Three front grille designs were used across Midget production, each giving the car a distinctly different face. The grille is one of the most visually prominent components on the car and one of the first things to suffer from stone damage, corrosion, and general deterioration. All three types are available as complete assemblies or as individual components for selective renewal.
1967 to 1969 Slatted Grille
The 1967 to 1969 grille (GAN4 and HAN9) uses individual vertical slats clipped to a surround frame, with a central MG badge plinth. There are over thirty individual inner slats held by more than seventy clips, a large number of small parts that makes complete renewal of a damaged grille a time-consuming task. Over time, the slats can loosen and rattle, and the chrome plating chips where the clips grip the frame. A stainless steel mesh replacement panel is a popular alternative that fits within the original grille surround, providing a clean appearance with far greater durability and significantly fewer parts to maintain.
1970 to 1974 Moulded Grille
The 1970 to 1974 grille (GAN5, HAN10, AAN10) adopted a different design with moulded side trims clipped to the grille body and a central MG badge on a plinth. This grille presents a wider, flatter appearance than the slatted design. The badge, plinth, stud plate, surround mouldings, and moulding clips are all available individually. A stainless mesh replacement is also available for this grille type, sharing the same mesh specification as the slatted version.
1500 Grille
The 1500 grille (GAN6) is a simpler black mesh design that sits within the rubber bumper front panel. The grille assembly is secured by screws to the bonnet landing panel and front valance. A stainless steel mesh replacement is available as an alternative, note that the 1500 mesh specification differs from the chrome-bumper version, so the correct type must be ordered for the body style.
Grille Aperture Finishers
Chrome aperture finishers, the surround trims that frame the grille opening, are fitted to the sides and lower edge of the grille aperture on chrome-bumper cars. These finishers are handed left and right and differ between the 1967 to 1969 and 1970 to 1974 periods. They are secured by rivets to the front wings and valance. The bonnet edge finisher sits across the top of the grille opening.
Grille Fitting
When refitting any grille, the fixing clips should be checked for condition, a cracked or weak clip will allow the grille to vibrate and rattle at speed, and may eventually allow the grille or its mouldings to detach. Replacement clips are inexpensive and should be renewed whenever the grille is removed.