Highlights
- Comprehensively refurbished MGA
- Garaged since 2005, only driven in dry weather
- Extensive paperwork dating back to the 1970s
- Maintained by specialists since 1989
- Starts and runs with good steering and brakes
The Appeal
By the standards of its successors, the MGA led a relatively short life, manufactured for just seven years from 1955 onwards. Yet its legacy lives on, not just in MG’s iconic replacement model, but in those timeless lines which are as eye-catching at classic car events today as they were seventy years ago. Mark I cars are especially sought after, though most were exported.
That’s certainly true for this Eclipse Blue MGA, which was initially dispatched to South Africa in 1958 but returned home two years later. Having only had a couple of owners over the first 25 years of its life, it was comprehensively restored by a classic car specialist in 1989 at a cost of almost £20,000. Since then, it has had just two owners, having been garaged and lightly driven in dry conditions since the Millennium.
As a result of this careful ownership, the bodywork is in great condition, with only slight surface rust and minor paint flaking inside the wheel arches. The interior is especially impressive, dominated by an outsized four-spoke steering wheel ahead of chrome-ringed dials and traditional pull-switches. Other period details like the wire wheels and luggage rack have also been superbly maintained across this time-capsule car.
The History and Paperwork
- Mark I MGA, manufactured in 1958
- Imported from South Africa in 1960
- Full MOT collection from 1976 to 2013
- Two owners since 1989 refurbishment
- MG chassis number HDL23/58326
- Extensive documentation on refurb
- MOT exempt since 2014
The Condition
- Eclipse Blue paintwork repainted in 2000
- No tears or damage to fabrics and seats
- Small areas of paint bubbling and flaking
- Undamaged side screens, hood and tonneau cover
- Regularly exhibited at classic car meets
This car was fully rebuilt by specialists in 1989, from replacement door hinge pins and exhaust valves to the addition of period fuel pipes and air filters. The interior is in excellent condition, with no rips, tears or damage across the fabrics, and much of the chromework is immaculate. The odometer shows just over 67,500 miles, and original MG plaques can be found everywhere from the chassis to the heater. The bodywork was resprayed in 2000, and the car has been garaged ever since, with only a few minor blemishes on less visible areas like inside the wheelarches.
The Mechanics
- Fully restored but mechanically unmodified
- Professionally maintained since 1989
- Period wire wheels shod with modern tyres
- All instrumentation and switchgear working according to the vendor
With a well-maintained 1489cc twin-carb engine nestling in an immaculate bay, this comprehensively restored Mark I MGA offers a comparable driving experience to its original 1958 incarnation. Having owned it for the last twenty years, the current keeper describes the steering, brakes and exhaust as all being in sound condition, with the car reportedly providing pleasurable open-top driving. The 1989 refurbishment was comprehensive, taking in a gearbox overhaul, replacement clutch components, new fuel tank pipes and air filters. Regular maintenance has been carried out ever since, with a replacement water pump, hoses and clips fitted in February 2025.
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