Description

1960 MGA 1600 Roadster

SOLD £25,763

The first truly modern MG, the MGA of 1955 was streets ahead of anything the company had yet produced as all their preceding models were based on ageing pre-war designs. Blessed with a gorgeous silhouette that would not have looked out of place on a car twice the price, the Roadster also had a notably rigid structure thanks to a triangulated bulkhead design that is not found on any other production sportscar. Throw in its beautifully direct rack-and-pinion steering and it's no wonder that the MGA has acquired such a devoted fan club over the years. Initially fitted with a 1,500cc engine, the MGA was upgraded to 1,600cc spec in 1959 boosting the power to 80bhp and the top speed to 101mph. The brakes were also improved with discs up front while the detachable side screens also gained sliding Perspex windows. The MGA remained in production until 1962 when it was replaced by the softer and rather less inspiring MGB. As the Heritage Certificate confirms, this MGA 1600 Mk1 Roadster was built in May 1960 for the UK market and was originally Dove Grey with red trim. At some point the car made its way to sunny South Africa where it was treated to a full restoration in 2016, including a bare metal repaint in the current vivid red. Imported back to the UK in August 2017 it was acquired by our vendor shortly afterwards and he has enjoyed it ever since. Invoices on file show that it has been serviced twice during his ownership and was fitted with a new starter motor and a new battery in Dec 2019. Being over 6 feet tall, he has also fitted a smaller diameter 15" Mota-Lita MGA Heritage woodrim steering wheel which cost £637 and gives some welcome extra leg-room. The original 17" steering wheel is also included as are some inertia reel seat belts and anchor points which have yet to be fitted. Riding on sparkling chrome wire wheels shod with good quality tyres, it comes with a full set of weather equipment (hood, sidescreens, tonneau cover), a battery trickle charger, two sets of keys, spare oil and anti-freeze, a Haynes manual, various parts catalogues and an agreed insurance valuation of £27,000. A very smart example all round, it ran beautifully as we drove it around the site at Brightwells and looks mighty tempting at the sensible guide price suggested.

For more information on this Lot please contact James Dennison on 07970 309907 or email james.dennison@brightwells.com