1961 MG A Roadster 1600

This lovely MGA 1600 MkI was personally imported three years ago from Australia by the current vendor. Little is known of its time Down Under, however the vendor understands it had just the one owner from new, but received no paperwork when he collected the car at dock-side, except a number of photographs. These show that this MGA made the pilgrimage all the way from Australia by sea to Abingdon in the mid-1990s. The trip, which was christened The Regency Run and was organised by the owners’ club, was made in 1996 and, as you can see from the photographs, means that this MGA has driven these lanes before, which we think is utterly charming.

And what makes the lack of history even more frustrating; we know this car almost certainly has a tale to tell – and a good one at that – but we simply can’t access it. It’s clearly been very well looked after over the years, although whether this is as a result of regular maintenance and refurbishment or a one-off restoration we don’t know.

But there’s a challenge there for the new owner; could you be the one to unlock its history?

The bodywork is very presentable; our in-house guru and a man who spends far too much of his life looking at old cars with an unusually cynical eye said it “looks sharp”, which is high praise indeed. But he’s right, it does look very good indeed. For example, running your fingers along the wheel arch edges, reveals nothing but smooth painted metal. Is this the result of a high quality restoration, or a life in a sunny, dry climate? We just don't know....

The paintwork is not original and has a good shine, but eagle eyes may spot a minor shade difference on the wing behind the nearside rear wheel. As we mentioned before, we don’t know whether that’s because it has had a full professional respray as part of a full restoration, or has simply been refurbished as part of a planned programme. 

Whatever the truth of the matter there is nothing for the potential bidder to worry about; there is absolutely no rot or serious corrosion, and the panels themselves line up nicely and are free of major damage.

There is, of course, the odd scratch, chip, and paint imperfection, but there’s nothing there to worry about and the car looks all the more charming for having developed some character over the years.

The hood and side-screens are in good condition, although the sticks could do with painting. Aside from that, the only problem of note is the bumpers; they’ve been re-chromed but the finish isn’t great and we’d suggest that the new owner will probably want to get them done again, at which point he/she could sort out the dent in the front one, too.

The interior is delightful. Again, it’s clearly been the recipient of some love and money over the years, not least because the seats have been recovered in red leather. They look fabulous and demonstrate that the retrimming was clearly a top-quality job undertaken by a professional who knew what they were doing.

Everything in there works too, including the period radio and speaker, which is a nice bonus with an old British car whose electricity is wrangled by Lucas, the Prince of Darkness…

Faults are limited to a few minor wear marks, some scuffing to the carpet underneath the driver’s heel, and some micro-blistering behind the seats where the roof has been stored. Let’s call it patina and not worry about it too much, eh?

The car’s owner commissioned our friends and well-respected classic car experts, Kennington Motors to recommission the car. 

In addition to carrying out a full service, Kennington Motors also replaced the hydraulic components in the car’s clutch system, and installed new front brake calipers and front dampers in addition to rebuilding the front suspension. 

The carburettors were also rebuilt prior to being tuned and balanced; try asking your local Halfords Service Centre to do that for you… 

The vehicle was also sympathetically upgraded with an oil filter conversion and an electronic ignition system in addition to receiving a new battery and a stainless steel exhaust. The car also received four new matching tyres, and we don’t have to keep reminding you that this is only a Good Thing, do we?

The car’s lack of an older history makes itself felt here more than anywhere. While we have driven the car and can confirm that it drives very well indeed following the £2,500 recommissioning work, we have nothing to back up its long-term history prior to being repatriated.

But, let’s be sensible about it; anyone who loves their car enough to keep it for 55-odd years and transport it from Australia to Great Britain for a jolly isn’t going to have skimped on the maintenance, are they?

For what it’s worth, the car drives well and the engine bay and underside are tidy and clean, without being obsessively so. It’s dry under there too, with none of the oil and coolant leaks that can plague old cars. That there is no rot goes without saying.

Which is exactly what you’d expect to see given its story, isn’t it? This is a real driver’s car that has been well looked after rather than a trailer queen whose rubber seals have all shrivelled and is only one-step away from needing a complete restoration; we’d have no hesitation in jumping in it for a lengthy road-trip, just as the previous owner did, back-in-the-day.

The online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever and confirms the car’s low mileage. The car comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the recent work that has been done to it.

It has also been issued with a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certified copy of the factory build record, confirming that it was indeed built for export to Australia. The car’s history might be patchy but what there is is consistent and supports the owner’s claims for it.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained in recent years to the very highest standard.

Pricing a car like this is hard. On the one hand, the lack of history is a shame and will affect its value. On the other, it is a good car, which is reputed to have been owned by the same chap for over half-a-century, and so it’s highly unlikely to have been neglected, especially given the fact he shipped it halfway round the world for what might just be the ultimate MGA road-trip.

But, we’re playing fair and valuing it between £17,000 and £22,000 at which point we think it offers great value.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at Patina HQ in Abingdon; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.