1983 MG Midget

During the Mid-1980s, Roy Axe spearheaded the revival of the MG marque, by producing concepts wearing the revered octagonal badge. The idea was to produce interesting, affordable and saleable sporting cars using many parts from existing models. The culmination of this philosophy was the EX-E showcar, launched at the Frankfurt motor show in 1985, but this was not the only car in development. Using the AR6 as a base, the design team was tasked with producing a spritual successor to the MG Midget.

This concept car was the result, and close scrutiny of the picture reveals that it was essentially an AR6 with the roof chopped off. There was additional body addenda added, and some mean looking cooling slats in the bonnet, but apart from that, the car was almost pure AR6, right down to the indvidualistic rear lamps and heavily stylised door mirrors. With the K-Series 1.4-litre engine under the bonnet, it would have been a very lively drive…