1953 Arnolt MG Coupé

Lot 11
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Estimation :
55000 - 75000 EUR
1953 Arnolt MG Coupé
Only 67 copies Body by Bertone Elegant style French registration Chassis n°TD27801 At the beginning of the 1950s, Stanley Arnolt, a racing enthusiast, gave up the manufacture of marine engines and devoted himself to the resale of English cars. He founded S.H. Arnolt Inc and became the main MG, Riley and Morris importer in the American Midwest. Later he also became a Bentley, RollsRoyce and Aston-Martin dealer. In 1952, during a visit to the Turin Motor Show, he fell under the spell of a coupé and a convertible presented by the Italian coachbuilder Bertone. Built on the chassis of the small MG TD, their innovative lines are the result of the collaboration of Giovanni Bertone, Nuccio Bertone and Franco Scaglione. Very interested, Arnolt negotiates an exclusivity contract for these models. The Bertone establishments, in financial difficulty, cannot afford to miss such a bargain. The American importer plans to build 200 models: 100 coupes and 100 convertibles. The chassis equipped with their engines from the MG factory in Abingdon were sent to Genoa by boat and then transited to Turin by truck. The steel bodywork with aluminum sashes was welded to the chassis and not bolted as was done at MG. The cars were then shipped to the United States and then transported to Chicago to finalise assembly. The car could be fitted with optional Borrani spoke rims or a Motorola radio. The Arnolt MG is equipped with the 1250cc XPAG engine developing 54 horsepower from the TD, some cars will receive a Shorrock compressor as an option. Unfortunately, production will not reach 200 units as the MG factory will stop supplying the chassis. In the end, 102 cars will be manufactured between 1953 and 1954: 67 coupes and 36 convertibles.  The car we are presenting is number 315, it was put into circulation in 1953 in the United States. It was completely restored in the early 2000s when it belonged to an American living in Phoenix, Arizona. The body
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