Go to the Welcome Page

Go to the News Page

Go to Picture of the Month

Search the MG Y Type site

Links to other useful sites and stuff

Events for Y Types

A concise history of the MG Y Type

Interesting and Different MG Ys

Top

End of Menu Items

Historical Timeline 1947 - 1953

MG Y Types on the move

To help gain a perspective of what else was going on in the world at the same time the MG 1 1/4 Litre Y Series was in production we have produced this table of major events in the development of the Y Type along side some of the more important contemporary events of the period.

Modifications to the MG Y and the MG YB

- a reproduction of an original Service Technical Library document can be downloaded here.

1947

1948

1949

1950

1951

1952

1953

MG 1 1/4 Litre Events

 

World Events

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1947 Top
Y 0251 - Y 1150
were built during this year

Go to

1948

1949

1950

1951

1952

1953

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 1 1947

National Coal Board formed as UK coal mines were nationalised.

Formation of the National Coal Board
As unveiled to the public in 1947

24 March 1947

MG 1 1/4 Litre Series 'Y' commences production with Y 0253.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ball point pen first introduced into the UK, price £1 14s 10d (£1.74) closer to £17 in current terms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 5 1947

US Secretary of State G Marshall outlines US aid plan for Europe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 10 1947

HRH Princess Elizabeth announces her engagement to Philip Mountbatten.

HRH Princess Elizabeth engages Philip Mountbatten

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucas RF 95/2 Control box

August 1947

Lucas RF95/2 control box introduced with Y 0584.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 9 1947

First reported computer "bug" - a moth lodged in a relay of a Mark II computer at Harvard University.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 23 1947

The transistor is invented.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1948 Top
Y 1151 - Y 2208
were built during this year

Go to

1947

1949

1950

1951

1952

1953

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earth strap fitted to Steering Column

January 1948

Earth wire fitted to steering column Y 1260 New Slip ring assembly.

 

 

January 1 1948

British Railways formed as UK railways were nationalised.

Formation of British Railways with the nationalisation of the UK Railways

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distance piece as fitted to rear left brake pipe

February 1948

Distance piece introduced to rear left brake pipe.

Y 1378 clip to secure brake pipe to right front wheel introduced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 3 1948

Marshall Plan signed into US law.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June21 1948

Deutsch Mark becomes the official currency of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Deutsch Mark Coins
YT unveiled to the public

October 1948

MG YT model introduced with YT EXU 1922 Cost £525.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 30 1948

Kiss me Kate opens for first of 1,077 perform-ances on Broadway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1949 Top
Y 2209 - Y 4239
were built during this year

Go to

1947

1948

1950

1951

1952

1953

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 4 1949

Cunard Liner RMS Caronia sails from Southampton on maiden voyage.

RMS Caronia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 1 1949

UK ends clothes rationing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 9 1949

Rainier III becomes Prince of Monaco (died April 6 2005).

HRH Prince Rainier III

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 27 1949

DH 106 Comet - first flight of a UK Jet propelled airliner.

De Havilland Comet - first UK commercial jet liner

 

 

 

 

 

 

Improved steering rack

August 1949

Improved steering gear box introduced with Y 3627.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1950 Top
Y 4340 - Y 6284
were built during this year

Go to

1947

1948

1949

1951

1952

1953

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 6 1950

Britain recognises People's Republic of China.  Taiwan severe diplomatic relations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Y 4459 - last offset battery box car produced

March 1950

Y 4459 last offset battery box car produced.

Y 4460 Pull type starter switch introduced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 1950

Y 4760 Lucas S700 (7") headlamps replace Lucas M140 (8").

 

 

May 9 1950

Robert Schuman presents Schuman Declaration - the beginning of the creation of the European Union.

May 26 1950

UK Petrol rationing ends leading to record traffic jams over Whit week-end ~ sounds familiar!

Petrol rationing ends in UK

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 1950

Y 5011 Lucas SFT 575 fog lamp replaces Lucas FT 57.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 1950

Captain 'Goldie' Gardener achieves 104.7 m.p.h. in a modified Y Type registration KCD 698.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 5 1950

Florence Chadwick swims English Channel in 13 hours 22 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MG medallion added to hubcaps from Y 5420

September 1950

Y 5420 MG medallion in centre of hubcaps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 2 1950

Charles Schultz's comic strip Peanuts is first published in seven US newspapers.

Peanuts book cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

Different grease nipples fitted to propellor shaft

December 1950

Y 6165 Grease nipple on propeller shaft changed.

 

 

December 28 1950

The Peak District becomes UK's first National Park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1951 Top
Y 6285 - Y 7285
were built during this year

Go to

1947

1948

1949

1950

1952

1953

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 9 1951

United Nations head-quarters officially opens in New York.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 12 1951

Dennis the Menace comic strip appears in newspapers across the US for first time.

Dennis as seen in the US and the UK

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 1951

Double dipping head-lights fitted as standard from Y 6611 to UK cars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1951

J Readings 1st, J Shaw 3rd in RAC Rally in Y Types.

5 Y Types take part in 1,000 mile Circuit of Ireland Tour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 1951

Group 2 engines (XPAG/SC2/) introduced from XPAG/SC2/16916 with smaller 7 1/4 inch clutch.

 

 

September 26-28 1951

Blue sun seen over Europe after Canadian forest fires four month's earlier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 26 1951

Winston Churchill re-elected British Prime Minister.

The Right Honorable Sir Winston S Churchill

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 1951

Major & Mrs Pownell come 45th in Monte Carlo Winter Rally.

MG YB launched at £565 plus purchase tax.

 

 

December 24 1951

Libya gains independence from Italy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1952 Top
YB 0251 - Y 1009
were built during this year

Go to

1947

1948

1949

1950

1951

1953

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucas RB 106/1 control box fitted from YB 0326

January 26 1952

Lucas Control Box RB106/1 with YB 0326.

 

 

February 6 1952

HRH Princess Elizabeth becomes Queen upon death of King George VI.

HRH King George VI

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucas twin high and low windtone horns as fitted from YB 0460

May 5 1952

Lucas Altette HF 1235 replaced with twin Lucas WT614 horns with YB 0460.

 

 

May 2 1952

First passenger jet route between London and Johannesburg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dick Jacobs wins first of three consecutive Silverstone races

Summer 1952

First of three consecutive Silverstone wins for Dick Jacobs in YB 0414.

 

 

August 16 1952

34 people die in floods in Lynmouth, North Devon, UK.

August 26 1952

British passenger jet flies twice over Atlantic in same day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SF80 replaces SF40 trafficator

November 13 1952

Lucas SF80 trafficator introduced in YB 0877.

 

 

November 25 1952

Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap opens at The Ambassadors Theatre, London. It closed in 2004.

Agatha Christie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1953 Top
YB 1010 - YB 1551
were built during this year

Go to

1947

1948

1949

1950

1951

1952

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 22 1953

The Crucible by Arthur Miller opens on Broadway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 1953

Walt Disney's movie Peter Pan premiers in the Roxy Theatre, New York City.

Peter Pan

March 19 1953

Outer ball joints modified to have grease retaining boot from YB 1220.

March 26 1953

Lucas 700 headlamp steel body coloured painted back shell discontinued from YB 1240.  Also, new back-shells did not have the Lucas medallion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 18 1953

Jackie Cochran be-comes first woman to break sound barrier flying an F-86.

Cochran in her record-setting F-86, talking with Charles E. Yeager

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 29 1953

Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay make first successful ascent of Mount Everest.

Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary conquor Mount Everest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 2 1953

Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey.

HRH Queen Elizabeth II
YB 1551

August 1953

MG YB production ceases with YB 1551 which was presented to Dick Jacobs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 1953

UNIVAC 1103 becomes first commercial computer to use RAM (Random Access Memory).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Industrial unrest and strikes

Is this the beginning of the end? Industrial unrest in the UK car manufacturing sector was one of the many factors that eventually shrank a once mighty industry to nothing. Rover workers strike for 15% pay rise - and nothing less.

 

 

December 30 1953

The first colour TV sets go on sale at $1,175 US.

The first colour TV in the US

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top