fully restored 1955 arnolt-mg coupe has only 89 miles on the clock

the history of the visionary

stanley h. ‘wacky’ arnolt was a chicago industrialist and entrepreneur who, at first, owned businesses that supplied marine and furniture manufacturers. after the second world war, he turned to sports car and racing, the mark of his offbeat taste for automobiles in his era. later on, he became one of the largest importers of british cars in the midwest with a dealership network selling MG, rolls-royce, aston martin, and other marques. one of his creations that still lingers today is the 1955 arnolt-MG couple that motorcar studio is selling.

arnolt saw an opportunity to build a sleek and practical coupe, one that was convertible and based on MG TD running gear. ‘after exhibiting prototypes at the turin auto show, he contracted with MG to supply the chassis and running gear and engaged coach builder bertone to handle the bodywork and assembly in italy. by most accounts, only 67 of the michelotti-designed coupes were built before MG could no longer support the project and arnolt moved on to a partnership with bristol,’ writes motorcar studio.

images courtesy of motocar studio

the refurbished coupe

car specialist eurosport took over the restoration between 2013 and 2014. they covered the interior with biscuit leather, refreshed the paint and bodywork, overhauled the engine and gearbox, replaced the gauge, and finished it with chrome plating. they retained the correct marchal headlights and driving lights along with proper chrome knock-off wire wheels. the power of the convertible stems from the rebuilt MG 1250cc 4-cylinder shared with the TD fed by twin SU carbs and mated to a 4-speed manual gearbox. the team also employed aluminum alloy for the bonnet, door skins, and boot lit, and polished the fine details of the engine compartment.

side view

post-restoration history

as the studio writes the tale of the model (you can see listing here): ‘after the restoration was completed, this arnolt was sold to a physician and collector in columbia. it was recently imported back to the states and has a current georgia registration. driven only 89 miles since restoration, this example still feels fresh and shows to a nice standard. its driving characteristics are similar to a TD although it feels a bit tighter and more refined. this arnolt-MG would make a nice addition to any collection and would be welcome at any number of shows or touring events.’

a closed-up side view