2005 MG TF 135 - Just 77 Miles from New!

Background;

The MG TF arrived in 2002 as the substantially revised successor to the MGF, retaining the familiar mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout but introducing a number of important changes beneath its sharper-looking bodywork. Gone was the MGF's Hydragas suspension, replaced by a more conventional coil-sprung arrangement, whilst revisions to the body structure, steering and suspension gave the TF a more sporting character. Styling changes included a revised front end, reshaped bumpers, new side air intakes and an updated rear treatment.

The 135 was the sweet spot of the TF range, balancing affordable running costs with spirited performance. It was powered by a naturally aspirated 1.8-litre K-Series inline four-cylinder engine offering 134bhp and 122lb/ft of torque fed through a five-speed close-ratio gearbox enabling 0-60 in 8.2 seconds and 127mph.

The 2005 version addressed several of the common complaints aimed at early TFs: MG retuned the conventional coil springs and dampers to dramatically improve everyday ride comfort without sacrificing the car's sharp handling, a factory-fitted, electrically heated glass rear window replaced the easily scratched, cloudy plastic zip-out screen, refreshed cabin trims featured improved ventilation controls, backlit switchgear, a leather steering wheel, and refreshed console colour schemes and a revised front grille pattern and bright chrome exterior badging distinguished the 2005 cars from earlier models.

More than two decades later, finding an MG TF is not particularly difficult. Finding one that has effectively never been used is an entirely different matter.

The Car:

This remarkable TF 135 was supplied new by Dixon MG on 17th March 2005 and is finished in Starlight Silver with a contrasting Black Leather and Gunsmoke Alcantara interior. The factory specification includes 16-inch 'Style 17' alloy wheels and an alloy spare wheel, together with the optional K-Sport suspension. A Sony stereo is also fitted. Pleasingly, the car is offered with both roof option; its colour-coded hardtop accompanies the car, whilst the charcoal folding fabric soft top remains in place for traditional open-air motoring.

At the time of cataloguing, the odometer displayed just 77 miles and that figure is central to the appeal of this particular MG as, rather than being a low-mileage example in the conventional sense, it has covered little more than delivery mileage during the 21 years since it left the supplying dealership.

It's supplied with its original owner's handbook and delivery card, particularly appropriate pieces of documentation given the extraordinarily limited mileage.

Condition:

With just 77 miles recorded, this MG TF has experienced remarkably little use since it was supplied new in March 2005 and its condition is generally commensurate with that mileage. The Starlight Silver bodywork is complemented by its colour-coded hardtop and 16-inch Style 17 alloy wheels, whilst the leather and Alcantara cabin reflects that it's hardly ever been sat in. The car is reported to run and drive well.

What makes this TF particularly interesting is not simply that it is a low-mileage example, but the extent of that low mileage. At just 77 miles from new, it offers something remarkably close to the experience of encountering an MG TF in a showroom in 2005, even retaining that, impossible to replicate, 'new car smell'.

Complete with its colour-coded hardtop, charcoal folding soft top, original owner's handbook and delivery card, this is an extraordinary survivor from the final years of MG Rover production and an intriguing proposition for an MG enthusiast or collector.