MG MGA

The MGA was a sports car produced by MG division of the British Motor Corporation from 1955 to 1962.

The MGA replaced the older T series cars and was replaced by the MGB when production ceased in July 1962. Through that time, BMC sold 101,081 units, the vast majority of which were exported with only 5869 cars sold on the home market, the highest export percentage of any British car.

It was a body-on-frame design and used the straight-4 "B series" engine from the MG Magnette saloon driving the rear wheels through a 4 speed gearbox. Suspension was independent with coil springs and wishbones at the front and a rigid axle with semi-elliptic springs at the rear. Steering was by rack and pinion and was not power assisted. The car was available with either wire spoked or steel disc road wheels.

1500

The 1489 cc engine produced 68 hp (51 kW) at first, but was soon uprated to 72 hp (54 kW). Lockheed hydraulic drum brakes were used on all wheels. A coupe version was also produced, bringing the total production of standard MGAs to 58,750.

Twin-Cam

A high-performance Twin-Cam model was added for 1958. It used a high compression (9.9:1 later 8.3:1) DOHC aluminium cylinder head version of the B-Series engine producing 108 hp (82 kW). Four wheel disc brakes by Dunlop were also fitted. The temperamental engine was notorious, however, and sales were poor. The Twin-Cam was dropped in 1960 after 2,111 had been produced. The car can best be distinguished from the pushrod models by its centre lock steel road wheels. Wire spoked wheels were never fitted to the Twin Cam.

1600

In 1959 the standard cars also received an updated engine, now at 1588 cc producing 78 bhp. Front discs were fitted, but drums remained in the rear. 31,501 were produced in less than three years. Externally the car is very similar to the 1500 with differences including: Amber front turn indicators shared with white parking lamps, separate stop/tail and turn lamps in the rear, and 1600 badging on the boot and the cowl.

Mark II

The engine size was increased again to 1622 cc by increasing the bore from 75.4 mm to 76.2 mm for the 1961 Mark II MGA. An inset grille was the most obvious visual change, though a number of Mark II De Luxe versions were produced with leftover special wheels and four wheel discs of the departed Twin-Cam. 8,719 Mark II cars were built.

Competition History

The MGA's bodywork was based largely on that of a one-off MG TD specially built by the MG factory at the request of racing privateer George Phillips for the 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans. Later, a new chassis was designed so as to seat the driver lower in the car with even cleaner bodywork resulting in the EX 175 prototype.

The later MG prototype EX 182 was very close to the final production MGA and was the car actually raced at Le Mans in 1955. Three MGA prototypes were entered at Le Mans in 1955. Two of the cars finished the race placing twelfth and seventeenth overall, proving the worth of the new car. The third car crashed with serious injuries to the driver, Dick Jacobs.

The MGA has been raced extensively in the U.S. since its 1955 introduction and with considerble success. In Sports Car Club of America compitition the MGA has won numerous regional and national championships. It has also been a favorite choice of those competing in vintage racing. The MGA continues to win races even at the highest levels. Kent Prather has been the most successful American MGA driver to date with G Production wins at the SCCA national championships in 1986, 1990, 1995, 2002, 2003, and 2005. This despite the fact that his MGA was often the oldest vehicle competing among several hundred race cars at the SCCA Runoffs®.

References

MG vehicles