1960 MG A 1600 Mk 1

Finished in Old English White and with a burgundy leather interior, ‘XWN 444’ is a MKI 1600cc MGA that’s been in the seller’s care since he bought it from us in July 2021.

He was attracted to its good looks as well as the fact the previous owner mentioned a £30,000+ sum to bring it to this condition. It has a great paper history too, and the 94 pages of photographs we took of the history file can only add reassurance.

As can its reliability; after four years of fun, he’s decided the time is right for it to go to pastures new, and before the cynical among you assume this is prompted by an undeclared malady, you’ll be pleased to hear that he was so confident in his much-loved MGA that he had one last hurrah in it by driving it 220 miles to us from his home in Cornwall!
 

Now finished in Old English White again following a period when it was painted purple, the restoration is holding up very well considering it was done around 20 years ago.

It’s had more recent work too, of course, including repairs to the offside front wing and inner and outer sills.

It was all worth it though as it presents beautifully with tight shutlines, very good panel alignment, and an absence of serious dents, dinks, and other problems.

The Old English White paintwork looks terrific too; timeless and elegant, it’s colour is as impressive as its condition. Yes, it’s only covered a handful of miles since being painted but it’s impressive nonetheless – and the few repairs that have been made since have been blended in so well you’d struggle to see the difference ‘twixt old and new.

The chromework is good too, with only very minimal pitting and the odd small hazy area. No rust though, and in addition to the factory brightwork, the MGA also features an attractive and useful chromed rear luggage carrier; throw on a vintage picnic hamper and you’ll be all set for the Goodwood Revival – or even just a day at the seaside.

Other nice touches include excellent lamp lenses, a pair of charming black-and-silver numberplates, and badges that are still nice and shiny.

The good news continues as the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Production Record Trace certificate shows that it left the factory wearing wire wheels, a fitment it retains today.

They’re in good shape too, with a helluva shine and no pitting or visible rust. The spinners are also shiny as well as free of the damage ham-fisted owners sometimes inflict on them when taking them on and off.

As for the tyres, both front and rear axles wear matching 165/80R15 Federal Super Steel 657s. All have good tread, and while they’re a decade old now they’ve probably got a couple of years left in ‘em yet.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

The burgundy roof fits exceptionally well; taut and smooth when it’s up, we can’t see anything to worry about at all much less anything as vulgar as rips and tears. In fact, even the three plastic windows that invariably go opaque are bright and clear.

It also rises and falls easily, with all the press-studs seemingly present and working. The MGA also comes with two very good door tops and the associated storage cases to complete the weatherproofing equipment.

And while the seller might not have taken his MGA out in the rain, he did get caught out in it once, which prompted his wife to treat him to a new and matching tonneau cover in September 2021.

The tonneau would be ideal for keeping the rain and sun off the cabin when you’re parked up and can’t be bothered to raise the roof – and it could even be used as the car’s sole weatherproofing; if so, you could lose the roof and frame, which would simultaneously save weight and unlock ‘Legend’ status in the Game of Life.

The boot is as well presented as the rest of the cabin. It also plays host to an MG tool roll and tool kit, a jack, and a full-size spare wire wheel.

Flaws are few. There are a few marks on the outer hood, the rubber trim at the base of the offside windscreen frame has perished, there’s a blemish in the chrome on the middle of the rear bumper, and there are a couple of areas where rust has just started to develop in the boot but that that is the extent of the problems we spotted speaks volumes.
 

While the coachwork is still finished in the same colour it left the factory wearing, the interior trim has changed colour from black to burgundy, a move that we applaud.

Because what a cracking job they did. With matching seats, door cards, dashboard, and rear trim, the cabin looks cohesive and cheery and very nearly as good now as it would have done when it was first installed.

Obviously only having seen light and careful use over the years, the seats are still plump and virtually unmarked.

With their flattish shape, they might not look like the sort of seats you’d expect to find in a sportscar but the combination of the central armrest and the door trims mean the driver and passenger are held securely in place during even spirited driving.

The driver also has access to a vintage-style, four-triple-spoke steering wheel, which is as impressive in its size as it is its condition.  There’s a matching suite of Jaeger instruments too, plus a snappy, short-throw gearlever, and three dinky pedals.

The rest of the cabin is in good shape too, including the matching burgundy carpets, which are pretty much free of any signs they’ve ever been trodden on quite probably because the (apparently recent) rubber floor mats.

There’s an attractive speaker grille in the centre of the dashboard, a heater has been fitted, and new seatbelts were installed in May 2022 at a cost of just over £500.

The frame for the folding hood is in good shape. Nicely painted and free of damage, it also rises and falls easily. The inner hood lining is also in a good condition even if it is a little stained and would benefit from a deep clean.  

The rear trim cover is also marked, but as it is free of the rips and tears that can plaque them, the fact it too needs a clean isn’t the end of the world.  

Nor is the light pitting on some of the chrome controls such as the doorknobs and air vents, the rusty fasteners inside the door openings, and the rust on the chrome steering column.
 

With an all-up weight of substantially less than a tonne and a top speed of almost 100mph, there’s power aplenty from the 1600cc engine.

The seller used it primarily to pottle around Devon and Cornwall but has stretched its legs as far afield as Spain once. He says, “everyone loves it” and he’s received nothing but smiles and waves during his time with it, something that adds more to the quality of your life than you can imagine. 

In fact, he was so fond of driving it that he used to jump into it even for trips to B&Q, saying “it’s hilarious to drive, and easily keeps up with traffic on A- and B-roads.”

Aside from the estimated £30,000 invested in it during the mid-noughties restoration, more recent work includes a major service including extensive work to the cooling system and a repair to the offside front wing in September 2021 that cost no less than £2,208. 

The seller has a laudable attitude to his classic cars; he believes all the main problems can be attributed to either the points or the cooling system, so if you fettle those – and change the oil every year regardless of mileage and sort out an issues that arise during the MoT – you’ll have a car you can rely on.

And he put his money where his mouth (“I looked after it very well”) is as that work was followed by another, albeit smaller, service in June 2022, another in November 2022 that included a new dynamo, and yet another in January 2024 that included fresh oil in the gearbox and differential in addition to the engine. A new offside front wheel bearing was also fitted in March 2024.

This investment in regular servicing has paid off because it starts well, shows good oil pressure, and revs freely. It’s got a surprisingly appealing exhaust note for such a small engine too, plus an urgent induction roar from the twin pancake air filters; we can imagine how much fun it would be to snap up and down the gearbox with the roof down and the sun on your face. 

The engine bay is very nicely presented, being clean and well-finished; it’s not prissy or overly fussy but is easily good enough for you to be able to lift the bonnet in any company without fear of being embarrassed.

Sure, you could replace the rusty brake master cylinder and ignition coil, and perhaps, replace a couple of the damaged stickers, but these would be jobs to keep you out of harm’s way in the garage rather than stuff that’ll prey on your mind until you’ve done it.

The underside was professionally wire-brushed and Waxoyl’d in June 2023 following the replacement of the offside inner and outer sills in April of that year. As you’d expect, it still looks great. 
 

Despite not needing one, the MGA not only has an MoT certificate but the one it has is a long one, expiring in February 2026.

It still wears its original registration number too and comes with a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate and a clear and recent Vehicle History Check whose only marker is for a change of colour.

As we mentioned earlier, it’s also got a comprehensive paper trail that includes many old receipts and invoices, a bunch of expired MoT certificates, photos of its restoration in the noughties, the Driver’s handbook, a Veloce guide book, and much more; please see the photos for details.

And, just as impressively, it’s all been neatly indexed and is stored in an expanding file.

With a guide price of between £20,000 and £25,000, this charming MGA offers an awful lot for the money.

Yes, it’s an older restoration but you wouldn’t know it to look at it thanks to a winning combination of careful curation and a non-stop maintenance regimen that’s seen small problems nipped in the bud before they can turn into anything worse.

The seller summed it up very nicely when he said, “it’s not concours, but it’s honest and very drivable.”

And can we remind you again that the seller drove it from Cornwall to us in one fell swoop? Good looks, a competition pedigree, and stellar reliability; surely the Holy Trinity of classic sportscar motoring. 

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