| MG P-type | |
| Production: | 1934–1936 |
| Length: | 1310NaN0[1] |
| Width: | 52.50NaN0 |
| Wheelbase: | 87.250NaN0 |
| Predecessor: | J-type Midget |
| Successor: | TA |
| Class: | Sports car |
| Body Style: | 2-door roadster Airline coupé |
| Engine: | I4 I4 |
The MG P-type is a sports car that was produced by MG from 1934 to 1936. This 2-door sports car used an updated version of the Wolseley Motors-designed and made overhead camshaft, crossflow engine, used in the 1928 Morris Minor and previously fitted in the J-type Midget of 1932 to 1934, driving the rear wheels through a four-speed non-synchromesh gearbox. The chassis was a strengthened and slightly longer version of that used in the J-type with suspension by half-elliptic springs all round with rigid front and rear axles. Steering was initially by a Marles Weller and later a Bishop Cam system. The two-seat car had a wheelbase of 87 inches (2210 mm) and a track of . Most cars were open two-seaters, but streamlined Airline coupé bodies were also made. The P-type was also available as a four-seater, a car that suffered from a lack of power and poor rear ground clearance. Whereas J, K and L-type MGs differentiated between versions with the use of numbers, with 1 indicating a four-seater (i.e., J1) and 2 a two-seater (i.e., J2), this was not the case with the P-type (or its six-cylinder sister, the N-type Magnette), and there is no clue to the type in the name.
The first PA used an 847cc engine similar to the J-Type's, now with a 3-bearing crankshaft, improved camshaft, and twin OM-model SU carburettors. It produced 36bhp at 5,500 rpm, allowing a top speed of approximately 74mph, and a 0–50mph time of 20 seconds.[2] In 1935, a two-seater roadster cost £222.[3] 1,973 PAs were made, 27 of which were eventually converted to PBs.[4]
The PB was produced from 1935 to 1936. It had a bigger engine, made by enlarging the bore from 57 to 60 mm, which increased output to 43bhp. Externally very similar to the PA, the main differences in the PB are a vertically slatted radiator grille in place of a honeycomb, and the design and material of the standard dashboard.
526 examples of the PB were produced.[3]
In 1936 a supercharged MG PB driven by Andrew Hutchinson won the Limerick Grand Prix.