Background
Land Speed record breakers, producers of the world’s most popular classic sports car, makers of stunning supercharged multi-million pound exotica. MG is all these things – and it also made the VA. The inter-war years for MG were dominated by racing, and many remember the fantastic sports cars of the period, but they also built these beautiful tourers, for those who like their classic cars a little bit less frenetic.
William Morris started building bicycles in Longwall Street, Birmingham but by 1911 he’d turned his attention to cars and was selling and repairing various makes from the rebuilt premises, now renamed Morris Garages. In 1922 he appointed his head salesman, Cecil Kimber as general manager. As well as running the showroom and garage, Kimber was also a dab hand at designing special bodywork.
The MG name, based on the initials of the garage, first appeared in 1923 on a Kimber bodied bull nosed Morris Cowley special in which Kimber won gold in the Land’s End Trial. Although this winning car is claimed to be the prototype MG, the model recognised today as the first ever MG, or Old Number One, is a pointed-tail two-seater.
By 1924 a range of rebodied Morris and MG badged models was being sold as Kimber Specials and an overflowing order book resulted with MG assembly taking place at the Alfred Lane works and later at a larger premises in Barton Road. Further expansion saw fledging MG production being transferred to a separate factory in Edmond Road in Cowley close to the main Morris works. In 1928 a Kimber bodied 2.4-litre MG Six was displayed at that year’s London Motor Show and not long after, MG production was transferred to an old leather works in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.
In 1930, the year MG went racing, the MG Car Company Ltd was incorporated and although William Morris personally owned the company, he eventually sold his holdings in MG to Morris Motors in 1935, the lead company in the Morris Organisation. With the acquisition by Morris, Kimber was instructed to return far higher profits and the new management was solely interested in profitability related to simplicity and commonality of parts throughout the Nuffield range.
With these new directives the Wolseley range of overhead camshaft engines ceased, which immediately spelt the end for the MG PA/PB models and the Magnette. Launched at the 1936 Motor Show, the VA was the second all-new MG model to be introduced following the company's acquisition by Morris Motors and its subsequent reorganisation. It was a scaled-down version of the SA, first seen the previous year, which had caused a certain amount of consternation amongst enthusiasts who feared an abandonment of virtues embodied by the marque's nimble sports cars.
They need not have worried, for although based on the Wolseley Super Six and aimed at the luxury car market, the SA received sufficient input from MG founder and designer Cecil Kimber to transform it into a car worthy of the famous octagon badge.
Likewise the VA, or 1½-Litre, which shared its 1,548cc four-cylinder overhead valve engine with the Morris 12/4 and Wolseley 12/48. As installed in the VA, this unit featured twin SU carburettors and produced 54bhp, but as the car weighed over a ton, acceleration was necessarily leisurely. Nevertheless, the VA could cruise comfortably at 60mph and had a genuine top speed of over 75mph, with more to come from the tourer with the windscreen folded flat. Synchromesh made its appearance on 3rd and top gears – the first time that this innovation had been seen in an MG saloon. A Tickford-bodied drophead coupé and Charlesworth-bodied open tourer completed the range.
The VA was a neat, well-proportioned car and was distinguishable from its larger brother by the front nearside wing-mounted spare wheel. Built on a conventional and sturdy MG chassis that was unique to it, the car had a 9ft wheelbase. The main chassis side members were of box channel construction and swept up over the rear axle line to accommodate a softer rear suspension arrangement and to allow greater vertical wheel movement. Although the chassis was unique to the VA, other components such as the front and rear axles were shared with the Morris 12/4 and Wolseley 12/48. Lockheed hydraulic brakes with 10in drums were fitted to the VA unlike its predecessor the N type Magnette, which had a cable operated system.
Power was transmitted via a cork clutch running in oil through a Nuffield four speed gearbox to a spiral bevel rear axle, and a neat remote gear change was standard. Sadly the VA suffered the same fate as the SA in as much as it took at least six months to get the car into full production after its official launch, and it also suffered many component specification changes through its production life.
The cork/oil clutch was changed for a dry plate variety, the carburetors, shock absorbers, road springs, rear axle casing, steering box and even the door handles were changed. In the engine department the camshaft was altered twice and white metalled big end shells gave way to bearings. It seemed that nearly all the components that comprised the VA were at some time either modified or changed, which made life very difficult on the production line for the Abingdon workers.
Despite all the interruptions the car sold well during its two year production run with a total of 2,407 all variants leaving the factory gates prior to the outbreak of war. The 4 door saloon sold particularly well at £325 and had such refinements as a Bluemel adjustable steering wheel and Luvax dashboard damper control. There was also an option of the Smiths Jackall built-in hydraulic jacking system.
