Alpine every time. The Miata is pretty fun. I had an early 1.8 liter. Way more sophisticated suspension, with a decent IRS. I've owned a couple Elan +2s. My favorite. And a late 4 cylinder Esprit. Even 300 hp in a 2500 lb car is stupid fast on the street. Limits so high you might kill someone if you get to where its moving around. I've had a 1965 Lotus Seven since 1987. About 1030 lb wet. 100 hp 1500 pushrod Ford Cosworth MK 8. It's super fun but uncivilized. In 1962 my Uncle Bill had a Spriget. My dad my uncle and I went to a boat show in it with the top up. We did it, but I still don't think it's possible. A neighbor had a BUGEYE. he side on a motorcycle. Another neighbor bought it and put a MK II Cortina 1600 GT engine and semi close ratio 4 speed and 3.9 rear end. It was very peppy. Biggest thing they need is an overdrive. Then you could say "Laycock De Normanville" and have relaxed cruising. Really short geared. 4.1 and 13" worm sized tires? I think even shorter gears with pre 1275 engine. Good on you for making it run. My MK II CORTINA has 3.9 rear end with 185-60 13 tires it's like 6000 Rpm at 100 mph. Engine builder doesn't condone rpm higher than 6k without a 1 piece steel crank.