1960 MG A 1600 Mark 1

As you will read in the extensive history file, this gorgeous black MGA roadster was, as so many were, a US export car. Repatriated in 2016 by a well-known MG restorer, the car was fully rebuilt before being sold on to the present owner, Martin.

‘I just fell in love with that colour combination; black, burgundy and chrome,’ says Martin, who has now owned the car for three years and covered some 900 miles in it. ‘It’s so stylish; British Fifties class. Driving it makes you feel like a bit of a cad.’

As well as the looks, another draw was that restoration.

‘It was a body-off, total nut-and-bolt rebuild,’ he explains. ‘Any parts needed were either new or reconditioned.’ He points out that it has had some subtle upgrades in the drivetrain - a larger engine (1622cc), a five-speed gearbox - mated to a new clutch - and better brakes.

‘Everything feels very tight about the car. Though the brakes are still somewhat of its era,’ he says. ‘And it’s nicely run-in now. You have to ‘drive’ it. It’s sportiness - and the fact that it’s a convertible - are ideal for the roads around here.’ Martin lives near Holmfirth in West Yorkshire (Last of the Summer Wine country) and the MG has only come out in the summer months.

‘One of the great things about MGAs is that there are tons of ways to improve them without detracting from the original character,’ he says. ‘The only upgrades I’d really add to this car are an electronic ignition and a high-torque starter motor.’

Fair comment, though to be truthful, this MG starts promptly at the first time of asking every time, and is more than ready to run all summer long. (The writer of this listing also took the photographs, seeing both the car and the owner in person, ed.)

It’s not hard to see why Martin was so attracted to the little roadster - it looks very well in that aforementioned colour combination of black with burgundy red interior. And both colours set the shining chrome trim off nicely.

As you would hope and expect from a fairly recent restoration, the car presents very well. The paintwork as a whole retails a deep shine and a very consistent finish. There is certainly no rust, and the lacquer finish is polishing swirl-free (a pet hate of Martin’s). There are some blemishes, a chipped spot on the driver’s door, and some unevenness on near-side front wing top (just above bonnet edge). There are also two small cracks in the paint finish (not the metal) down below the near-side headlight. Extremely minor and just showing the level of detail we have to go to to find error.

The wing piping between the body sections is in excellent condition, and the surfaces, shape and fit of the panels themselves first rate. Bonnet, boot lid and doors all fit snugly, with no sagging in the latter.

The chrome is very good to excellent condition (a little pitting in the windscreen bracing struts), and all such parts are firmly mounted. One of the nice things about a recently restored (and not much driven) car, is that there is no hidden crud down in crevices - behind number plates, or in door cavities. The wheel arch areas are likewise very clean.

The areas around the bottoms of the door pillars looks firm and strong, and a tap on the sill plates doesn’t announce any cause for concern. Apart from those one or two tiny paint inconsistencies around the front, this is an extremely well-presented car.

During the rebuild, the interior was treated to the same level of restoration as the engine and body. The carpets and many of the seat coverings are new, however the impression isn’t inauthentic and still manages to maintain a gentle patina.

With only 900 miles driven, the carpets are still very clean, and maintain their shape and (vivid) colour. There is a little wear to the fabric on the transmission tunnel side by the hand brake grip, and the fit around the gearstick gaiter is a little untidy.

The recovered seats look new - firm and unscratched, while the leather/vinyl edging to the cockpit rim appears to be original with a few marks and scuffs. The mix doesn’t make for any visual inconsistency and if anything adds a touch of authenticity.

The steering wheel is also new, the wood showing no scratches from rings or such, and the three metal spokes retain a good shine. Behind that, the original instruments are in good shape - everything present and correct.

The windscreen chrome looks very good, that very light pitting to the struts buttressing the screen notwithstanding . The (new) black hood, when pulled up, clips neatly onto this, and the frame on which is mounted has been nicely maintained/ restored. The rubbers and seals surrounding these areas are new and look very tidy.

Like the dashboard and the rest of the cabin, the door cards are straight and clean. There is no warping in the boards, the screws retaining them are clean, and there are no signs of water ingress; staining or warping in the bottoms. The metal/paint finish under the doors is as good as the visible surfaces.

The same care for the interior trim is extended to the boot area where the carpets are again clean, vivid in colour and nicely trimmed. The boot compartment also houses a very good condition spare wheel under an as-new black vinyl cover.

It’s when you start to poke about underneath the MG that you realise how clean and straight the car really is. Behind those very shiny wire wheels - the suspension is in great shape. The (new) semi-elliptical springs and their attendant hangers look to be very solid; firmly mounted to the (equally solid) chassis rails and showing no signs of corrosion. Suspension arms and springs are similarly excellent, and, should there need for fine tuning, a mechanic would have no trouble in freeing and adjusting bolts and the like.

Inside their clean housings, the rear axle and prop-shaft have been rebuilt. The stainless steel exhaust is also new.

Also at the back, there has been a bit of tweaking; with Gaz shock absorbers replacing the originals. Brake pipes are new, and the brakes themselves reconditioned (discs up front). The spokes of the wire wheels in front of them are straight and clean, and there is no accumulated dirt in the rims. There is plenty of life left in all the tyres.

The engine bay is a very clean and tidy space, looking largely authentic with just a couple of touches that suggest upgrades. Those would include the new braided hose fuel lines - quite tasty looking actually - which connect to an upgraded fuel pump.

The motor itself is a later MGA engine, (actually coming in at 1622cc), that joins to the drivetrain through a new five-speed gearbox by HiGear Engineering. Understandably, the clutch is also new.

With all that rebuilding going on, and not so many miles driven, it’s no surprise to find all leads and cables clean and supple, jubilee clips shiny and all fluids clean and at their correct handbook-stipulated levels.

Looking at the photos in the restoration ‘journal’ also re-emphasises how all the chassis was stripped, cleaned and weather-sealed. All boxes ticked.

The extensive history file is largely the documentation of the restoration. There is an extensive collection of pictures, both of the car finished and ‘in progress’ - especially of the chassis areas. If that isn’t enough to convince you that the work was done, there is probably every parts and trim bill included in the folder - and a great many of them there are too – too many to photograph individually! (Since they were collected by the restorer, labour invoices are not included).

Since the rebuild and because of the oft-mentioned low mileage, there are no other service bills to see. The MG possesses a heritage certificate and letters of authentication.

Like Martin, and for the same reasons, we too have rather fallen in love with this car; that colour scheme, the high standards of the restoration - and the fact that it’s an MGA. It’s such a great shape and one of the archetypal sports cars of its time. There are a couple of small paint details to sort - or not - and doing absolutely nothing more, it is a great car to own and run right now. And one welcome at any classic car gathering (once we’re allowed to do such things again!). In addition, the upgrades are serious, well-chosen, expensive, highly regarded and make sure the car is ready for modern motoring.

As such, we predict it’s value will sit at least somewhere from £28 to 36,000, and the winning bidder will know it’s money well spent. Tasty.

This particular car is located with us its owner in Holmfirth, Yorkshire. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations using the Contact Seller button or 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, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

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