Lot details
Registration No: XSJ 370
Chassis No: GHNL2/108617
Mot Expiry: March 2012

Introduced in 1955 the MG A represented a major departure for the Abingdon marque. Compared to the preceding T-Series Midgets which could trace their ancestry back to the 1930s, the newcomer's all-enveloping streamlined body style was not only very handsome but also bang up to date. Within a year the open Roadster had been joined by a svelte Coupe, these two types then comprising the MG A line until June 1962 when the monocoque MG B came on stream. Perhaps unsurprisingly the North American market accounted for the majority of sales. The original MG A had a 72bhp/1489cc engine and could reach almost 100mph but was then replaced by the MG A 1600, which had a 79bhp/1588cc engine in 1959, and next by the 1600 MkII (86bhp/1622cc) two years later: this last car featured a recessed radiator grille for recognition purposes. There were no major style changes during that period. In the meantime a complex twin-overhead camshaft engine was also developed, but only 2,111 such cars, called Twin Cams were produced from 1958 to 1960. Following the demise of the Twin-Cam, MG then speedily introduced the MG A 1600 MkII De Luxe, of which only 395 cars (290 of them being Mk II Tourers) were produced in the 1961 - 1962 period. The De Luxe was notable for combining the MkII's proven 1622cc OHV engine with the Twin Cam's centre-lock Dunlop disc wheels and four-wheel disc brakes.

According to its accompanying British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate, this particular example left the Abingdon factory bound for North America on 30th May 1962. Reputedly one of just 165 MkII De Luxe Roadsters built that year, it was repatriated during the late 1990s. Converted from left- to right-hand drive specification as part of a subsequent restoration, the two-seater is described by the vendor as being in "excellent" condition with regard to its engine, upgraded five-speed manual gearbox, electrical equipment, interior trim, bodywork and paintwork. Riding on correct-type Dunlop disc wheels, this rare and desirable MkII De Luxe Roadster is offered for sale with MOT certificate valid until March 2012.