Piloting the brand into a completely new direction, MG’s MGA of 1955 was certainly a pinnacle of British motoring.
Boasting one of the finest aerodynamic designs seen on an automobile to date, the MGA, took over from the, at the time, dated MG T Series, and sported a new body on frame chassis and floor design, with the iconic BMC B series engine under the bonnet.
Aptly named the MGA, the car was presented as the “first of a new line” of MG cars, changing pace from the more traditional models the marque had been known for at the time.
The radical new model proved popular with the general public and motoring press alike, with the car being praised for its safety, performance and comfort over other rivals in the market, and what was originally a concept turned down by BMC chairman Leonard Lord, soon became something of a hit.
By 1962, 100,000 units had been produced, making it the best selling sports car in the world.
1959 saw the introduction of a new variant of the MGA, the MGA 1600. Visually similar to the prior MGAs, bar some minor styling tweaks and external badging, the 1600 was equipped with an improved greater displacement 1600 engine.
The MGA was no doubt a popular vehicle, but what may have not been anticipated by BMC, was the car’s popularity outside of the continent.
Only 5% of MGAs were sold new into the UK, with some 80% of the cars being imported across the water to North America and thus many of the examples on the road today, including the wonderful example we see here, are UK reimports.
Manufactured early in March of 1960, this MG was a direct import into the USA. The car was specified with a factory fitted heater, wire wheels and a tonneau cover, features which the car still boasts to this day.
In the 1990s, the vehicle was reimported into the UK as a project, where the owner at the time set about undertaking a restoration, converting the car to right hand drive before the project appears to have stalled.
Around 2016 it was purchased by the current owner, an avid MG enthusiast, who set about completing the highly extensive restoration.
Since its restoration, the car has been lovingly used and attended many classic car shows, including one in which the MG won the coveted best in post war category award.
Neatly placed within the car is an excellent leather bound photo album, within which is an extensive collection of photos from throughout the car’s restoration, looking through, it is great to see how far the car has progressed from the start of the restoration to the condition we find it in today. The current owner has confirmed that the photo album will accompany the car with its sale.
Another piece taking pride of place in the collection is the October 2020 issue of MG enthusiast magazine, in which the MGA is the cover star and has a several page spread detailing the restoration work and the car in its current state.
The MG also possesses a British Motor Heritage certificate, which provides some general details about how the car left the factory back in 1960.
A large box folder contains a horde of paperwork and invoices for both parts and work undertaken on the vehicle since the start of restoration in 2016. Also within the folder is the all important V5 document, detailing the car's UK registration.
In the true nature of a magazine feature car, the interior of this MG is nothing short of marvellous. The smart two seater cabin is awash with sumptuous red leather upholstery and neat black switchgear which presents as if it has just rolled out of the Abingdon factory in 1960.
The two red leather seats are in exquisite shape, well upholstered with neat stitching and leather of the finest quality, there is nothing to be seen here in the way of wear, the same of which can be said for the minimalist door panels found at the sides.
Within the door panels are the interior cord door pulls, fitted in lieu of external door handles on the convertible versions of the MGA. These function full and with ease and really help the streamlined appearance of the vehicle.
Front and centre sits a colour matched cream dash piece, capped off smartly with red leather which flows around the top lines of the cabin, all of which presents incredibly well.
The dashboard is near immaculate, the cream paintwork is glossy and presents with an excellent shine. The contrasting black switchgear installed within, mirrors this high quality. At the central point of the dash we find the factory fitted heater system which is still reported to function when requested.
Sealing off the cabin nicely, is a matching red upholstered tonneau cover, another option fitted from the factory on this MG. The is quite versatile and can be placed so as to cover the entire interior, or to just expose the drivers seating area, or be fully unlatched and tucked away out of sight for lovely summer drivers.
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It's fair to say it would be challenging to find a set of eyes that dont find the MGA to be the very definition of beauty. Several decades on from production and it is arguably still one of the finest looking automobiles.
The aerodynamic design came about when MG designer Syd Evans created a body for racing legend George Phillip’s Le Mans MG TG. Naturally there were some alterations to the final design gifted to the MGA, but that styling excellence and essence of motorsport is very much still there.
The current owner remarks that there was very little needed in the way of rust repair when the restoration was undertaken, likely due to the MG being a dry state car. But the car was of course still stripped down to bare metal before being treated to a respray in a fitting shade of the factory old English white.
Within minimal time having passed since restoration, and the MG having been cared for so excellently, the paintwork is in marvellous condition, the cream paintwork is blemish free and and exudes a wonderful shine from all angles, complimenting the equally brilliant red upholstery perfectly.
Detailing the curved body lines are lashings of chrome trim, up front we find the iconic MG grille, sculpted bumpers, lighting bezels and some subtle MGA and 1600 badging, all of which is of a truly excellent standard.
At the rear, we find yet more chrome in the form of some more MG badging, another quality bumper and a tailgate mounted luggage rack, ideal for one who wishes to take the MG slightly further afield.
The BMC B Series engine is very much an infamous engine in the British automobile scene. Famed for its quality blend of performance, simplicity and economy, the motors found their way into much of the MG lineup, including the MGA. Being an MGA 1600, this car boasts a larger displacement than the earlier 1489 cc models, and thus improved performance over the earlier examples.
At the time of restoration, the engine in this car was sent to specialist outfit, moto-build who performed an excellent job rebuilding the engine before it was returned to the current owner who undertook the installation into the revitalised MG.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the gearbox, suspension and braking system were all also treated to either an overhaul or replacement where necessary. As a result, the car is in incredible mechanical order.
The mighty B Series fires into life with ease, finding itself in a comfortable idle in no time. On the road the car is reported to provide an excellent comfortable yet dynamic drive, with the current owner regularly driving the MG to shows and events to display.
It’s fair to say the MGA sells itself on aesthetics alone, for those in the market for a stylish roadster or sports car, there may be no better option.
The MGA is a quality automobile, behind which is a strong and friendly community of genuine enthusiasts and part suppliers. This example will certainly not be needing the latter of those, having undergone a truly excellent restoration to bring it up to what could be argued, one of the finest examples on the road.
This is one to be enjoyed from the first moment, equally at home on the paddock at a car show or on the road from London to Le Mans.
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