Our CAR OF THE MONTH for January 2009 is the MG TD

MG TC/TD/TF

To get back into production quickly after the Second Word War, MG of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, had no option but to warm up its pre-war model, the TB. Thus the TC of 1945 had the same big 19in (48cm) wheels, fold-flat screen, crude semi-elliptic suspension and slab-tank body with ash framing. The body was wider now to give more elbow room for its passengers, while synchromesh on second, third and top gear made it more pleasant to drive. Hydraulic brakes were another welcome improvement.

1949 MG TC

Traditionalists loved it: it was nippy - 78mph (125kph) flat-out - and fun to drive. Nobody seemed to mind the heavy steering and rock-hard suspension. US servicemen stationed in the UK loved them so much they took them home and gave Americans a taste they never lost for European sports cars. Soon the C was spearheading an export drive to the USA - and that's where most of the 10,000-car production run ended up.

Charming as it was, the out-dated TC couldn't go on for ever, so fir 1949 MG introduced the TD: same chassis, same 1250cc four-cylinder engine, but with the new independent front suspension and the rack-and-pinion steering of the YA. Bumpers front and rear and smaller disc wheel didn't do much for the looks, but the TD was roomier and slightly faster, especially in higher compression MKII form from 1952. The TD was a big seller, racking up 29,664 units in its four-year production run.

1954 MG TD

The MG TD MK.II

The final flowering of the traditional MG was the TF of 1953. By moulding the headlamps into the front wings, which sloped the grill and fuel tank, Abingdon had gently modernised the shape. Inside, there were individual front seats and a re-styled dashboard. Early cars had the 1250cc engine, but from 1954, a 1500cc unit, giving 63bhp restored some of the performance.

The TF was a holding operation until the MGA appeared

The TF looked what it was - warmed-up left-overs - and was really a holding operation while Abingdon prepared its first modern post-war model, the MGA of 1955. Ironically, the TF is the most sought-after of the three "square-rigger" post-war MG's.

The TD of 1949 was the first MG sports car to have the independent suspension system