MP Lafer factory photos

[Olimon Ricardo]

MP Lafers were manufactured and assembled at the Lafer factory in Brazil

(Photos courtesy of Eduardo Batelli from M. Pioneira in Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Partial view of the factory assembly area..

…another view…( I count @24 cars in between both of these photos! )

… what may have been one of the first prototypes as

shown at a 1972 Auto show (notice the suicide doors)…

..and another from a 1974 Auto Show (still having the suicide doors)..

[edward ericson]

wicked cool.

Love the wheels on those things too.

[ray10]

i’m with you ed I like the way they covered the spare tire.

TDREPLICA Map

http://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=7f9174ad614e43b680deba085b0abf48

[Bill Gould]

Actually, Ray, the spare is up front, stored in a vertical well under the left side of what would be the bonnet in a real MG-TD. The gas tank (or fuel cell in my case) is on the right side, I suppose for better weight distribution. The “spare” in back let Lafer accommodate and ventilate the VW engine while approximating the original TD’s body proportions, although I have seen photos on the Lafer website that indicate some owners cut that off and mounted a real wheel & tire back there. No idea what’s going on with that front bumper, though.

I found that third photo especially interesting. In addition to the suicide doors, it has an upright TD-style grille that’s body-colored, like the later TI model, instead of chromed. The wheels on the TI are different, too, although my spare has the original wheel.

1981 Lafer TI
1600 cc Type 1 engine

[Bill Gould]

Apparently, the original Lafer wheels are still available:

http://batellimplafer.fotoblog.uol.com.br/lastPeriod.html

TexAg7140884.6678935185

1981 Lafer TI
1600 cc Type 1 engine

[Paul Mossberg]

What a terrific bit of history here!

Thanks for sharing these!

And for the record…I’m very happy that big smiling bumper from the 1972 prototype did NOT make it to production!

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

[Royal]

I kinda like those wheels but can’t get the link to work.  I’m probably just dreaming since I doubt I could afford them anyway.

[Paul Mossberg]

I tried to fix the link in Bill’s post.
It had an extra http:// at the front.
But still goes to a dead page

PMOSSBERG40883.8721064815

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

[Royal]

I couldn’t figure the link out either.  Probably best that I do not know that the wheels are on a once in a lifetime super-sale, never to be repeated.  Christmas with all the grandkids is expensive (and they wouldn’t understand).

[Olimon Ricardo]

There is a brazilian website called mercodolivre where they advertise many

Lafer parts include some wheels in case anyone wants to see what’s out

there.

http://lista.mercadolivre.com.br/lafer

[Bill Gould]

Sorry, guys. I’ve edited my earlier post with a different Batelli link. I should point out that they’re probably 14-inchers, too. Mine are, anyway.TexAg7140885.738275463

1981 Lafer TI
1600 cc Type 1 engine

[Author]

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