1959 MG A Mk1 1600 *Sold £20,500*

MAKEMG
MODELA
REGISTRATION722 UYM
ENGINE SIZE1600
TRANSMISSIONManual
MILEAGE67,939
CURRENT V5
COLOURRed
INTERIORRed Leather
LOCATIONBaston, Lincolnshire PE6

1959 MG A Mk1 1600 *Sold £20,500*

In stock

  • Original UK Spec car
  • Believed to have been registered new in Australia
  • Fully restored
  • Engine and gearbox overhauled
  • Photographic rebuild record
  • New hood & interior
  • Part of a major private collection
  • This 1959 MG A Mk1 1600 sold for £20,500
  • Please scroll down the page past the video to read a full description for this 1959 MG A Mk1
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Description

  • Original UK Spec car
  • Believed to have been registered new in Australia
  • Fully restored
  • Engine and gearbox overhauled
  • Photographic rebuild record
  • New hood & interior
  • Part of a major private collection

The MG A is arguably MG’s best sports car. Stylish and beautiful, the MG A has superb agility, lively performance, sweet gearchange and light steering. In Roadster form, it is a pure British sports car at it’s best.

 

Background

Our collector, Roy, has networks of contacts in the USA, Australia and elsewhere. A contact in Australia got in touch with Roy about this MG A Mk1. He knew the niece of the owner, who had recently deceased. The MG A had been stored for some time. Knowing this was a much more uncommon Mk1 1600 MG A Roadster, he didn’t hang about. It wasn’t long before this classic UK spec MG A, which it is believed was first registered in sunny Australia, was heading back to the UK where it was fully restored.

Please note that these images of the MG A post restoration were taken 9 months ago and the car has been in storage since this time. Our vendor advised that the car will need recommissioning before driving.

 

Engine

Most MG A’s are fitted with the 1500cc B Series engine. For just two years, from ’59-’61, MG produced the 1600cc Mk1 Roadster version of the MG A. Due to their short production run and of course the passage of time, these infrequently come to market. Although it appeared to be a minor upgrade, the 1600cc B Series offers more torque and driveability, in doing so, it makes the Mk1 1600cc a much better car.

The venerable B Series engine is easy to live with and as straightforward as they come. As part of a very comprehensive restoration, the engine in the MG A was removed and shipped off to Rawles Motor Sport to be fully overhauled. The engine now feels as good as it did when it left the factory.

This is what the Autocar road testers said when got to drive an MG A, back in the ‘60s “ Long, winding hillside roads are a joy to traverse; the car rockets to the top in third gear, and this gear is also extremely useful for overtaking other traffic and for town use”.

Body

The entire body of this classic MG A Mk1 was restored. All the outer panels were removed. The complete interior along with the engine, gear box and wiring loom were all removed. That left the body on the chassis, which is important. It means when it’s all put back together the body panels all fit as they should.

 

As many of you with knowledge of the brilliant MG A’s will know, there is an amount of wood in the construction. Where needed, that was all renewed.

When the wiring loom was removed, it was decided it wasn’t good enough to go back in, so before the classic MG A was built back up, the first thing to go in was a new wiring loom.

We have hundreds of images on file showing the meticulous restoration. If you cannot see the image you’re looking for, we probably have it, so just give us a shout. The photographs of the strip and rebuild reveal the amount of work that has gone into making this car look as fabulous as it does.

Mechanicals

As you trawl through the images, you’ll see there isn’t much that has been ignored. It is worth mentioning a couple of points.

The gearbox has been overhauled by Rawles Motor Sport.

This Mk1 1600 M GA came fitted with the upgraded Lockheed front brake discs rather than all round drum brakes. The front discs and calipers have been renewed. Added to this, were new linings at the rear and all new brake pipes throughout.

A new petrol tank was fitted to eliminate any doubts whatsoever. Those smashing wire wheels are also new. This was a full and very thorough restoration.

Inside and Hood

The interior, with new seats, carpets, interior trim and dash, were treated to the same level of dedication as the rest of the car.

Drop down into this MG A, grab the steering wheel and close your eyes. It’s not hard to imagine you’ve been transported back to 1959, sat in an MG showroom. This is like sitting in a brand new car. It’s stunning, and utterly beautiful with it. Is there a better looking dashboard than the MG A’s? Let us know!

 

The red leather is immaculate and the carpets have been recently fitted. (Although Roy does use this  MG A and at the time of our pics it had been on a little run and we should have got the hoover out, ahem!) The only sign of the car’s age are those wonderful original bakelite switches. The nostalgic nod to the past is perfect – just a little hint to remind you you’re actually in an historic vehicle, in 2022.

We nearly forgot! The hood is all new too. It looks smashing. Did you expect anything less?

Our view

Utterly stunning. MG A’s have a special charm and carry the characteristics and kerb appeal that only a car of this era is capable of doing so. Yet classic MG A’s remains easy to live with on a daily basis, including on longer journeys for a weekend getaway.

During the 1960s the push to rebuild the British economy relied entirely on exports. Only 6,000 MG As were sold in the UK, the remainder went overseas. To see one repatriated is a rare treat.

In this condition, it is in an exclusive club of very few cars.

Prices are starting to soar. However, they still remain affordable. How long that will last is anyone’s guess, especially unique ones like this.

Good luck bidding. Please remember, our site uses anti-sniping software which ensures fairness to all bidders. So, if a bid for a lot is received in the last minute, the auction will go into a 2-minute overtime period for each subsequent bid.

Vehicle Location: Baston, Lincolnshire PE6– it’s the responsibility of the winning bidder to make collection / transportation arrangements directly with the vendor

Have a question about this MG A? Please contact the Evoke team at auction@evoke-classics.com and we will speak to the vendor on your behalf.

Guide Prices?

We’re different. But you know that. And we’re always honest. In a sector where no two classics are same, how does anyone put a ‘guide’.

Well, everyone knows the broad value of classic, let’s all be honest. So we don’t need to tell you what you already know, do we.

The ‘market’ decides and the old cliché that ‘it’s worth what someone wants to pay’ is no less true. So why kid everyone!

But, because we are different, if it really does matter to you, that’s fine, we want you to be happy. Just drop us a line at auction@evoke-classics.com and one of us will be delighted to ring you back and discuss, it’s what we do.

Tedious but it’s vital you read this, please.

We will always strive to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available. However, we can’t claim to be perfect. Your own analysis is very important and we are here to help and also answer any and all queries you may have prior to purchase.

We offer and positively encourage buyers to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding.

If we do take a physical, as opposed to a remote, look at any of the vehicles on our platform, they are not those of a qualified vehicle inspector or other professional. Nor do they include a test drive unless expressly stated.

As with all vehicles of a certain age, localised paint repairs are common. This specifically applies with classics.

So, please, unless we state explicitly to the contrary, please assume that classic vehicles on our platform could have had remedial bodywork of any kind at some point in its life.

Two final comments on images and photos.

The vast majority are supplied by vendors. Camera technology has and continues to improve significantly, but please note and understand that image and sound quality does vary. If you would like vendors to provide more images please ask us and we will contact the vendor for you.

If you are at all unsure, just ask us. It is what we are here for.

Finally, finally, finally. Please note that vehicles are sold as seen and a returns policy is not applicable. This is the norm for used items acquired at auction.

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