British Motor Corporation does not build many cars like the MG Q-type: a open single or two seat with 746 cc four-cylinder, overhead cam, supercharged., built from 1934 when streamlining and independent suspension were arriving together.
The story
The MG Q-type (sometimes referred to as the MG QA) is a racing car that was produced by MG 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 stroke from 83 mm (3.3 in) to 71 mm (2.8 in). A high-pressure Zoller supercharger was fitted giving a boost to 2.5 atmospheres (1.8 kg/cc) and allowing the engine to produce 113 bhp (84 kW) at 7200 rpm. A sprint version was also made with output increased to 146 bhp (109 kW) which at nearly 200 bhp (150 kW) per litre was the highest specific output of any engine in the world at the time Probably only eight were made (Michael Sedgwick states nine) as the car was expensive at £550–£650, and the rigid-axle chassis had difficulty in dealing with the power of the engine. The single-seat version achieved a lap speed of 122 mph (196 km/h) at Brooklands race track driven by George Harvey-Noble, and the two-seater was capable of 120 mph (190 km/h).
Many "specials" have been built on T-type chassis to mimic the style of the Q-type body.
What is underneath
Under the skin sits 746 cc four-cylinder, overhead cam, supercharged.. The gearbox is a four-speed preselector. The wheelbase is 94 in. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Its place in the line
Where it sits in British Motor Corporation's history is not in doubt: the none came before it; the MG R-type followed it; it was built at Abingdon-on-Thames, Berkshire, England. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Bugatti Type 57, the Chevrolet Suburban, the Hispano-Suiza type J12 coupé-chauffeur. Nearby in the British Motor Corporation catalogue sit the Austin 10 and the Austin 12.
The money
MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the MG Q-type has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.