Beschreibung
One of my all-time favourites. Presented in very seasonal Spruce Green over Old English White, this cracking MG 1300 2-door saloon has benefitted from almost £5000 in recent investment and comes with substantial restoration and service history dating back more than 25 years. With just 69, 850 miles recorded and boasting an Oselli-tuned and rebuilt engine less than 17, 000 miles ago, this now rare and desirable ADO16 variant drives as good as it looks. Perfect as either a daily runabout or a Sunday afternoon show, this little MG has bags of personality and offers a superb introduction to this sporting brand that all the family can enjoy. I don`t anticipate it will be with me for long.
Launched in 1962, the ADO16 designation from BMC was a range of small family cars that became best sellers throughout the 1960`s, principally under the Morris and Austin badges. Within a few months of introduction, badge-engineered versions appeared carrying the company-owned brands of MG, Wolseley, Riley and Vanden Plas. Initially, cars came with an 1100cc engine (hence were known as “1100”s) with the larger 1275cc featuring in the Mk. II from 1967 onwards (known as the “1300”). Distinctive in the use of Hydolastic suspension and front wheel drive, the range was very different to anything else seen in Britain at the time and was considered revolutionary in terms of space, comfort and overall performance. Indeed, the clever use of in-house brands gave something for everyone within the range. The MG-branded 1100 appeared very early in ADO16 production (late 1962) and featured a twin SU-carburettor version of the 1098cc producing 55BHP. Initially available as just a 4-door saloon, the MG came with sportier interior boasting a walnut fascia with strip speedo and toggle switches, but the real changes came with the introduction of the Mk. II from October 1967. The choice of either a 2 or 4-door saloon now gave the sporting driver the option of almost a coupe and coupled with the 11-stud 1275cc engine (essentially Cooper S specification offering 70BHP) suddenly made the MG a serious sporting saloon with proper credentials. In Mk. II form, the MG received a redesigned dash incorporating three Smiths dials: speedo, rev counter and combined unit for oil pressure, fuel and temperature. With a top speed of practically 100MPH and a 0-60 time of just under 14 seconds, Autocar magazine put the Mk. II up against the Sunbeam Imp Sport, Triumph 1300TC and Vauxhall Brabham Viva 90SL in a performance back-to-back. The MG won hands down.
Our car was registered in Bournemouth in December 1968 and was originally supplied in one of four 2-tone colour schemes, Sandy Beige over Old English White. The MG was retained for 11 years before selling to a lady in Canford Cliffs, Poole in July 1979 with around 15, 000 miles recorded. She ran the car regularly through the 1980`s and early 1990`s before it was duly sold to a relative in Beckenham, Kent in December 1995. A small amount of service history exists from this period before the MG was sold again after just 2 years to a couple in Bognor Regis for the sum of £1700. With 30, 578 miles recorded, the car obviously needed some light attention and servicing with receipts on file for a full set of ignition parts, tyres, new sender unit and exhaust system. In June 1997, the car was evidently involved in a light prang requiring repairs to the O/ S door and rear quarter panel. The associated insurance claim documents work undertaken together with a partial respray of the lower panels to blend the OEW paintwork. Sadly, just 12 months later, a further prang was recorded with light damage to the N/ S rear quarter. Again, this is documented with photographs. The following 3 years saw the owners moving north to Gaydon, Warwickshire and some significant investment in the MG starting with a replacement gearbox in December 1998 with replacement driveshaft coupling, vacuum unit and carburettor rebuild the following year. But it was in November 2000 that the most notable work was undertaken - that of a full strip and rebuild of the original engine to tuned, lead-free specification by MG engine specialists, Oselli Ltd. of Oxford. The accompanying receipt documents a price paid of £1386 with a mileage at rebuild of 53, 300. Oselli also provided additional parts to include a new exhaust manifold and running-in oil. At the same time, the engine benefitted from a set of K&N filters and the car, a Powerflow performance exhaust system. Around 12 months later, the underside benefitted from new subframes and associated mounts as well as a replacement O/ S outer and inner sill, O/ S door skin and partial repaint again of the lower half of the car. In 2002, the braking system was evidently overhauled and subsequently the MG was used sparingly having provided daily commuting transport for the previous 5 years. The history file goes quiet for a year or so with car reappearing in June 2005 with a dealer in Aylesbury with a recorded mileage of 67, 389. The car was sold to a gentleman in Chipping Sodbury moving 4 years later to Weston Super Mare where it remained until 2012. It was then purchased by a father and son from East Sussex where it remained for the next 10 years with once again some serious investment to principally ancillaries and cosmetics. This started with a full brake overhaul and new subframe mounts in 2012 with repaint the following year electing to change to upper colour from Sandy Beige to Spruce Green. In 2016, the gearbox was overhauled, whilst 2017 saw the car completely retrimmed by Eastbourne Upholstery Services in Dune vinyl with Rainforest trim with contrasting Pine Green carpets. In 2018, a major recommissioning exercise was documented to notably include minor welding to inner and outer sills, new ball-joints, new wheels and tyres, gear-linkage overhaul with replacement primary gear floating bush, new brake hoses, replacement clutch, partial re-wiring and new ignition parts including HT leads. Mileage at this stage is recorded as 69, 729. Evidently, the car was barely used after this work and has covered around 100 miles since. In May 2022, a full carburettor rebuild is documented together with a set of new plugs, throttle cable and tuning. Total bills from 2017 to this point total just short of £5000. In September 2022, the MG was sold to a gentleman in Leominster where it has resided until now covering less than 20 miles. Most recently, both ignition and fuel system have been overhauled and the car fully valeted. Mileage today is a recorded 69, 850.
The car today presents just as seen in the photographs. The 2-tone Spruce Green over Old English White paintwork is truly superb with just one or two touched-in chips and very minor blemishes whilst panel-work is genuinely excellent. All trim is likewise very good with nice original chrome and a full set of period grille-mounted badges. Inside, the cabin is stunning with newly retrimmed seats and door-cards very much echoing the Green and White of the exterior. A full set of Pine Green carpets pull the interior together very well whilst the original walnut dash with full set of period Smiths gauges and later wood-rimmed steering wheel perfectly complements the sporting character of this cracking little car. Turn the key and the ever-willing A-Series fires immediately into life sounding very sweet and purposeful. On the road, the MG is an absolute delight with eager acceleration, precise steering and a wonderful ride indicative of proper maintenance. With plenty of power to keep up with modern machinery, I piloted the car out across the West Dorset Downs towards Bridport and loved every minute. And the reception from fellow road-users on seeing this rather striking sports saloon pressing on at highway speeds is quite astonishing. Once a very common site on British roads, the ADO16 is now a rare site and rarer still in MG guise with just 103 currently recorded licenced on UK roads.
The MG comes with a large history file with bills and receipts going back to 1981 but specifically covering the period 1997-2023, photographs of the car in its original livery and post-restoration, MoT Certificates from 1996-2023, old tax discs from 1997-2010, an original Drivers Handbook, old Registration Documents and a current V5C. Naturally, it is today both MoT and road-tax exempt. The car benefits from 2 sets of keys.
A stunning example of a very rare and now desirable sporting saloon with lovely provenance.
Shore Classics is based on the West Dorset coast within easy proximity of both Weymouth and the County town of Dorchester. As classic and vintage dealers, we offer full brokerage facilities. So if you require some help and guidance with selling your classic car or motorcycle, just give us a call today.
Deposit now taken.
