Nuffield Exports Ltd

[David & Joyce Edgar]

Someone sent me a copy of guarantee by Nuffield Exports Ltd. for a TC bought in San Francisco in 1949. It is signed by Nuffield as the Chairman and also by the General Manager but can't make out that signature except for the first inital of "C" but the remainder is not Kimber. M.G. Midget is typed in the slot for Maker's Car No. Chassis number and engine number as well as owners name and distributor are also typed in. The first sentence reads: For a period of SIX MONTHS from the date of which a new Car or chassis is delivered to the first owner-user thereof Nuffield Exports Limited will exchange or repair any part or parts thereof which needs or need replacement or repair by reason of defective workmanship or defective material. My question is how does Nuffield Exports Ltd tie into the MG Car Company Ltd? Were MG guarantees through them rather than through MG directly? Was Nuffield a division of MG and Morris for exporting? With M.G. Midget typed in I get the impression they dealt with more than one make. Over what time period or which MG models did this take place? What other makes would be included? A search on the web indicates the Nufield Exports Ltd dealt with Nuffield Universal Tractors as well. If Nuffield Exports guaranteed the MG's that were exported, who made the guarantee for MG's that remained in England? David Edgar, TC 5108 El Cajon, California

[Bullwinkle]

Dave: <<>> Someone sent me a copy of guarantee by Nuffield Exports Ltd. for a TC bought in San Francisco in 1949. It is signed by Nuffield as the Chairman and also by the General Manager but can't make out that signature except for the first inital of "C" but the remainder is not Kimber. <<>> Kimber was gone by 1941 and died in a railway accident in 1945. According to F. W. McComb, George "Pop" Propert was General Manager until about 1949 and he was followed by Jack Tatlow. <<>> My question is how does Nuffield Exports Ltd tie into the MG Car Company Ltd? <<>> Nuffield was the name of MG's parent company. MG was a seperate private company owned by William Morris, Lord Nuffield, until he sold it to the public company Morris Motors, Ltd. in 1935. Morris held the the largest shares of this public company, Morris Motors, so in effect he ran it. <<>> Were MG guarantees through them rather than through MG directly? <<>> Most likely, after MG was sold to Morris Motors. <<>> Was Nuffield a division of MG and Morris for exporting? <<>> Nuffield was the parent. Nuffield Exports Ltd was the exporting arm. The name Nuffield was given by Miles Thomas in 1940 after he became vice chairman and managing director of the group. Wolseley was bought by Nuffield in 1926. All of the early SOHC engines were Wolselely designs as was the XPAG engine. <<>> With M.G. Midget typed in I get the impression they dealt with more than one make. Over what time period or which MG models did this take place? <<>> Early MG's before the SOHC engines used mostly Morris engines as MG got started modifying standard Morris cars. Those cars were guaranteed by Morris. Sometime in the late 20's MG started guarenteeing their own manufacture. This continued until ? When Austin bought (leveraged) out Morris in 1952 the combined company was called BMC, British Motor Corporation. Nuffield was then a division of BMC. The other division being Austin. This continued until BMC was taken over by Leyland in 1968. <<>> What other makes would be included? <<>> In 1949: Morris, Wolseley, MG, (MOWOG), and Riley for sure. <<>> If Nuffield Exports guaranteed the MG's that were exported, who made the guarantee for MG's that remained in England? <<>> MG did for a while. They used to have their own repair facilities which was under the direction of John Thornley in the late 30s and and after the war until 1948. He became assistant to MG's general manager, Jack Tatlow, in 1948 and MG's general manager in 1952 retiring in 1969. Blake