1959 MG A Roadster

This one, from the first year of 1600cc production, is a peach.

What follows may read like a puff-piece that skips over any negative issues, but that’s not the case…we’ve scratched our heads and we can’t find much to say, beyond a couple of minor defects in the otherwise superb paint job, as detailed in the following section.

It completed an extensive and no doubt expensive restoration with most parts apparently supplied by MG specialists Brown and Gammons back around 2007, when we think it acquired the lovely finish it wears so well. It received more work to the loom and fuel system later on, and then a rebuilt engine with a ported and polished head, a fast road cam and a free-flow exhaust. The gearbox, an original four-speed type, was rebuilt at the same time and turns via a lightened and balanced clutch.

Then it came to its current owners, Mr and Mrs Mapson, two years ago. Peter Mapson had the car refreshed with a new hood, tonneau cover and carpets, as well as fitting inertia-reel seatbelts. He has garaged it, cared for it diligently (a horn was recently replaced for ‘being too quiet’) and MoT’d it until next November, even though it’s obviously exempt through Historic Vehicle status.

‘I also have an MGC in quite a high state of tune,’ says Peter. ‘My wife likes MGs – she learned to drive in one – but she wasn’t all that fond of driving me in the MGC. So we looked for an MGA, a car she’s always loved, and she enjoys it very much. But recently our first grandchild has arrived and since then, her interest is elsewhere. It’s a shame not to use the car so it needs a new home.’

It looks black at first glance but it isn’t – compare it with the hood fabric in the photo with the roof erected. It’s a shade of green that’s deeper and darker than BRG; there was a colour called Connaught Green used on other BMC products of the era and it could well be that.

It’s a genuinely truly excellent paint job. Care and attention went into the preparation before and after the application of the paint as it remains largely flawless, has a magnificent shine and virtually no ‘orange-peel’ at all – it draws exceptional comments from everyone who has looked at it since it arrived here at The Market HQ. As it is a few years old, there are one or two little marks here and there if you look hard enough. That said, the paint on the underside of the bonnet is nicer than the topside of many classics.

The door fit and the line through those un-dinged flanks is wonderful, a testament to the quality of the body restoration. It’s probably better than new in that regard. The seams between the wings and body are clearly new and fit beautifully – always a good sign on a well-restored MGA.

The painted wire wheels with their impressive chrome spinners look gorgeous and wear a set of 165-width Goodyear Grand Prix S radials. There is more detachable furniture on an MGA roadster than an MGB, and it’s always the first thing to age – sidescreens, hood, tonneau cover. But here it’s all immaculate, bar some rumples in the hood that will diminish if it’s garaged with the roof up.

There are fresh rubber seals under the sidescreens, the windscreen (unblemished, of course), in the door apertures and the boot. The brightwork on an MGA is pretty much restricted to the grille, bumpers and headlamp bezels – it all looks as though it were renewed during the restoration and hasn’t seen salt or rainwater since.

The tan trim is the right colour and pattern for the seats, but like many MGAs that have enjoyed an expensive restoration, it’s been upgraded from vinyl to leather, a leather that has been well-treated and remains very soft to touch here too. Likewise the dash panel, which would have originally been painted body colour, is now covered with the same stuff, in the manner of a Twin-Cam or a slightly later 1600 MkII.

A handsome wood-rimmed Moto-Lita type steering wheel is currently fitted in place of the original wheel, which is in good nick and comes with the car. The seatbelts are modern inertia-reel types; easy to use and a valuable safety bonus, if not quite period correct.

The fresh carpets conceal something unnerving for those new to MGAs: floors and bulkhead panelled with marine ply. But it’s absolutely correct, and unlike many other examples, it hasn’t been allowed to soak up precipitation and rot out the adjacent metal.

Another snippet for MGA first-timers: the car does without doorhandles, either internal or external. Simply reach into the large bin inside each door and pull the cord. It’s rather cool, especially when executed from the outside…

‘Solid’ doesn’t do it justice. Black chassis paint has been applied quite thickly but neatly and is only starting to lift here and there, nearly 13 years on from the restoration. There’s barely any road dirt; it’s ridiculously clean and hygienic with every rubber boot and bush looking as fresh as a daisy. Even the exhaust pipe has barely acquired any surface rust.

The engine bay offers similar encouragement. There are reassuring signs like hefty braided fuel hose passing through a filter-regulator and on to the twin SUs. There are no leaks or drips, it’s nicely wired with good earths and there’s a sturdy electric fan working off a thermostat, resting on the front of the radiator. Peter Mapson says it kept the car at the right temperature during the worst summer Bank Holiday traffic.

With the cheerful red rocker cover wearing its little screw-on plates and a shiny oil filler cap, it’s ready for display without even needing a wipe-down.

Recent MoTs show very sparing use between 2009 and 2013 – barely enough to get to the test station each year – followed by a period of beneficial exercise that saw 3000 miles added before the Mapsons bought it in 2017. Since then, they’ve added just over 1000 more. An old MoT from 1991 shows very little mileage was accrued between then and 2007 when the car was restored, so it may have been off the road for some time before its rebuild.

A good deal more work was completed in 2016, perhaps putting right some DIY dismantling. It covers a good deal of reassembly and fettling; combine this with the Brown and Gammons invoices in the folder and you’ve covered pretty much everything you can remove or re-fit on an MGA. What’s not obvious is any supporting documentation for the engine specification – but a quick squirt up the road will tell you a lot about that.

The 1991 MoT reveals that the car wore this extremely nice number, USG 3, back then. Indeed, it may have worn it for most or all of its life. One thing lacking from the history folder is a Heritage Certificate and it would be intriguing to acquire one, as this car may be one of the very few (roughly one in twenty) made for the home market. Whatever its early history, the registration number comes with the car and Peter hopes very much it will stay with the car – it’s a major part of this MG’s identity.

Our estimate of £28k-£32k puts this one in the higher end of the market but leaves a large gap to the £36k - £42k that dealers ask for the smartest restored examples. And we can’t believe they’re really any better.

 The chances of buying a US import, even from a dry State, and having it restored to this condition, all for this sort of money…well, fuggedaboutit! You can also forget about finding a right-hand-drive UK car that would make an easy project. What’s more, this one has a nice balance of upgraded specification (that spritely engine, the leather-lined cabin) with an authentic MGA heart – no Ford Sierra gearbox or MGB engine block.

We like the hidden extras: a USB charging point and a hook-up for a trickle charger for when it’s garaged. If it were going to be ours maybe we’d swap the seatbelts for something that looked a little more in-period, but then maybe we wouldn’t... See how hard we’re having to try to find fault?

If you’ve always wanted an MGA and you’d like to spend more on pub lunches and weekends away than on unexpected repairs, come and see this car in the flesh. It’s just waiting for a sunny day and an excuse to go for a blast. Time to push the button!

We always encourage viewings. This MG is located at our premises in Abingdon and we warmly invite interested parties to contact us to arrange a viewing.

Please note that this MGA does not come supplied with any chickens, nor were any chicks hurt in the taking of this photo portfolio.

Ahead of that, or at any time during the process, you’re more than welcome to ask any questions or jot down observations in the comments section below. You won’t be shocked to hear that our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section will answer general questions that are frequently asked about how The Market works.

Also please note that we have a network of trusted suppliers with whom we work regularly and successfully: 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 available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. 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 the 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.