MG Comet vs MG Midget : Going small. It used to be a no-brainer for carmakers, especially in troubled times since the Second World War. Small was more affordable. They needed fewer of the then-scarce resources. And little cars are efficient — they weigh less and use less energy. In crowded cities, small cars are also more practical. And because all of them are easier to drive and easier to park, they provide a level of convenience that many larger cars don’t.
We all know how small cars look like in India, right? Some we know can be very well-engineered, others can even be quite comfortable, and if done right, some are even fun to punt around. So who makes the best small cars? So we know about the Japanese, French and Italians are very strong. But hey, didn’t the Brits get a bit nifty with this whole small car thing, as well? Remember the Mini? And its creator, Alec Issigonis?
Small by name
That sort of brings us to the MG’s rather brilliant Midget, which was built, like all MGs, around the cheap mechanical aggregates of a Morris small car. Only not quite. Most of the MG’s mechanical components were shared with the Austin-Healey Sprite, the one with the frog-eye headlamps. At the time, the two companies were part of the same giant British conglomerate (British Leyland), and although that car was the most basic, the MG badged iteration had much better specification.
For the time, the Midget boasted a monocoque, somewhat of a surprise in a sports car whose initial production run straddled the early and late ’60s, with box sections for the scuttle and sills. Cheap components included the Austin A35 four-speed gearbox and front suspension, with coils and a lower wishbone. And so did the steering, which was in true MG tradition sourced from the Morris Minor.
MG has been slapping together existing parts to make cars forever. Keep in mind that Morris Garages began as an aftermarket dealer-modification company. What set it apart, and made it a darling of the car enthusiast community, was that every one of its cars was intentionally tuned and built to be fun to drive. And they share an all but monolithic purity of purpose — the vast majority are coyly attractive, too. Arriving amongst the wealthy collectors of exotic vintage and classic automobiles who still value
their humble MGs amongst their favourite cars. Among which are Maharajas, Thakurs and Nawabs, who generally possess garages crammed with the world’s most expensive and coolest cars. SMALL IS STILL BEAUTIFUL in the land of MG, witness the Comet. Although today’s MG Motor, owned by the Chinese, isn’t a patch on the MG Cars of yore and Abingdon in Oxfordshire, there are traces and strands of that small car philosophy which live on in the modern-day business. MG, remember, still has a design
studio in the UK and some engineering presence there, too. So, MG pretty much knew it was capable of a small car. So a compact car is something, inherently, that the company is comfortable doing, just like the Cyberster electric sports car. And just to be clear – it’s small, relatively light EVs (with small batteries) that make most sense compared to big, large, and heavy electric cars, at least when we discussing green credentials.
Based on SAIC-GM-Wuling’s Global Small Electric Vehicle (GSEV) platform, which also serves as the basis of other micro EVs, the Comet, however, keeps the front half of its passenger compartment front and center. Indeed, squish the bonnet and the partition behind the front seats of a modern car and what you have is pretty much what the Comet is. MG Motor has leveraged vertical space very well, and the cabin is roomy, very comfortable and practical, especially if you are a front-row occupant. And that MG has also specified and kitted out the cabin as well as it has just goes to show how good it is. Sure, if you get out of a big fat SUV and into a Comet, you will feel naked and vulnerable. But that comes with the territory, so to speak.”