1960 MG A 1600 Roadster

Lot details
Registration No: YXN 40
Chassis No: GHN88409
Mot Expiry: Oct 2011

The origins of the MG TF of 1953 lay in the TA of 1936. MG desperately needed a break with tradition. To quote the company's own advertising, the MG A was the 'first of a new line'. Launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show of 1955, it owed its modern streamlined design to the body Syd Enever that created for George Philips' 1951 Le Mans car. The newcomer featured a chassis penned by Roy Brocklehurst and was powered by the 1489cc straight-four BMC B-Series engine, as used in the MG Magnette Saloon. Suspension was independent with coil springs at the front and featured a live axle hung on semi-elliptic leaf springs at the rear. Braking was by Lockheed drums all round. Steering was by rack and pinion and the car was available with either steel disc or wire wheels. A high-performance version with twin-cam engine came into being in 1958 and in May of 1959 the engine of the standard model was treated to an increase in capacity from 1489cc to 1588cc. Some 31,501 examples of the so called 1600 and 1600 De-Luxe were made in 1959/1960. An open example tested by Motor magazine in 1959 returned a top speed of 96.1mph and a 0-60mph time of 13.3 seconds. MG As were both raced and rallied with success in period and many are still campaigned in historic events today. The A was a considerable success for MG, with a total of 101,081 examples being manufactured between 1955 and 1962, at which time the model was replaced by the ubiquitous B.

Finished in red with black upholstery, this particular example - a 1960-built MG A 1600 MKI Roadster - is described by the vendor as being in "excellent" condition with regard to its engine, interior trim, bodywork and paintwork. Extensively restored prior to entering the current ownership in 2002, the two-seater has since benefited from the installation of a factory-reconditioned gearbox and sundry maintenance. Sparingly used over the past eight years, the Roadster has been kept in a Carcoon and is understood to still show signs of rustproofing to its underside not to mention a stainless steel exhaust. Offered for sale from a private collection, it is expected but not guaranteed that this appealing MG A will possess a fresh MOT certificate by the time of sale.

PLEASE NOTE: This vehicle has an MOT until October 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: The vendor has informed us that the car has had two new batteries fitted, as well as a new hood which has never been used.