The MG P-type is a

sports car A sports car is a type of automobile that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as Automobile handling, handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and Auto racing, racing capability. Sports cars originated in ...

that was produced by MG from 1934 to 1936. This 2-door sports car used an updated version of the

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-designed and made

overhead camshaft An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine in which the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustio ...

, crossflow engine, used in the 1928

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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.

MG PA

The first PA used an engine similar to the J-Type's, now with a 3-bearing crankshaft, improved camshaft, and twin OM-model SU

carburettor A carburetor (also spelled carburettor or carburetter) is a device used by a gasoline internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the Vent ...

s. It produced at 5,500 rpm, allowing a top speed of approximately , and a 0– time of 20 seconds. In 1935, a two-seater roadster cost £222. 1,973 PAs were made, 27 of which were eventually converted to PBs. 1934 MG PA Airline Coupé at Greenwich, front left.jpg, 1934 PA Airline Coupé MG PA Airline Coupe sliding head.jpg, Sliding head

MG PB

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 . 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. In 1936 a supercharged MG PB driven by Andrew Hutchinson won the Limerick Grand Prix.

References

* MG Sportscars. Malcolm Green. CLB International. 1997 * A-Z of Cars of the 1930s. Michael Sedgwick and Mark Gillies. Bay View Books. 1989.

External links

{{commons category, MG P-Type
MG Car Club Triple-M RegisterVideo (1936 International Grand Prix)
P Cars introduced in 1934 1930s cars 24 Hours of Le Mans race cars Coupés Roadsters Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Sports cars