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The MGTD in America
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A short history on the MGTD's impact on the United States sports car scene during the early 1950's. Each of these vignettes tell a different story of the impact of the MGTD in America and the companies and people that made the MGTD so popular in the 1950's.
Story by Mike Walsh
Woodhouse invoice and emblem picture courtesy of Jay Valentine. See this site for more on his Woodhouse TD.
The J. A. Woodhouse MG agency
in Koln dates from the 1920s beginning as a British motorcycle agency. Jack
Woodhouse was a British Army officer from the Great War, WWI, who remained in
Germany after the War. In 1927 Jack marries Rita who helps him build the
motorcycle agency into a successful enterprise. Later, she convinces Jack to
accept Cecil Kimber's offer of an MG agency stating all will go well. Indeed,
all does goes well for the Woodhouse agency as Germany becomes one of the prime
export markets for MGs during the 1930s. These successes are also the basis of
a life long friendship with George Tuck who will play a major role after WWII
in establishing a new J. A. Woodhouse MG agency. At the outbreak of hostilities
in 1939, Rita and Jack escaped to England where they would remain for the
duration of WWII.
At the end of the war, Rita and Jack were planning to
buy a farm in England but a chance meeting with George Tuck , then Nuffield
Export director, convinced Rita and Jack to return to Koln to reestablish their
MG agency. Before long the J. A. W. MG agency was reestablished and selling
MG-TCs to Americans who were part of the army of occupation thus creating the
beginning of the stream of MGs coming to the United States from Europe. I have
seen TDs, TFs and MG-As with the J. A. Woodhouse plaque. I have not seen a TC
so if anyone has a TC with such a plaque, I would be interested in knowing
where the plaque was located and any other unique features. 
The plaque is a U shaped shield with a
black background on brass held onto the car with three screws - one each in the
upper left and right as well as at the middle of the bottom of the shield. In
the middle of the plaque is the twin spires of the Koln cathedral with JAW
within an octagon in the middle and the words "Imported By J. A.
Woodhouse" following the outline of the U shaped body of the plaque
while their agency address is immediately below the basic shape on a separate
line. The plaques seem to be found always on the right hand side of the car. On
the TD, it's on the right hand side of the bonnet side immediately behind the
aft latch. The location on the TF is on the body immediately aft of the rubber
cowl strip and above the fender welting, forward of the passenger door. On the
MG-A, it's on the right front fender immediately aft of the right front wheel
on the vertical side immediately behind the wheel opening before the fender
curves down to the lower trim strip.
Personally, I did not live in
Germany during this time period so I can only speculate that the J. A.
Woodhouse MG agency may have had a tie-in with the U. S. armed forces post
exchange where a member of the U. S. occupation forces may order an MG for
delivery in Germany. I do know there were tie-ins in other countries, namely
England and France, where one could purchase an English car to take home via
the PX. Since these cars were intended for the US - North American market, they
would be so noted - the TDs would be either LHX or EXL/NA with degree F and
miles instruments. The TFs/ MG-As would be 46 - not 36 as some have mentioned
as the intended market would be North American - not Germany. Also, these TFs
would have degree F and miles instruments whereas the German home market cars
would have degree C and kilometer instruments. All MG models would have the
Lucas Continental bulb type headlights as exported to North America and which
the dealers would have to change out for sealed beams before delivery to the
customer to meet US standards.
Rita Woodhouse obituary in the Jan / Feb
2001 issue of Safety Fast provided much of the historical
information presented above. She lived to be 102! Also mentioned in the above
article is that the J. A. Woodhouse agency was included in an MG book written
by Hagen Nynckes. Does anyone know of this book? I would like to know more
about this unique MG agency as I also own a 1954 MG-TF sold by J. A. Woodhouse.
Please feel free to email me with any additional information you may have.
Thank you- Mike Walsh
A Hawaii MG dealer circa 1952. See MGTD inside window.
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