Here we offer this highly significant and important example of the MG K3 breed, the 1,100-cc supercharged cars from Abingdon-on-Thames, which did so much to enhance the prestige of the British motor industry. The K3 offered here spent many years on display in the Fremantle and York Motor Museums, Western Australia. It is considered from available evidence to be the car handled by the legendary Italian superstar driver Tazio Nuvolari in winning the greatest sports car races of the era — the RAC Tourist Trophy on the Ards circuit in Ulster, a Mille Miglia class win and results at Brooklands and Shelsley Walsh. This car’s two race wins in Ulster and Italy marked the high point of MG in international competition, not bettered by a British car until the rise of Jaguar in the post-war years. The legendary K3 is the most sought-after MG of the pre-war era.
The car, now known simply as a K3 by the MG fraternity, is powered by a supercharged 1,087-cc overhead camshaft 6-cylinder engine with crossflow cylinder head. The high-boost blower, fed by a single SU carburetor, is mounted in front of the radiator, and the combination could generate in excess of 120 horsepower at 6,500 rpm in factory tune. The K3 features a 4-speed ENV Wilson pre-selector transmission, semi-elliptic springs and live axles. This innovative gearbox enables fast gear changes on demanding road courses. The cable-operated drum brakes are 13-inch magnesium with bolted-in liners. Steering is split-track operated by the unique K3 Bishop-cam steering box. Double-acting André shock absorbers are fitted, two at the front and four at the rear. The complete package marked a great step forward in British sports racing car design and made the K3 competitive with the best small sports racing cars of the era from France and Italy.
(Introductory description courtesy of Bonhams Cars.)
