Interested parties please note that the vendor undertakes to procure the required documentation for export and will deliver the vehicle to a port of your choosing for shipping. Seller has worldwide references if required
HIGHLIGHTS
Desirable Twin Cam
Subject to an older restoration
Exceptional condition
Stacks of invoices and paperwork
Well-maintained and used regularly
Power steering conversion
THE APPEAL
The idea for the MGA came from the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hour race and a special streamlined body created for George Phillips’s racing car, designed by MG engineer and stylist Syd Enever.
Enever’s wind-cheating body was developed for a purpose – namely to provide the best possible aerodynamics in an era when such things were still considered a dark art. So, while streamlining was the first priority, the fact that it looked sensational was a happy serendipity.
What followed was a demand from MG owners for a car that looked like the Le Mans racer, and thus the MGA was born – though it was slow in gestation as British Motor Corporation boss Leonard Lord was originally against it. He’d just signed a deal with Donald Healey to create Austin-Healey and he didn’t want to upset the new arrangement by launching new sports cars under a different brand.
But soon after, sales of the more traditional MG models, which were critical to BMC’s export success, were in freefall. So Enever’s design was revisited and signed off.
It made its debut at the 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show and still looked way ahead of its time even though the Le Mans car had appeared four years previously.
Yet despite its incredibly modern looks, the MGA was actually quite traditional underneath, with a separate body-on-frame chassis and the 1,489cc OHV B-Series engine taken directly from the MG Magnette saloon, offering a modest 68bhp.
As the MGA evolved, it was made more modern and faster, with disc brakes and a Twin Cam engine appearing as part of the model’s evolution, while a Coupe was added to the range soon after launch.
This one has all of those features – the 108bhp Twin Cam engine which was a significant improvement on the standard unit, the coupé body and uprated brakes and suspension. In MGA terms, it’s the sportiest of the lot.
This car was delivered to its first owner in 1958, making it one of the very first MGAs to be delivered with the new Twin Cam engine.
It’s described by the vendor as a “very original” car but has had repairs when necessary over the years and has been repainted. It’s a genuine right-hand-drive car and is currently in South Africa, but could be imported to the UK and registered in Britain with minimal difficulty, as well as having appeal in other RHD markets such as Australia and Japan.
The cabin of the MGA is cosy and narrow, with a low-slung driving position that gives it the aura of true sports car.
It’s in fine condition, with replacement carpets and retrimmed red leather upholstery. The dials and gauges are all original and the car still has its optional speaker grille and bold four-spoke narrow-rimmed steering wheel, which is often replaced by a sports item.
THE EXTERIOR
Factory black
Original Dunlop sports steel wheels
Good chrome and trim
The Twin Cam looks fantastic in its rare and unusual factory black, and the dry climate in which it has lived for all its life has done wonders to preserve it.
It has been repainted at some stage and looks great, with an excellent paint finish and good chrome and trim. The Dunlop knock-on steel wheels really look the part, with the owner having resisted the urge to add alloys. It’s all the better for it!
The vendor also has a new windscreen to go with the car, which is included in the sale price.
The Harry Weslake-designed Twin Cam head really makes a difference to the MGA’s power delivery and makes this the most desirable of all MGAs, especially with it being such an early and original example. It has a 5 speed Toyota gearbox fitted to make long distance touring.
The owner reports that the car drives very well indeed, with no known faults.
This car epitomises what was the pinnacle of MGA ownership when the model was new – a Twin Cam, a Coupé and in a great colour scheme, it’s a desirable thing to start with. Add in the fact that this is a genuine 1958 car, from the first year of Twin Cam production, and it has even further provenance.
Notice to bidders
Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
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1958 MGA Twin Cam
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