Jack, those holes look too widely-spaced to be for the tag, and your year didn't have one here anyway. Our later RWA cars may have had two cable clips here, to hold the hood release cable maybe?

Yes, Jack's photo in post #9 shows where the earlier US Spridgets' ID plate is mounted.

BL continued to stamp those holes in the sheet metal because non-US markets continued to use the original-type single chassis number plate in that location after the new US anti-theft laws took effect in Jan 1969.

Later US cars have nothing there but the two holes.

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drivers outlook:

. . . . . "Anyone going slower than you drives like a MORON, and anybody driving faster is a FREAKING IDIOT!". . . George Carlin



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-02-11 09:19 AM by 200mph.

Any luck on other numbers like the footwell on yours? I can’t believe I can’t find anything else on mine.

If you look on the passenger side floor, ahead of the seat, you should be able to find a square cutout in the insulating/soundproofing material attached to the metal floor. This is under the carpets and stuff. The second half of the vin should be stamped in there. I am doing this from memory, as my Midgets are "up the hill" and I am "down the hill" right now (so I could be wrong). Take a look.

Mike, I contacted the Heritage Trust to see if it's possible to used their "Information Services" to cross reference the chassis number of a car. They offer this service to ID an engine number from a chassis no. or if you just want to know when your car was built or what the original color was without ordering a full Heritage certificate. Their answer looks promising - this is what they said:

Dear Mr MacRae,

The body number for a 1971 MG Midget should be recorded. The body number will have a 'GBE' prefix.
In order to trace a car's factory record with a number other than the chassis number (VIN), we will need to see pictures of the car, to include the body number. This is to show the car is a legitimate vehicle in its own right. Once this has been approved, you will be given a code which will allow you to order a Heritage Certificate without a chassis number.

Best Regards
Richard Bacchus
Certificate Officer
Archive Department

British Motor Industry Heritage Trust
British Motor Museum · Banbury Road · Gaydon · Warwickshire · CV35 0BJ
e: archive@britishmotormuseum.co.uk
w: britishmotormuseum.co.uk
PLEASE NOTE OUR TELEPHONE NUMBER HAS CHANGED
t: 01926-646394 or -643234

So, it looks like you can snap a couple of pictures of the car with a picture of the body number and they'll cross-reference the entire Heritage Cert. for you. I must have said the car was a 71, not a 72. Anyway - if you want to gamble that the body number tag is original to that shell it looks like you can do it.

Good Luck!