British roadster production ranged from small specialist runs to hundreds of thousands of cars. The figures below cover historical factory production for the MG TF, MGA, Austin-Healey Sprite, MGB and Triumph Spitfire. They are production totals, not current registrations or surviving-car counts, and the sources use different model-year, variant and market definitions.
Contents
- MGB roadster production by year
- MGA 1500, 1600 and special variants
- Triumph Spitfire production by generation
- Austin-Healey Sprite production by variant
- MG TF production by year and market
- How the production periods differ
MGB roadster production by year
The MGB roadster figures show a rapid rise after launch, a sustained period of large annual output, and a marked final decline. According to MGB Specifications, production was 4,518 cars in 1962 and 23,308 in 1963. It reached 26,542 in 1964, then measured 24,179 in 1965 and 22,675 in 1966.
Production was lower in 1967, at 15,128 cars, before rising to 17,355 in 1968 and 18,896 in 1969. The 1970 figure was 23,866 cars, followed by 22,511 in 1971. Output reached 26,222 cars in 1972, the highest annual figure in this supplied MGB series.
The later figures show a different pattern. MGB roadster production was 19,546 cars in 1973, 19,713 in 1974 and 19,967 in 1975. It rose to 25,860 in 1976 and stood at 24,482 in 1977. Production then fell to 21,703 in 1978 and 10,891 in 1980. The source lists no 1979 figure in this series, so that year is left unfilled rather than inferred.
| Year | MGB roadsters produced |
|---|---|
| 1962 | 4,518 |
| 1963 | 23,308 |
| 1964 | 26,542 |
| 1965 | 24,179 |
| 1966 | 22,675 |
| 1967 | 15,128 |
| 1968 | 17,355 |
| 1969 | 18,896 |
| 1970 | 23,866 |
| 1971 | 22,511 |
| 1972 | 26,222 |
| 1973 | 19,546 |
| 1974 | 19,713 |
| 1975 | 19,967 |
| 1976 | 25,860 |
| 1977 | 24,482 |
| 1978 | 21,703 |
| 1980 | 10,891 |
These are annual roadster figures as reported by MGB Specifications. They should not be combined with other body styles or treated as a complete year-by-year production history where a year is not listed.
MGA 1500, 1600 and special variants
The MGA Production Figures record a strong production run for the MGA 1500 roadster from 1955 through 1959. The figure was 1,003 cars in 1955, followed by 13,394 in 1956, 16,467 in 1957 and 14,811 in 1958. MGA 1500 roadster production was 6,803 cars in 1959.
The MGA 1600, including De Luxe models, was recorded at 12,938 roadsters in 1959. Its figure rose to 15,478 cars in 1960, then fell to 314 in 1961. The 1961 total is reported alongside the end of the 1600 series and should not be read as a typical full-year output figure without the source’s production-period context.
The MGA 1600 Mark II roadster, including De Luxe models, accounted for 5,254 cars in 1961 and 2,944 in 1962. These figures describe a distinct variant and are not interchangeable with the standard MGA 1600 figures.
The Twin Cam was a much smaller MGA roadster series. The source records 493 cars in 1958, 1,256 in 1959 and 39 in 1960. Those three annual figures illustrate the difference between a limited performance variant and the higher-volume 1500 and 1600 lines.
Triumph Spitfire production by generation
The Amicale Spitfire production figures report production by generation and model-run dates rather than by calendar year. The Triumph Spitfire 4, or Mk1, reached 45,753 cars from October 1962 to December 1964. Mk2 production was 37,409 cars from December 1964 to January 1967.
The Mk3 was produced at a higher level: 65,320 cars from January 1967 to December 1970. The Mk IV followed with 70,021 cars from November 1970 to December 1974. The Spitfire 1500 was the largest listed generation, with 95,829 cars from December 1974 to October 1979.
| Triumph Spitfire generation | Reported production period | Cars produced |
|---|---|---|
| Spitfire 4 (Mk1) | October 1962–December 1964 | 45,753 |
| Mk2 | December 1964–January 1967 | 37,409 |
| Mk3 | January 1967–December 1970 | 65,320 |
| Mk IV | November 1970–December 1974 | 70,021 |
| 1500 | December 1974–October 1979 | 95,829 |
The same source gives total Triumph Spitfire production across the listed run as 314,152 cars. Because the generations overlap at some boundary months in the reported periods, these dates should be retained exactly as published rather than converted into assumed calendar-year totals.
Austin-Healey Sprite production by variant
The Austin-Healey Club’s Sprite figures begin with the Mk1 AN5 Frogeye. Its production was 49,616 cars from 1958 to 1961. The Mk2 appears in two reported variant lines: HAN6 production was 24,631 cars from 1961 to 1962, while HAN7 production was 14,097 cars from 1962 to 1964.
The Mk3 HAN8 accounted for 25,906 cars from 1964 to 1966. Later Sprite production was much smaller in the supplied figures. Mk4 HAN9 production was 20,357 cars in 1969, and the Mk4 HAN10 facelift added 1,411 cars from 1969 to 1970. The Austin Sprite AAN10 recorded 1,022 cars in 1971.
These entries use variant codes and reported periods from the source. In particular, the 1969 HAN9 figure is stated for that year, while HAN10 spans 1969–1970; they are not a substitute for a continuous annual production table.
MG TF production by year and market
The Original MGTF Midget production facts and feature timelines report 9,600 MG TF cars from 1953 to 1955. The source also states that at least 3,400 MG TF1500 cars were produced from 1954 to 1955. The word “at least” is part of that source’s qualification and should be preserved when comparing the figure with other totals.
For the MG TF1250, home-market production was 813 cars from 1953 to 1954. Right-hand-drive export production was 1,207 cars, left-hand-drive export production was 420 cars, and North American export production was 3,748 cars over the same 1953–1954 period.
The MG TF1500 market breakdown covers 1954 to 1955. Home-market production was 244 cars, right-hand-drive export production was 522 cars, and North American export production was 2,487 cars. The supplied MG TF figures retain the source’s market categories and do not add an unreported category or recalculate the totals.
| MG TF version and market | Period | Cars produced |
|---|---|---|
| TF1250 home market | 1953–1954 | 813 |
| TF1250 right-hand-drive export | 1953–1954 | 1,207 |
| TF1250 left-hand-drive export | 1953–1954 | 420 |
| TF1250 North American export | 1953–1954 | 3,748 |
| TF1500 home market | 1954–1955 | 244 |
| TF1500 right-hand-drive export | 1954–1955 | 522 |
| TF1500 North American export | 1954–1955 | 2,487 |
How the production periods differ
The five model groups are useful for comparison, but their statistics answer slightly different questions. MGB Specifications provide annual roadster counts from 1962 through 1980, with a missing 1979 entry in the supplied series. MGA Production Figures provide annual counts for named variants, including De Luxe models in the MGA 1600 and Mark II lines. The MGA Twin Cam is separately identified rather than folded into the standard model totals.
Triumph Spitfire figures are generation totals tied to production-run dates. Austin-Healey Sprite figures are variant totals with periods that range from multi-year runs to a single stated year. The MG TF figures combine a model-run total, an “at least” statement for the TF1500 and market-specific counts for TF1250 and TF1500 cars.
The geography is explicit only where the source supplies it. MG TF entries distinguish the home market, right-hand-drive exports, left-hand-drive exports and North American exports. The other sources in this comparison report model, variant or generation production without a comparable market split in the supplied figures. That difference matters when using the numbers to discuss export reach, rarity or the number of cars built for a particular market.
For classic-car research, production volume is therefore best read as a historical factory measure. It can show that the listed Triumph Spitfire 1500 run was 95,829 cars, that the MGB series reached 26,222 roadsters in 1972, or that the MGA Twin Cam was reported at 39 cars in 1960. It does not by itself establish how many examples survive today, how many are registered in a country, or how many remain in roadworthy condition.