Last updated on November 26, 2025
Today’s car is a 1950 MG (Morris Garages) YT 4-seat open tourer owned by Yuri Brickman. I met Yuri and interviewed him at the Boots & Bonnets All British Car Show hosted by the Southern California MG Club held at the Autry Museum in Griffith Park, located in Los Angeles, CA.
This is the story of the car and the Brickman family.
When Yuri was a little kid, he couldn’t pronounce my brother’s name, Igor, so he called him “Ika.” The name stuck, and that’s why his 1950 MG YT now wears the plate “IKAS YT.”
Igor lived in Tel Aviv, Israel, and had a lifelong passion for vintage cars, especially MGs. The YT was love at first sight. He bought it in February 2009 as a birthday present to himself. The car came from the U.S. in pieces—there wasn’t much left of it. After confirming all the matching numbers were correct, Igor began a full restoration with help from a professional restorer.
Most of the original parts were missing, so they spent more than five years tracking them down around the world. Israel’s customs rules are tough and taxes are high, so many of the parts were shipped to the U.S. first, and Yuri would bring them to Israel in his suitcase during visits. They had their share of debates, body color, interior, wheels, you name it. The car was originally English White, and after many discussions, they decided to keep her that way. The one thing they always agreed on: she would be restored only with original parts and to factory specs.
When the work was finally done, Igor joined the Israeli Vintage Car Club “The Five Club” and proudly took part in shows, exhibitions, and road runs.
Igor passed away in July 2017 after a three-year illness. In his final months, when he could no longer drive, he and Yuri would take the car out together. Igor often asked what would happen to his “baby” after he was gone, worried she might be sold. Yuri promised Igor she would stay in the family forever and that promise was kept. In November 2017, after all the paperwork and arrangements were completed, she arrived at the Port of Long Beach to start her new life in Los Angeles.
The MG YT has an interesting history even before this particular car found its way into the Brickman family. The Y-Type line was designed by Gerald Palmer, who later became known for his work on the MG Magnette and Riley RM models. Developed during the early 1940s, the Y-Type was MG’s first postwar saloon, featuring independent front suspension, a first for the company, and a modern pressed-steel body built for comfort and handling.
The MG YT is an open four-seat tourer built in Abingdon, England, and introduced in 1948 strictly for export. Postwar Britain’s “export or die” policy meant MG had to send most of their cars abroad, so the YT was never officially sold in the UK. Only 904 were built between 1948 and 1950, making it one of the rarest MGs ever built. Most were left-hand drive for the U.S., continental Europe, and India, while the right-hand-drive examples went to Australia, South Africa, and other Commonwealth countries.
This car is finished Old English White with a Regency Red leather interior and a tan convertible top and boot. It is powered by a 46 hp, 1,250 cc, XPAG inline 4-cylinder engine, with Twin SU H2 carburetors, mated to a 4-speed manual transmission, with a 4.875:1 rear axle ratio. Slowing this beauty down are hydraulic drum brakes all around. The front independent suspension consists of A-arms, with coil springs. The rear suspension is a live axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs. A Jackall Built-In Jack System, standard equipment on the MG YT, includes hydraulic rams at each wheel that can raise the car at the front, rear, or completely off the ground.
Today, this 1950 MG YT isn’t just a rare piece of MG history—it’s a family treasure. Restored with care and original parts, it carries the stories, memories, and passion of those who loved her. It is more than a car, it’s a promise kept, a brother’s love remembered, and a classic that will stay in the family forever. As you can see from her new plates, she proudly wears the name that made Igor a lifelong “Ika”, IKAS YT. this is the perfect car for British / European car shows, Cars & Coffee gatherings, or simply cruising to the beach for a family picnic.
Thanks for coming along for the ride.
Frank
