1965-mg-midget
Lot 5004
1965 MG Midget
Lot Details & Additional Photographs
VIN# GAN3L31164


With the original 1098cc engine and four speed transmission. Equipped with the more desirable "rib cased" transmission.

Exterior refinished in two-stage black paint in 2015 and shows remarkably well. The interior is red vinyl. A tonneau cover with rib is present. Later midget seats are installed, and the battery has been relocated behind the drivers seat under the car. The car retains the European ignition under the dash, and rear taillights. With fender mounted chrome side mirrors, and black steel wheels with chrome 'moon' style caps highlighting the original chrome bumpers and grille.

Please note, bidders may be subject to a bidding limit. Please review your account and contact the front office for assistance with increasing a bid limit prior to the auction. This lot subject to reserve. For this lot, payment accepted only by wire transfer. 10% buyer's premium for LLA live-online and absentee bidding. LLA will process taxes, title, and registration for NC buyers. For out-of-state buyers, a third-party will handle the processing. Buyer's invoice will include tax, tag, and title fees, along with a document fee of $199 for NC and $399 out-of-state.

Purchased from LLA in March 2022.

Sold by LLA in March, 2022 and March, 2021. Current ownership in Raleigh NC. This car was purchased from us in 2021, for the purpose of it being used in a wedding for the buyer's daughter. Previous ownership of 50+ years, with the following previous Provenance used:
This car was purchased in 1966 by Mr. Horne from a returning GI who had purchased the car in Europe and transported it home. A few years later, Horne sold the car to friends. Mr. Horne purchased it back from the friends for $100 in 1974, and performed a two year cosmetic and mechanical rebuild. The car was repainted in the original lacquer paint. Horne claimed it was his crowning accomplishment, which a note from his wife supports. The lacquer paint did not hold well in the Florida climate and bubbled and cracked. Upon moving to NC In 1986, the car was stored in his barn until 2014, when another rebuild was commissioned. The entire body was disassembled, professionally stripped, painted and reassembled. All of the mechanical work performed in 1976 was still in great shape. The car you see was almost traded in on the 1968 Barracuda also in our sale, as the paperwork suggests. After 52 years of fastidious ownership, 2 restorations, a 25-30 year rest, and a recent health check by an English car expert, this car is ready for a new chapter. A pair of folders documenting the rebuilds, mileage records, mechanical drawings, compression charts, flow charts for carb adjustments, are included to support the level of care this care has received.
Henry Horne and Hayden Beatty were brothers-in-law, as they married sisters. Their love of cars, racing, and their wives is apparent. Henry's wife, Jo, illustrates this in a poem she wrote for their 20th wedding anniversary. Henry's engineering background is illustrated by the extensive notes he made about, and the care he took, of the vehicles he owned. Racing in SCCA events around the South in the late 50s and early 60s, Henry and Hayden had a blast sharing their lives in an Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite and MGs. Leland Little sold one of Hayden's MGs in 2020. The numerous trophies and notes referencing racetracks in Florida, and the early days of the internationally acclaimed VIR racetrack in Virginia provide the proof of the brother in-laws' drive to just have fun doing what they loved.

New carpet kit installed, and some original trim pieces were dyed; interior in amazing condition with new covering on drivers side seat cushion. Recent service to ready for sale to include spark plugs and oil change.

The following condition report, while thorough, is not exhaustive as vintage cars have inherent wear and imperfections. We welcome personal inspections.

Chrome with very minor pitting, paint in great condition; brakes and clutch are good, and with new fuel filter; driver's seat cushion was replaced and appears brighter; passenger seat need some attention to the lower cushion; some minor oil leaks; overall wonderful condition with no concerns.