Longer wheelbase and doors provided room for a small rear seat
Considered the Bill Graham of his day, John S. Inskip was one of the most renowned evangelical Methodist preachers in the 19th century and he is often credited with making the “tent revival” a part of modern American religious practice. His eponymous son failed to go into the family business and instead became a salesman for the New York City Locomobile franchise after the end of World War I. Afterwards he left to work at the Rolls-Royce dealership located at the intersection of Eighth Avenue and 58th Street where he did well enough to eventually start his own dealership.
New top and side curtains were made to fit over the longer cockpit
Following the end of World War II, Inskip became interested in sports cars and soon had the valuable distribution rights for New York City. Believing that the MG TD was the right car for the sporting man with a family, he commissioned a four-seat version of the car – the Inskip MG TD Four-Seater – that featured a longer chassis (by 10-inches) and longer doors. Bucket seats were installed forward and an occasional seat was located behind them. The driveshaft was – of course – lengthened and a new top assembly had to be designed to cover the cockpit.
Bucket seats and small rear seat provided seating for four (if two were small children)
The sports car with room for a family (or at least small children) made its debut at the 1953 New York International Motor Show at a price of $2925. An attractive alternative to the indigenous MG YT Tourer, it was expensive to produce and its purchase price proved a hindrance to prospective purchasers.
It is believed that fewer than 12 Inskip MG TDs were produced, but at least a few survive today.
By Johnny Oversteer
'Holy Roller – Inskip MG TD Four-Seater' have 4 comments
April 28, 2015 @ 2:26 pm Raymond Diesel Jr.
I think I have buried in my garage one of the original front bumper guards that is shown on the original Inskip Ad . I bought it for my TD in the fifties and removed it in the sixties when I restored the car , which I still have .
October 14, 2018 @ 5:06 pm jacques roy
Raymond Diesel Jr.
I think I have buried in my garage one of the original front bumper guards that is shown on the original Inskip Ad . I bought it for my TD in the fifties and removed it in the sixties when I restored the car , which I still have
May 5, 2015 @ 10:14 am Robert Jenson
It’s interesting to me that the “4 place” cars that the Brits have made in the past have no legroom for the back seat passenger. Is it possible that the British children only grow legs when they grow to be driving age when they need legs to operate the pedals on the floor??
May 5, 2015 @ 2:35 pm nikasj
Apparently, occasional seat (the term used for the rear seat in many Big Healeys, TRs and MGs) refers to those individuals that only occasionally possess lower limbs. A true British 2+2 may not really exist.