1958 MG A Mk 1

“ One of the best we have seen, a truly beautiful restoration and with extensive history. ”
The MGA certainly deserved its “first of line” strapline, marking a significant departure from pre-war origin cars and taking the crucial North American market by storm.

Background
The MGA, which was launched at the 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show, earned its “A” nomenclature to signify it being the “first of a new line” as MG’s publicity drive would put it. That was no hollow boast either. As such the MGA proved to be just the car to further develop North America’s love affair with MG sports cars.

The first post-war MG, the TC “Midget,” really primed the export pump for the later cars. Returning GI’s were nostalgic for the diminutive British sports cars they had seen whilst on deployment in Blighty. The TC satisfied that longing perfectly, even though it was only ever produced in right hand drive. When the TD ambled along in 1950, MG had shrewdly added a factory left hand drive version to the books. This proved a tipping point for MG and ultimately nearly 23,000 of the 30,000 TDs made ended up in North America.

A TF model followed but it was a mild re-hash of its predecessors and by 1953 US sales had collapsed. Most Americans had finally realised the TF offered essentially a mid-1930’s design with a 1950’s price tag. MG wouldn’t survive without its premiere export market and so BMC found themselves in “something must be done” territory. That something was to take the Le Mans proven EX 182 prototype racers as the basis for the new MGA. And so, the MGA really did signify the “first of a new line” after all, looking and performing nothing like the ageing T-Type cars it replaced. If the name of the game was to conquer the North American market, which it clearly was, then the MGA was a bona fide winner. Of the 101,000 produced by the end of its life in 1962, around 95,000 were exported with the vast majority of those ending up on the North American continent.

Overview
This MGA is an Abingdon built home market fixed head coupe hailing from 1958. Its chassis number prefix of HMA23 neatly lays out its provenance for us. The HMA designates it as an MGA with the earlier 1500cc engine, originally finished in black paintwork. The 23 confirms it as a home market model with cellulose paint (a big deal in 1958!). Being a fixed head coupe this MGA is from the significantly rarer branch of the family. Only 6,272 1500cc fixed heads were built compared to around 58,000 convertibles.

Despite being a UK home market car, this example would find its way to Malawi and South Africa during the late 1960’s. The owner that exported the car to accompany her on her travels was reported to have owned and used the car right up to the point when she returned it to the land of its manufacture in around 2014. That long-term, clearly enthusiast owner kept a very detailed log of the car’s usage down to the mile travelled and the pint of oil used across several years in the 1970s. These diligently kept records make for fascinating reading.

The car left that long term owner’s stewardship in around 2019. At that stage current owner Darren and a friend set about a full restoration to encompass mechanicals, body, paintwork and interior. The results of that diligent and knowledgeable restoration can be seen here today in the form of one of the best presented MGAs we have seen for a very long time.

Estimate: £18,000 - £23,000

View Current Bid Price HERE