1959 MG MGA

As the 1950s were nearing the end, the Abingdon, England-based sports car builder, MG, reset its naming scheme by introducing the 'A'. A long-overdue replacement for the traditional 'T' Series, the MGA was given a rigid chassis with the Austin-designed, 1489cc B-Series engine that had first appeared in the ZA Magnette. The running gear was based on the TF, with independent, coil-sprung wishbone front suspension and a live rear axle. The body was modern, curvaceous, and aerodynamic; it aided in helping the vehicle achieve a top speed approaching 100 mph. During its first full year of production, over 13,000 examples were sold.

Although attractive and popular, the MGA faced stiff competition from the larger-engined Austin-Healey 100/6 and Triumph TR3. Finding more power from the standard engine was becoming increasingly difficult, so MG turned its attention on developing a twin-overhead-camshaft cylinder head for the B-Series block. Conceived at Cowley by BMC engineer Gerald Palmer, the new powerplant was introduced in 1958. It had a displacement size of 1,588cc and featured a special light alloy cross-flow cylinder head with hemispherical combustion chambers and carried twin overhead camshafts with valve operation via Coventry Climax-style inverted bucket tappets. The 108 horsepower engine brought the top speed in excess of 110 mph. To handle the improved performance, Dunlop disc brakes were fitted at all four corners, along with Dunlop center-lock wheels. Visually, the car remained the same except for the 'Twin Cam' script located near the vent side of the bonnet. A fixed head and roadster versions were offered.

Most of the 2,111 examples built between 1958 and 1960 were in left-hand drive format. 360 of those were sold on the home market. An unjustified reputation for unreliability and a steep base price discouraged sales. The model was dropped after just two years.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2019