Besides its small size, upright grille, and individual, detachable fenders, the two most significant design features that make the T-Series of MG sports cars so endearing are their cut-down doors and twin-humped scuttle. Although the last of the T-Series was the 1955 TF, its signature style originated in 1932 with the introduction of the MG J2. This is the car that the entire T-Series line, including the immensely popular TC and TD, took its design inspiration germinated from.
The J2’s proper factory-issued name is “Midget”—clearly a reference to its pint-size dimensions. The first Midget, known as the M Type, appeared at Britain’s Motor Show in 1928. Four years later, the first J Type Midget was introduced, and although its production run was a short three years, a total of 2,083 were produced. Today, the J2—every one of which was constructed in right-hand-drive—is considered by collectors and enthusiasts to be one of the most desirable of all the prewar Midget models.
co*ckpit is tight as the passenger rubs elbows with the driver, while the Brooklands-style windscreens provide little protection. . . but oh what fun!
In keeping with the J2’s diminutive size, its engine is tiny. Its small block displaces just 847 cc among all four cylinders. Compared to American engines, that’s a total of only 51.68 cubic inches, which is equivalent to just a single cylinder of a Mopar 413-cu.in. V-8. Now, that’s small.
Its engine architecture was fairly advanced for its time. While most automobile engines of the period were flatheads, the J2 had an overhead-cam design with an eight-port crossflow cylinder head; the single camshaft was driven by a vertical bevel-geared shaft that incorporated the generator. Below its cast-aluminum valve cover are finger-type followers fitted on two separate shafts that open and close the valves; the camshaft sits in between the two shafts. This high-performance cylinder head was originally developed for the competition MG C Type and featured a pair of tiny SU carburetors on the right side. The exhaust manifold incorporates fins in its cast-iron casting along with the MG octagon emblem in the center. In stock trim, the horsepower rating is 36, reaching its maximum power at 5,500 rpm.
In keeping with its prewar character, the manual gearbox is what’s called a “crashbox” because it lacks synchronizers on any of its four gears, thus requiring thoughtful rev matching for every shift, up or down. The stubby shifter sits in a well-crafted case made of alloy metal, located remotely about 12 inches back from the gearbox itself. Alongside the shifter, to the left, is a “flyoff” handbrake lever; just pull it towards you without pressing its button and it releases the rear brakes.
Another common prewar feature is its solid front axle, suspended via half elliptic leaf springs like it is in the rear, and relying on André Hartford friction-disc shock absorbers to control the bounce. All Midgets were equipped with narrow 48-spoke 19-inch wire wheels. Fitted with equally narrow 4.00-19 tires, if you enjoy sliding around corners at speed, then you’ll certainly enjoy the many handling thrills this attractive little sports car provides.
Obvious by the white racing roundels on its doors, our feature car has been modified for vintage racing, so its engine block has been enlarged to 850 cc and is now equipped with a larger single SU carb attached to a Marshall Type Z75 supercharger. Somewhere in the vicinity of around 60 horsepower is its current power output, which, when you factor in the car’s ultra-light weight of just 1,091 pounds, makes for a very quick and highly entertaining driving experience.
Single overhead-cam 850-cc four-cylinder puts out 36 horsepower, yet the car only weighs 1,091 lb.
While the addition of a supercharger may not be original to this particular J2, MG did produce supercharged versions; they were called J3 Midgets. The factory built only 22 supercharged J3 cars, thus making them one of the most sought after prewar MGs. Without the supercharger, a stock J2 has a top speed of about 83 mph, but car owner Dan Lanier reports he has seen more than 100 mph down the long straight at Wisconsin’s Road America road racing circuit in his modified supercharged J2.
Dan, who resides in South Florida, says that his J2 has been “tweaked.” He competes regularly in vintage races, yet he drives it on the street fairly often. “It’s my dream car in every way,” Dan tells us proudly. “Back in 1964, when I had an MGA, my sister gave me a book that featured J Types and prewar MG race cars. I vowed the I would someday have a J2. Being a longtime SCCA and SVRA racer, I wanted to race a prewar MG, and this J2 has made that dream possible.”
But exactly what is it about the J2 that makes Dan so enamored with it? He says: “Although the M was the first two-seat roadster produced in quantity and the inspiration for the C Type racing models, the J2 was truly the ‘developed’ two-seat sports car produced in quantity by MG for sale after the racing success of the C Types. Its styling is the most attractive of the prewar cars. The way the body follows the line of the rear wings is primarily what makes the difference to me, especially when compared to the MG P Type, for example. The J2’s proportion and size along with the classic ‘square rigger’ look all add up to a very attractive package. One other styling feature that I’ve always appreciated is the use of the MG octagon symbol throughout, even including castings as difficult to make as the remote gear change which is tapered and octagonal!”
So, what’s it like to drive an MG J2 at speed? According to Dan: “Driving a supercharged J2 is a singular experience. On twisty roads, it’s an absolute blast, and is even more exciting on circuits like Road America where you can really go flat out. G-forces help slide the little car on its skinny 19-inch wheels through corners because keeping up momentum is most important. Braking can create quite a pucker factor! The 8-inch cable-operated brakes take a serious amount of effort, and you must have confidence racing in wheel-to-wheel conditions. Building of that confidence takes time and practice. Too much braking and you need to reestablish the momentum. It becomes a balance of speed and braking to ensure the fastest times. And the crash gearbox makes all gear changes interesting. Double clutching all gears up and down while braking hard, heel-and-toeing to get the timing just right to keep your speed up makes for a busy, exciting time whether on the road or the track.”
I found out firsthand what Dan was talking about when he took me for a lengthy ride on the long, smooth streets west of Fort Lauderdale. While cruising along at about 40 mph, Dan unexpectedly revved the little engine well past 4,000 rpm. Without missing a beat, the single-overhead-cam engine burst into a full-blown manic episode as it swiftly came on-cam in concert with the supercharger, forcibly pushing untold amounts of highly compressed fuel-mixed air into the four tiny cylinders. I was holding on for dear life as, seconds later, the mighty 850-cc engine was spinning more than 7,000 revolutions per minute. The g-forces firmly planted me into the body-hugging seat, while my ears were reveling in the spine-tingling sound that only a supercharger at full chat can make. As proven by the mile-wide smile that I couldn’t erase, it was truly one of the most exciting driving experiences of my entire life—I was in heaven.
One would imagine that maintaining a hand-built prewar MG J2—especially one that has been modified and driven regularly with verve—is challenging, requiring more than the average upkeep of a vintage sports car. And that would be correct. Dan tells us: “In general, maintenance is straightforward, with normal lubrication requirements along with fuel and ignition adjustments at normal intervals. Reliability is directly related to regular maintenance, but certain parts, like the gearbox input shaft, can be difficult to source if needed. Annual trips to the Beaulieu Autojumble in England help maintain access to those more difficult to find bits. Some parts end up being made from scratch by me or a specialist. More modern manufacturing methods have helped develop certain critical components like shell rod bearings, along with forged pistons, and billet-steel connecting rods and crankshafts, which add longevity. Valve gear and camshafts are getting more difficult to find but are available… at a price. The hardest bits to find relate to original body and chassis components that aren’t reproduced and can be quite hard to source.”
ENGINE: SINGLE OVERHEAD-CAM FOUR-CYLINDER
HORSEPOWER: 36 @ 5,500 RPM
GEARBOX: FOUR-SPEED MANUAL
WHEELBASE: 86 IN
OVERALL LENGTH: 128 IN
OVERALL WIDTH: 51.5 IN
WEIGHT: 1,091 LB
TOTAL PRODUCTION: 2,083
