01:00 AM EDT on Saturday, July 22, 2006

Journal photo / Steve Szydlowski

Bob Faria, of Little Compton, found his 1949 MG TC Midget in Hemmings Motor News and trailered it from Connecticut. He has no trouble driving a right-hand drive car. Slideshow

Bob Faria of Little Compton took the easy route two years ago when he was looking for a classic MG.

"I talked to a lot of people and they all said the same thing, that if you're going to get an MG, it's better to spend a little more money and get a car that's been restored," he said. And the 1949 TC Midget he wound up buying is an impeccable restoration -- in fact, it was in a New York museum at one point.

Originally owned by noted car collector Henry Austin Clark, the car has only 29,000 original miles, and another 1,200 since the restoration. Clark, who owned sugar refineries in Cuba before the Castro regime, once wrote that this rakish red roadster was one of the three favorites in his extensive collection.

Faria found the car for sale in Hemmings Motor News, and trailered it from Connecticut, where it was in the hands of the restorer. "I thought I would have trouble driving a right-hand drive," he said. "But it's no trouble at all, just that when passing someone, I have to lean way over to see who is coming."

The Midget is powered by a four cylinder, 1250-cc overhead valve XPAG engine, with twin carburetors. The transmission is a four-speed synchromesh and the brakes are 9-inch hydraulic units.

It has 19-inch tires on wire wheels, which really set off the classic roadster styling. But the bumpers may be the most revealing feature. Only the cars exported to the United States had them, to conform to safety laws. But many U.S. drivers took them off and threw them away so the MGs would look just like the ones in Britain.

"It looked a lot classier without the bumpers," Faria said.

Some of the first MGs hit these shores after World War II when servicemen brought them back, and then England, trying to get its economy up and running again, started exporting them. When American manufacturers saw how popular they were, they started thinking about building an American sports car.

Faria says that 494 TCs were exported. "The guy who restored mine believes there are about 50 left that still have bumpers."

Despite its timeless appearance, the MG has few options, not even a radio or heater. "The heater is a wool blanket," Faria said. It has a convertible top, tonneau cover and a couple of interesting features.

Close observers will note that the two driving lights are not the same. In fact, one is a driving light and the other a fog light, and they operate independently, based on moving the switch left or right.

The outboard-mounted gas tank is behind the spare tire, and there is no gas gauge per se. To check the fuel level, you stick a rod down the tank and note the marking. "A red light comes on when you are down to three gallons," Faria said, "but I don't let it get down that low."

Faria, a retired home builder, also has an MG TD in Florida. He's been a fan since 1964 when he was in the Air Force stationed in Michigan and a friend had one. He doesn't plan to put a lot of miles on the Midget, but he takes it out on nice days, and goes to car shows, where he is almost certain to win a trophy.

ENGINE/TRANSMISSION: 1250CC inline four; four-speed manual.

COLOR: MG red.

MILEAGE: 30,200.

PLATE: Fla. antique 127301.

CAN BE SEEN: Weekend car shows.

CONDITION: Pristine restoration.

If you have a classic car you wish to be considered for this feature, please e-mail projocars@projo.com with a description of the car and owner contact information. Please put "Classic Car" in the subject field. The owner must agree to be identified by name and allow the car to be photographed.