1955 MG Magnette

With four previous keepers on the V5 and 7 owners listed in the original buff log book, this delightful MG Magnette was fully restored in the early eighties, and has only covered around 3,000 miles since then.

It has a wonderful provenance and some fascinating historical documents, including a photographic record of its restoration plus a series of hand-written notes. There are MOT certificates from 1984 (when the mileage was reading 00001) through to 1989 and 2,974 miles.

The car appears to have been unused between 1989 and 1998, when it was MOT’d again at 2,979 miles and once more in 2002 and 2,992 miles; given the paper trail, we’re pretty sure that the mileage is accurate.

Although still in wonderful condition, the MG would benefit from a little TLC, primarily on the interior, which is a little tired. Having said that, it is wonderfully solid and has weathered the intervening years far better than most older restorations, making it the ideal car for the canny enthusiast who is looking to add value by carrying out a few simple jobs.

As you can see from the photographs, the MG presents very well indeed; while many older restorations have started to deteriorate by now this one is still looking great. While some of the credit must go to its limited use and careful storage over the years, the underlying integrity of the work that was carried out must take the bulk of the credit.

And it seems to have been done to a very high standard indeed because the flanks are still straight and free of ripples, and the door and panel gaps look to be pretty good, too. The paintwork has a decent sheen to it and it looks to have been applied with more than the usual degree of skill. It really is rather lovely.

The chromework also looks to be in decent shape, being free of serious pitting and corrosion. Sure, some of it would benefit from half-a-day’s polishing with some Autosol but its patina is just that, patina rather than deterioration.

The painted steel wheels and chromed hubcaps are in good shape, and are fitted with matched pairs of tyres; the Goodyear tyres fitted to the rear axle are approximately six years old, while the Vredesteins on the front are new.

The owner tells us that there is a “small amount of minor corrosion only”. We’ve spotted some on the nearside front and rear wings, and while the sills are free of corrosion, the paint has started to flake off them.

He also says that the “paintwork is good but there are some storage related scratches and scuffs present.” We’ve done our best to photograph the issues we can see but would recommend visiting the car to look at it in person prior to placing a bid.

Work to do other than some localized paintwork includes sorting out the trafficators as the nearside one doesn’t work, plus refitting the door seals.

The green leather seats are in great shape, being firm and plump and free of rips, tears and other damage. Sure, some of the stitching has come loose, and they’d benefit from a clean and feed, but their condition is consistent with their age and use and we think they’ll respond to a little TLC very well indeed.

As an early car it has a wooden dash with the so-called 'tin' top section, and this is all in a good condition. The headlining is free of damage and still taut, and the door cards, including the wooden cappings, are in great shape. The huge Bakelite steering wheel is positively vintage in both looks and feel but that’s as it should be and it adds to the period charm of this car’s interior.

The carpets look good, as do the floors underneath them. Rust is the major concern with cars like this, and to see clean, rust-free floorpans should go a long way to assuaging your fears.

The heater has been removed from the car in order to fit new heater hoses and to have the matrix reconditioned. This work hasn’t yet been done, so will need to be sorted out by the new owner.

In addition to the full restoration in the early eighties and some mechanical recommissioning in the late 1990s, more recent work includes new braided fuel hoses, radiator hoses, a radiator cap, gearbox mounts, a new brake master cylinder and slave cylinders all round, new brake shoes and hoses, a clutch slave cylinder, new heatshields for the carburettors, and differential and rear hub oil seals.

The owner also tells us that it has had a new exhaust. He also thinks that it has been fitted with a Gold Seal replacement engine at some point, most likely at time of restoration. Uprated to ZB specification, it has covered only a few thousand miles since that time so “is as new”.

The underside of the vehicle is clean and looks to have been neatly painted rather than undersealed, and the engine bay is neat, clean and nicely presented.

The owner tells us that it “drives and stops but requires fine tuning.” The car comes with some spare parts; please see the photos for details.

The MG Magnette doesn’t have a current MOT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have the car re-MOT’d at the earliest. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

It comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a photographic and a handwritten record of its restoration back in the eighties. There is also an owner’s handbook, a stamped registration book, and a workshop manual and a parts manual in ring binders.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please contact the owner to arrange an appointment.

This is another one of those cars that it would be easy to dismiss: as an early eighties restoration with an interior in need of TLC and some rust on the nearside rear wing, many of us would dismiss it as just another older resto that needs sorting out all over again at vast expense and no little effort.

Nothing could be further from the truth; it’s solid, and what rust there is is limited in scope and would be easy to sort out. The interior is delightfully patinated too, and the underside is solid and in fine condition; this is a car that repays closer examination and we would strongly urge potential bidders to make their way to Somerset to see it in person.

As to what it’s likely to sell for, we think it’ll reach somewhere between £9,000 and £11,000, at which price point the new owner will have a wonderfully solid and preserved MG Magnette with which to waft around in.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen in Somerset; 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.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings of any auction, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles we have for sale. While we use our trade experience to assess every car that comes through our hands (and between us we have bought hundreds of classic cars over the years for our personal use…) we are fallible, and our assessment of a car may contrast with that you might form yourself.

This is why we offer a far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange a professional inspection on their behalf of, each vehicle prior to bidding than any traditional car auction, and we will never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this by coming to see it in person.

That said, we do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or those formed as a result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.