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MG Midget and Sprite General - 1971 Midget Road Test

I found a copy of Autocar from February 4 1971 with a midget on the cover. I scanned it and put it on the website. You can get the PDF below. I also included the classifieds. Oh the days when you could buy a 1970 model in good nick for only around 600 bucks

http://www.spridgetguru.com/MGMdgtZneArt/Pages/Autocar_February_8_1971_files/02_04_1971_Autocar.pdf
S.A. Jones

Yeah, interesting article. I have the book, "Midget and Sprite Gold Portfolio," which is made up of period road test articles. Good book! I heartily recommend it.

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

Thanks for sharing that, quite fun reading!

But, since the article is written in England, the prices are in GBP, not "bucks", I found a clever website with an inflation calculator to adjust those prices into today's money:

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/historic-inflation-calculator

a 600 GBP purchase in 1971 is estimated to be equal to a 6,828 GBP purchase today

My favorite quote from the article (like "wireless" and "furling the top") is in reference to the challenge of loading things into the boot, "but careful stowage with squashy bags will get quite a lot in."

":o)

Norm "using my best Monty Python accent" Kerr (USA)
Norm Kerr

Norm the taxes on UK cars vary enormously over the years so it messes with the inflation calculation

at one time I think car purchase tax was 50% (start of '50s?)

another time I think car tax was 10% and then you added VAT (value added tax)

VAT at the end of the '70s had a luxury level of 25%, I don't know if this was added to cars then

Taxes on new cars are relatively at a low level now but I'd guess a present day Midget would be around £14-16,000 on the road

Until recently we'd be paying twice what you'd pay for the same car
Nigel Atkins

yikes!

well, at least you've had your royal family to keep your mind off such things



Norm
Norm Kerr

uuuuuuuuuhm, and where did the money come from for that to go ahead I wonder

worth every penny I bet the Germans wish they had a royal family, like the Windsors

FYI - cheapest MX-5 (Miata) - Mazda MX-5 1.8i SE £17,990 on the road a better car I know but only comparison we have now
Nigel Atkins

LOL @ "hood erection"
Ron Koenig

I had posted this (1973) Road & Track link earlier to point out tire (tyre) pressures during track testing. The Midget is listed here with several other SCCA showroom stock class cars of the time.

http://www.karmannghiaconnection.com/73rt_roadtest.html

Regards,

Larry C.
Larry C '69 Midget

This thread was discussed between 06/05/2011 and 12/05/2011

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