1960 MG A Deluxe Coupe

First registered in 1960 on foreign shores, this MG A ‘Deluxe’ coupé was repatriated from South Africa during 1990, and an extensive, no-expense-spared restoration, rebuild and customisation was commissioned by the then-owner, with a well-known marque specialist carrying out the work, with a view to emulating the Sebring ‘deluxe’ cars of 1960.

Those in the know will immediately stop whatever they’re doing and pay attention at this point, because the ‘deluxe’ model - displayed in inverted commas due to the fact it was never an official factory designation - was arguably the most desirable of all the OHV MG A specification.

Officially noted as the ‘Competition Suspension’ option, the main focus of the ‘Deluxe’ cars was far more than a mere tickle of the car’s suspension components. Technically speaking, these cars featured a near-complete Twin-Cam chassis, including the knock-off wheels, Dunlop disk brakes on all four wheels, separate brake master cylinders, a modified frame, and a slightly forward-set steering rack, all of which required a mildly altered ‘hybrid’ shell, and therefore was an option box that was ticked at considerable expense, making these cars very rare indeed.

Other ‘Deluxe’ options included the Competition Deluxe seats - which were correctly named in the options list - and often cars specified with the Competition Suspension were also fitted with a close-ratio gearbox, and sometimes a hardtop also.

In essence - when specified correctly - these ‘Deluxe’ cars took all the best bits from the Twin-Cam chassis, but mated it to the tried and tested OHV engine, which had proven itself time and again in competition and everyday use.

Back to the car in front of us, following its extensive strip-down and rebuild at the hands of Hampshire Sevens, the car has been near-continuously campaigned since the early 1990s, in the hands of just two ‘gentleman drivers’ and with an impressive degree of success.

Evocative names such as Spa Francorchamps, Castle Combe and championships such as the FISCAR, GTS Equipe and AMOC all feature in this wonderful coupés history folder, with numerous class wins and scoring a very impressive 2nd in class at Spa.

In more recent years, the car has benefitted from not only one but two extensive and exhaustive rebuilds (with the supporting documentation available to view below) and has been set up on a rolling road up to 8,400rpm, but is electronically limited to 6,800 with peak power setting in around 5,800rpm. Recorded as producing 129bhp at the rear wheels and 160bhp at the flywheel, the current engine setup has seen very little use, with only one light testing session and two race hours ‘on the clock’ following the most recent rebuild in 2019 by MG Motorsport.

Notably, the vendor states that the car handles “beautifully” and always has done, apparently, meaning there has never been any inclination to update or change the factory suspension setup.

Always admired within the paddock and out on the track, this wonderfully evocative Sebring recreation and proven itself time and again in competition, and is only being moved on due to the vendor wanting to switch to an Austin-Healey 100 for the 2022 season, as their ‘final hoorah’ before handing up their racing shoes.

Stirring up images of the heyday of British sports car racing in the 1960s and remaining as heart-stirring as ever to this day, this ‘Sebring tribute’ MG A coupé is a real head-turner, thanks to its classic colour scheme and period-look racing decals.

Naturally, for a competition car, there are numerous signs of use, enjoyment and what we would term ‘competition keepsakes’ scattered around the vehicle, such as gravel rash, typical usage marks for a car that is driven on the limit, and some slight indentations/misalignments, most notable on the lower front bumper spoiler.

We’ve also noticed that the driver’s door could do with a little adjustment, as it does not quite line up perfectly at the bottom.

Other than the aforementioned wear, the vendor notes that the car has been in ‘no significant accident’ since it was restored in 1990s, and, on the whole, we have to say it presents very well indeed, for a competition-specification vehicle which has been constantly campaigned for around 30 years.

Elsewhere, the rare (and, we’re told, expensive) Realm alloy peg-drive wheels are in excellent condition, just the odd blemish from a rubber mallet but still sit wonderfully under the sculpted arches of this MG A’s bodywork, whilst the Dunlop tyres were new in 2019, and have covered only a handful of miles since fitment, in-line with the engine’s running time.

“Simplify, then add lightness” is the golden rule for competition cars set out by Colin Chapman, and that mantra certainly rings true on the inside of this glorious Sebring tribute car.

The standard seats, carpets and vast majority of the creature comforts have been stripped out, and replaced with lightweight, functional items such as simple door cards, one racing-specification bucket seat, harnesses and a rear cage, though the dashboard and steering wheel remain largely untouched.

Looking around, there is a wonderful sense of purpose within the cabin, with a glorious hard-earned patina noted on the various touch points, chrome details and high-traffic areas within the car, all of which adds to its well-recorded competition history and evocative nature.

An aftermarket Stack tachometer has been fitted, along with an Omex rev limiter, and we’re told the harnesses are of a recent vintage meaning they are still compliant in competition use.

Up above, the headliner has been removed. Our seller noticed that, when driving at speed, air was being driven underneath from the windscreen rubber seal, causing the fabric to billow above the drivers head.

All systems are reportedly in full working order, though in truth, there is very little to go wrong in here.

Extensively rebuilt by MG Motorsport in recent years along with being upgraded, fettled and modified to extract maximum reliable performance by Woolmer Classic Engineering, the inline-four engine that powers this competition-specification MG A coupé is reportedly in rude mechanical health, ready for the next owners to simply jump in and enjoy for the 2022 season.

A full build sheet is available below, but some of the mechanical highlights include the following:

- Recently rebuilt in 2019 at a cost of £7,627

- Full race-specification engine built and maintained by MG Motorsport producing 129bhp at the wheels.

- Vulcan race head

- Arrow rods

- New steel crank

- Forged pistons

- Newly fitted inlet manifold

- Rebuillt Carburetors, New Distributor Doctor distributor, and rolling road setup by Woolmer Classic Engineering

- Recently rebuilt straight-cut gearbox, differential, rear axle and half-shafts fitted by Hardy Engineering

- New alloy radiator by Radtec

- High-torque starter motor

- Recent full brake system overhaul with new callipers, master cylinder and Mintex brake pads.

- Exhaust specially tuned to comply with 98db noise regulations, allowing maximum opportunity to use and enjoy this fantastic car at various tracks.

Naturally, the car is correctly registered as a historic vehicle, and is therefore exempt from mandatory MoT testing.

Underneath, we can see no signs of any concerning corrosion, major leaks or anything that should set off alarm bells, though we always encourage potential bidders to come and see a vehicle for themselves; If you wish to do so, please use the ‘contact seller’ button above to arrange a viewing.

Included with the vehicle is a wealth of history from its entire time in the UK following its repatriation in the 1990s, showing that the restoration - along with all subsequent works, servicing and upgrades - have been carried out to the highest standards, irrespective of the final cost.

As always, we’ve photographed everything that we’ve seen, and all of the documentation is available to view in the gallery below.

However, for those of you looking for a few highlights, the following standout documents are included:

- Extensive invoicing from the 1990s to present day, with significant recent expenditure in the last five years, most of which is at the hands of renowned specialists MG Motorsport

- The V5, showing 5 former keepers and the car correctly registered as a historic vehicle

- Numerous MoT certificates

- Restoration photographs

- Competition history, comprised of handbooks, photographs and various scrutineering and event stickers, which are dotted around the interior of the vehicle

- Several miscellaneous handbooks, manuals and other documents

Evocative of a golden period of motorsport, completed to an exacting standard and maintained to the highest level, and boasting a proven competition history with regular campaigning since the early 1990s, this is a much-loved and admired Sebring tribute MG A coupé, which will no doubt offer the next owner plenty of engaging, visceral driving experiences both on and off the track.

Boasting a wonderful history, outstanding mechanical specification and offered in ready-to-use condition, we estimate this charming 1960 MG A ‘Deluxe’ Coupé to fetch in the region of £28,000 to £34,000 when the virtual hammer falls.

Viewing is always encouraged. This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays between 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.