1965 MG Midget Mk II All Original $5K of Major Professional Repairs NO RESERVE!

Description for MG Midget 1965

1965 MG Midget Mk II (incorrectly titled as a 1966 because its VIN number indicates it was produced in early 1965), 1098cc, odometer shows 98,587, which I believe is accurate. I found this car in a barn in Wimberley, TX in 2012. It was buried under some boxes with its grill and headlights poking out, with a look that shouted, "Rescue me!" (Wish I could find those pictures.) I had planned to work on the car but life got in the way so I took it to Austin's own MG guru, Ron Shimek (shimekauto.com). After $5,420 worth of work (all receipts included) over several visits replacing just about everything on the car, Ron got her running and driving perfectly, and the car passed Texas state inspection with flying colors. I even drove it at 60 MPH in the slow lane of Highway 183 -- no small accomplishment if you are familiar with these cars and/or that roadway! Then life got in the way again and the car has been sitting in my garage. Rather than let it revert to the life it had in the last barn I found it in, I've decided to pass it on so someone else can have fun with it like I've had. Understand that the car has been sitting and will need some TLC. I put a new battery in it and with the choke fully open she'll almost start. I'm guessing the gas needs changing. The parking lights, taillights, horn and gauges all work. All five tires (including a full-sized wire-wheel spare) were replaced and have less than 200 miles on them. The driver's seat is loose and may be the incorrect year but both seats are useable as is. The black carpet is in very good shape except in the driver's area where the floorpan will need replacing. The removable top mechanism is complete but will need a new cover. The side mirror appears to be from a 1950s-era Buick (?) but it looks quirky enough that I kept it on and there's another mirror in the trunk that may be the original. Please note that some of the pictures are from when I acquired the car earlier and represent what the car looked like as I was working on it (or sadly, neglecting it).

There are lots of minor things that will need addressing (hood cable, paint job, etc.) but with so much work already done to it, it really is more of a "reawakening" than a restoration at this point. Understand that its a 54-year-old car and needs to be treated like the near senior citizen that it is. Car comes with its original hood (I ordered another one off of eBay with the intention of repainting the car its original color at one point -- the gorgeous YL-12 Pale Primrose is peeking through in spots), and both the Bentley and Haynes Sprite/Midget manuals (a $100 value or thereabouts, check eBay for exact value). Hagerty values this car in Fair #4 condition at $2,200 but I will start this auction with a low opening bid and make it a NO RESERVE auction to guarantee that it finds a good home.

I really wish I had more time to spend with the car -- just inspecting it today I started to second guess myself whether I should even sell it. After all, there were only 26,601 Midget Mark II (GAN3) cars ever produced. Of those, only 9,162 were made in 1965, and of those only 4,390 were LHD (lefthand drive) and exported to North America (minimania.com). I'll leave the "Rare" title out of the description, but these numbers are sobering. When these cars are gone they are gone and every effort to keep them on the road preserves a little piece of automotive history. I have clear Texas title in my name. There's easy access for loading and I can assist you or your shipper with loading, if necessary. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions, and good luck should you decide to bid. Again, this is a NO RESERVE auction and the highest bidder will win this auction!