Lot details Registration No: USU 393 Chassis No: HDR23/19978 Mot Expiry: Oct 2012
Launched at the 1955 Frankfurt Motorshow, the MGA owed its streamlined silhouette to the body Syd Enever created for George Philips' 1951 Le Mans car. It featured a separate chassis designed 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 by means of a live axle hung on semi-elliptic leaf springs at the rear. Braking was via Lockheed drums all-round, and steering was by rack and pinion. The engines of the early cars produced some 68bhp, but this was soon raised to 74bhp. Both Roadster and Coupe versions were offered, and a total of 58,750 examples were produced before a face-lifted model with 1588cc engine was introduced in May 1959.
According to its Heritage Certificate, 'USU 393' was delivered on September 17th 1956 and purchased new by a US serviceman who exported the two-seater to the USA. It has always been right-hand drive and the original specification included wire wheels and an oil cooler. It was repatriated from Florida during 1990 by MGA specialist Bob West, from whom the vendor acquired the car that same year. Over the next decade it participated in three Euro Classic rallies and several Haynes and Norwich Union social runs. In 2000 the MG was returned to Bob West for an extensive body-off restoration, during which 'USU 393' was treated to a five-speed gearbox conversion and had its cylinder head gas-flowed and modified to run on unleaded fuel. Less than 5,000 miles are understood to have been covered since the completion of the work. This nicely-presented MGA is being sold complete with leather covered facia, Moto-Lita steering wheel, badge bar, luggage rack and tonneau cover, and is regarded by the vendor as having "good" bodywork, White paintwork, Red leather trim, engine and gearbox. It is MOT'd into October.
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