MG embarked upon a motorsports programme, led by Kimber, and in 1930, a special Midget-engined streamlined car, EX120, was built for driver George Eyston to set a new land speed record. A so-called Double Twelve Midget won at Brooklands that year, and in '31, the supercharged C-Type Midget was introduced. A special racing version of the larger 18/80, the Mk III 18/100 or "Tigress" had made its debut in 1930, but at £895, only five were sold: it was the more affordable and versatile Midget that was really taking off. A six-cylinder version, the F-Type Magna with the 12.7hp 1.3-litre engine from the Wolseley Hornet, was launched, and the four-seater D-Type; all these models were quickly superceded in 1932, however, by the all-new J-Type series.
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| 1934 Q-Type Midget |
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The four-cylinder 8.33hp J-Type Midgets came in two- or four-seat form, and are the cars many consider to be the archetypal pre-war MGs, with their fold-flat screens, cutaway doors and petrol tank and spare wheel strapped to the back. Supercharged racing versions were introduced, and then in 1933, the K-Type Magnette with a 12hp 1.1-litre six-cylinder engine and optional long-wheelbase four-seater body. A short-wheelbase K3 Magnette took a class win in the Mille Miglia road race - the first non-Italian car to do so - and another was fourth overall in the 1934 Le Mans 24 Hours; a third, driven by Tazio Nuvolari, won the Tourist Trophy. George Eyston continued to take further land speed records in his latest special-bodied "Magic Midget", the EX127, which ironically ended up under Mercedes-Benz ownership. Development continued apace, with L-Type Magna models (from £285) appearing in 1933, P-Type Midgets (from £175 in bare-chassis form) and N-Type Magnettes (from £240) in '34, plus Q- and R-Type racing Midgets. The R-Type was MG's first single-seater, and featured all-independent suspension with torsion bars; it cost around £600, more than a 15hp Daimler of the time.
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| 1935 R-Type Midget |
It was all-change mid-decade, however, and the motorsport programme was stopped short. As part of a reshuffle of his empire - which also included brands such as Hotchkiss, Wolseley and Riley - Lord Nuffield sold the MG Car Company to Morris Motors Ltd., and promoted his right-hand man Leonard Lord to Kimber's position as managing director. Kimber was relegated to director and general manager of the factory, and Lord shut both the racing department and the design studio at Abingdon. The new company policy was for design to take place at Morris, using ready-to-go components from the other Nuffield brands at minimum cost.
