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| N Type Profile |
By 1934, the range and number of MG models was becoming unsustainable and a decision was taken to rationalise production by reducing the number available to the public. The knowledge gained from racing and record breaking continued to be fed back into production and another six-cylinder engine variant was designed, similar to the KD but incorporating the latest modifications to the cylinder head, combustion chamber design and inlet manifold. The new engine now gave a very respectable 56 bhp and was installed in a new chassis, which did away with the K type cross bracing but was now wider at the back than the front, giving improving stability. Chassis rigidity was ensured by the use of cross tubes as before but much larger in section. The new cars were known as N Magnettes. Transmission was once again through the Wolseley four-speed box but with lower 1st and 2nd gear ratios. A proprietary single plate clutch was used for the first time in place of the old Wolseley, double-plate, unit and drive was taken through the lighter Morris differential in a 3' 9" back axle. Once again, body styles were four-seat tourers and two-seat sports but in both cases the bodies were mounted on a separate sub-frame which itself was attached to the chassis via outriggers on rubber ‘Silentbloc’ bushes, a new innovation that was being introduced to car production. The result was that small road shocks were not transmitted directly to the body which gave the impression of a much more comfortable ride. Thankfully, the Saloon/Salonette variant was dropped for this model range although an opportunity was seized to use up some of the stock of unsold K chassis by combining them with the new N engine to produce the KN and this was sold as a four-seat saloon by the factory and a four-seat tourer by University Motors. Another variant, this time making use of stockpiled K2 bodies, using the N chassis and running gear was known as the NK or ND although it is not clear if this was ever intended as a production car. A competition version of the N type was introduced, the NE, which was developed specifically to conform to the Tourist Trophy race regulations of 1934 which forbad superchargers. The principle difference lay in the NE engine which had considerably greater valve overlap and higher compression, producing more power at higher revolutions but this timing scheme was never introduced into the production cars. After their success in the 1934 TT, three of the NEs were formed into a trials team by the factory, known as The Three Musketeers; Athos, Porthos and Aramis. At least one of these, in fact the winning TT car, competed initially with its racing body retained but subsequently all three cars were re-bodied with P type frames. The NE Musketeers should not be confused with the 1935/36 team of Musketeers which were built as trials specials by the factory (see Musketeer Profile for details).
By the middle of 1935, the range was modified slightly with the introduction on the NB. All previous N types were henceforth known as NAs. The NB had exactly the same chassis and running gear as the NA except that the gearbox reverted to the old L type design with closer ratios on 1st and 2nd gears. The NB body now sported a scuttle reduced in height by three quarters of an inch and front-hinged doors with elegant curved door hinges. Although the change looked dramatic, it had a practical purpose as so many N types had been returned to the factory to have their long and heavy rear hinged doors repaired and strengthened. The other styling change to the NB was the substitution of the ‘lattice grill’ on the radiator, which had been a feature of most MGs up to this time, with a slatted radiator grill, which invoked mixed reactions.
The N was the last flowering of the overhead cam MGs and was considered by many to be the best of the range. However, the writing was on the wall for MG and in 1936, William Morris sold the company to Morris Motors and the production of the OHC cars came to an end. Rationalisation was the name of the game and henceforth, MGs were made to conform more closely to the Morris range. But that is another story….!
N type specification
Wheelbase
Track
Steering
Brakes
Wheels
Tyres
Chassis weight
Weight of complete car:-
open two-seat
open four seat
NE two-seat racing |
8' 0" (2.44m)
3' 9" (1.14m)
Bishop Cam
12" drums, cable operated
2.50" x 18" side laced wire, Rudge type
4.75" x 18"
13 cwt 84 lbs (698.5 kg)
18 cwt 28 lbs (927.1 kg)
18 cwt 56 lbs (939.8 kg)
16 cwt 35 lbs (828.7 kg) |
Bore
Stroke
Capacity
Power output |
57mm
83mm
1271cc
56 bhp |
NA 5th April 1934
NB June 1935
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to June 1935 (approximately)
to 1st April 1936
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NA two-seat
NA four-seat
NA Allingham
NA saloon
NA Airline Coupé
ND two-seat
NB two-seat
NB four-seat
NE racing
Chassis only |
176
234
16
1
6
24
98
148
7
28 |
N type pictures:
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