MG R-Type
Encyclopedia
The MG R-type was produced by the MG
Car company in 1935. It was designed for competition use and was a development of the Q-type
.
The car used a tuned short stroke (73 mm) version of the bevel gear driven overhead camshaft
engine from the 1928 Morris Minor
and Wolseley
10. This had already been highly tuned for use in the Q-type and was further modified, especially in the input area, to improve reliability. It was fitted with a Zoller supercharger
and produced 110 bhp at 7200 rpm. The gearbox was a four speed preselector
type unit. At the rear the differential in its aluminium casing was fastened to the chassis and drove the wheels through short shafts with sliding splines and universal joints.
The steel chassis was revolutionary and was Y shaped with a backbone that divided around the engine and gearbox and was very light. The suspension was independent all round, making a first for MG and possibly the British motor industry, and used wishbones and longitudinal torsion bars allowing a large amount of wheel travel to allow for the poor surfaces on many of the contemporary racing circuits, especially Brooklands
. Lever arm hydraulic shock absorber
s were used. The brakes were cable operated using 12 inch (305 mm) drums and the wheels were wire spoked and secured by a centre lock nut.
The single seat body had the appearance of a miniature Grand Prix racer and was formed from aluminium and designed to be easily removable.
The car was offered to the public at £750 and the initial ten were sold to pre selected customers. A further batch was planned but never happened. A car changed hands at auction in 2006 for £130,000.
The first major sporting outing was to Brooklands for the International Trophy where a six car team including three works entries appeared but the best result was a 6th place and none of the works cars finished. It was realised that the suspension was giving problems, mainly with the rear being too soft, and solutions were proposed but all work stopped when new boss Leonard Lord
closed the MG Racing Department. Private entries to competition continued and the works cars were sold to the Evans family who already owned one of the other cars.
MG (car)
The MG Car Company is a former British sports car manufacturer founded in the 1920s by Cecil Kimber. Best known for its two-seat open sports cars, MG also produced saloons and coupés....
Car company in 1935. It was designed for competition use and was a development of the Q-type
MG Q-Type
The MG Q-type was a racing car produced by the MG Car company in 1934. The chassis was based on the one used on the MG K3 but was narrower and used N-type axles. The engine used the cylinder block from the P-type but with a special crankshaft to bring the capacity down to 746 cc by reducing...
.
The car used a tuned short stroke (73 mm) version of the bevel gear driven overhead camshaft
Overhead camshaft
Overhead cam valvetrain configurations place the engine camshaft within the cylinder heads, above the combustion chambers, and drive the valves or lifters in a more direct manner compared to overhead valves and pushrods...
engine from the 1928 Morris Minor
Morris Motor Company
The Morris Motor Company was a British car manufacturing company. After the incorporation of the company into larger corporations, the Morris name remained in use as a marque until 1984 when British Leyland's Austin Rover Group decided to concentrate on the more popular Austin marque...
and Wolseley
Wolseley Motor Company
The Wolseley Motor Company was a British automobile manufacturer founded in 1901. After 1935 it was incorporated into larger companies but the Wolseley name remained as an upmarket marque until 1975.-History:...
10. This had already been highly tuned for use in the Q-type and was further modified, especially in the input area, to improve reliability. It was fitted with a Zoller supercharger
Supercharger
A supercharger is an air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine.The greater mass flow-rate provides more oxygen to support combustion than would be available in a naturally aspirated engine, which allows more fuel to be burned and more work to be done per cycle,...
and produced 110 bhp at 7200 rpm. The gearbox was a four speed preselector
Preselector gearbox
A preselector or self-changing gearbox is a type of manual gearbox used on a variety of vehicles, most commonly in the 1930s...
type unit. At the rear the differential in its aluminium casing was fastened to the chassis and drove the wheels through short shafts with sliding splines and universal joints.
The steel chassis was revolutionary and was Y shaped with a backbone that divided around the engine and gearbox and was very light. The suspension was independent all round, making a first for MG and possibly the British motor industry, and used wishbones and longitudinal torsion bars allowing a large amount of wheel travel to allow for the poor surfaces on many of the contemporary racing circuits, especially Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
. Lever arm hydraulic shock absorber
Shock absorber
A shock absorber is a mechanical device designed to smooth out or damp shock impulse, and dissipate kinetic energy. It is a type of dashpot.-Nomenclature:...
s were used. The brakes were cable operated using 12 inch (305 mm) drums and the wheels were wire spoked and secured by a centre lock nut.
The single seat body had the appearance of a miniature Grand Prix racer and was formed from aluminium and designed to be easily removable.
The car was offered to the public at £750 and the initial ten were sold to pre selected customers. A further batch was planned but never happened. A car changed hands at auction in 2006 for £130,000.
The first major sporting outing was to Brooklands for the International Trophy where a six car team including three works entries appeared but the best result was a 6th place and none of the works cars finished. It was realised that the suspension was giving problems, mainly with the rear being too soft, and solutions were proposed but all work stopped when new boss Leonard Lord
Leonard Lord
Leonard Percy Lord, 1st Baron Lambury KBE was a captain of the British motor industry.-Background and education:...
closed the MG Racing Department. Private entries to competition continued and the works cars were sold to the Evans family who already owned one of the other cars.