MG A vintage cars
The hour of birth of the MG A
The concept of the MG A dates back to 1951, when the chief engineer of MG, Syd Enever, designed a bodywork in the form of a pontoon for the TD of George Philips, which should start in Le Mans. The car wasn’t a success in the race and has been missing for a long time, but the basic form is easily recognizable as the ancestor of the MG A. However, the vehicle had a problem: the driver sat too high, due to the design of the TD-frame, and was exposed
to the weather too much. Enever wanted to develop a new streamlined MG sports car as successor of the T-series and therefore sketched a new bodywork with longitudinal girders far out in order to get to the lower sitting position. The prototype was fitted with a body similar to one of the vehicles that started in Le Mans, but still had an engine of the XPAG type which required a rather un-attractive bump on the bonnet. When this prototype was completed 1952, MG had a new master, Leonard Lord, president of the newly established BMC-group, which Austin had merged with Nuffield. John Thornley, chief of duty at MG, and Enever showed Lord their new creation. The latter, however, was at that time busy to sign a contract with Donald Healey to build the Austin-Healey and looked rather askance at the new MG. Thus the project was put on ice for the time being. This delay turned out to be fortunate: by the end of the year 1953, the 1 ½ litre BMC B-series engine was ready for production and was immediately involved in the development of the new MG sports car.
The first vehicle of the series production
The standard vehicle was introduced in autumn 1955, just in time before the London Motor Show – the actual presentation on the market, however, was on the Frankfurt Automobile Exhibition, where the car received a lot of applause. Though the MG A represented a dramatic change from the squared look of the traditional predecessors, the MG A’s design proved itself by allowing the car to achieve almost 160 km/h.
From the beginning of the project, Thorley and Evever argued that in order to continue the export success on the North American market which was needed so much, they required an adequate 1 ½ litre engine as well as a streamlined body. The sales figures of the export model should confirm their judgement of the situation, because the MG A turned out to be the sports car of which most units were sold in the USA at that time.
Even in the beginning of the project there were plans to introduce a vehicle with increased performance. The drafts focussed on an engine with double upper camshafts, and a vehicle of this kind participated in the Tourist Trophy 1955. The standard version of the MG A Twin Cam was presented 1958 and had, apart from the newly developed engine, Dunlop disc brakes on all 4 wheels as well as the typical „knock off“ disc wheels with central nut. The car was a bit more expensive than the basic version, but could reach a top speed of 185 km/h, which was very remarkable for a sports car in the 50s. The other side of the coin was an unpredictable temperament and unreliability when carelessly serviced. This car remained a special model with limited production volume.
The basic version has been produced until 1959 with small alterations, whereas the roadster, which was available in the beginning, was offered 1956 together with a coupe, a form of bodywork which was also available as Twin Cam. In summer 1956 however, the original vehicle – afterwards normally called MG A 1500 – was replaced by the MG A 1600. The engine was increased from 1489 cm³ to 1588 cm³ - the same cubic capacity as that of the Twin Cam – which took account of the fact that in motor sport the 1600 cm³ range replaced the 1500 cm³ range. The 1600 model was also fitted with Lockheed disc brakes on the front wheels as well as with further improvements of details, most of which were also applied at the Twin Cam.
The MG 'De Luxe’
In 1960, they ceased production of the Twin Cam and very soon afterwards MG introduced a special version of the 1600 with Dunlop 4-wheel disc brakes and disc wheel with central nut, with which the Twin Cam was also fitted.
This variation is usually called „De Luxe“. It seems that this action was a strategic sales tactic which just served to use remaining stock out of the part shelves of the Twin Cam. Originally, the De-Luxe model had only been produced on customers’ demand, but in 1962 they sold these cars with remarkable production figures for the American market. However, the variant De Luxe remained a rarity with just 395 produced vehicles.
The MG B takes over the market
The demand on the American export market decreased drastically in the years 1960 and 1961, and the production line in Abingdon almost came to a standstill, while they adapted the vehicles which originally should have been shipped for other export markets and sold there. While the work on the MG A successor model (the MG B introduced 1962) proceeded quickly, MG nevertheless decided to develop a model derived from the MG A aiming to re-conquest the American market. The 1600 Mark II had, with 1622 cm³ cubic capacity, an even bigger engine. Regrettably, this cubic capacity was just a little too big to fulfil the conditions of the 1600 cm³ class in motor sport, on the other hand it had advantages from the point of view of production technique, as BMC aimed at this cubic capacity class for their standard engines of the family limousines. The reworked MG A was recognizable by the new radiator grill and the design of the new tail lights – none of these new features meant an improvement. At the beginning of the year 1962, the 100,000&supth; MG A left the production plant, a 1600 Mark II roadster, which was proudly exhibited at the New York Motor Show with a special paintwork of gold-metallic. Such sales figures had never been reached before, and now they phased out the MG A and the new model, MG B, took over the market.
Rally events and the MG A
After the first presentations in the motor sport, at classical races in 1955, BMC decided to specialise in rally events, and for a few years a MG A plant car has appeared on the European rally tracks regularly. No spectacular wins could be achieved, though Nancy Mitchell, who drove either a MG A or a MG Magnette, became European Ladies’ Rally Champion in the years 1956 and 1957.
From 1959 until 1962, plant teams participated in the 12 hours race of Sebring; in the first two years with Twin-Cam models, then with De Luxe coupes. Ted Lund participated in Le Mans with a souped up Twin Cam 1959, 1960 and 1961, officially as a private person, but he was supported by the MG Car Club and received a generous support from the company behind the scenes. For the race of 1960, the car was converted into a Fastback Coupe. The last great success for a MG A of the company team was achieved in 1962, when a 1600 Mark II De Luxe coupe won the class races in the Rally Monte Carlo and the „Tulip“ Rally. Naturally the MG A was and is driven by private drivers in races and rallies.
During the 60s, the MG A has mostly been overshadowed by the MG B, but when the interest in the classical cars strongly increased in the 70s, the enthusiasts very soon remembered the MG A. The Twin Cam models were the most desired cars, whereas the rare De Luxe models had their own niche. However, all MG A models were most popular, then and today. As a lot of these vehicles still exist worldwide, a flourishing market for reproduced spare parts came into existence. The prices exploded, especially in the years of the vintage car boom of the late 80s, when vehicles were imported from the USA to England, but also to Europe and Australia, where they were in strong demand.
The MG A today
The magical attraction of the MG A is based on several factors. The mechanical features present themselves as uncomplicated, robust and reliable. The engine performance is more than sufficient and driving qualities as well as road-holding are among the best of all sports cars of the 50s. Also, the car offers much ride comfort and is easy to operate. And: the MG A is simply beautiful to look at, with its round, flowing line, which became interesting again especially in the 90s, when the aerodynamic and organic design became fashionable again. From which point of view one might look at the car – the MG A is an absolutely indigenous idea of the topic sports car, which gives its owner and driver immeasurable joy of driving.
