MGA (1955 to 1962)

Why people buy one

• Classic 1950s styling and an open, light-to-drive two-seater with a real sense of occasion.
• Pushrod B-series engines are durable and shared with many other BMC cars, so mechanical parts are easy to find.
• A wide choice: early 1500s, the 1600 with front disc brakes from 1959, and the more powerful 1600 Mk II.
• A genuine Twin Cam, of which 2,111 were built, is an important piece of MG competition history.
• Strong support from the MG Car Club's MGA Register and MGA Twin Cam Group, which can advise on originality.

What to weigh up

• Rust in the chassis and body is the main threat; Classics World says complete new chassis frames are not available, so major chassis repairs usually mean fabrication.
• The doors are aluminium skins on steel frames and suffer electrolytic corrosion, especially along the lower edge.
• Twin Cam identity needs checking: many have lost their original engines, and a 1600 De Luxe shares the Twin Cam's all-disc brakes and Dunlop wheels with a pushrod engine (395 De Luxes were built).
• Hagerty notes that matching numbers are easy to fake because many BMC parts interchange, and MGB engines and modern five-speed gearboxes are common fitments.
• The Twin Cam engine gained a reputation for holed pistons when new and needs specialist knowledge to run reliably.
• Weather protection is basic, the roadster hood is hard to put up single-handed, and the cabin is tight.

Where they rust

• Main chassis rails under the bulkhead, and their inner faces under the floorboards.
• Where the sills attach to the chassis, and the sills themselves.
• Rear spring hangers and the rear crossmember.
• Door pillars and the "F-section" around the sill and door post; doors should sit firmly on their hinges.
• Lower edges of the aluminium doors, where they meet the steel frame.
• Lower front wings and the area under the headlights.
• The tapered rear wing section behind the rear wheels, and the boot floor corners.
• Battery trays behind the seats.
• On the coupe, the seam where the roof meets the rear deck.

Mechanical weak spots

• Worn B-series engines show low oil pressure when hot (Classic & Sports Car suggests 50psi or more at speed is healthy), blue smoke, rumbles and high oil consumption; check for water loss, as heads can crack.
• Twin SU carburettors often need balancing.
• The front suspension needs greasing every 1,000 miles; neglect causes play and uneven tyre wear, and kingpins typically need renewing by around 50,000 miles.
• Gearbox synchromesh wears and gearboxes often weep oil; the rear axle is robust if it has not been run dry, but check for oil on the rear brake drums.
• Twin Cam engines were originally 9.9:1 compression and suffered holed pistons; a lower 8.3:1 option followed, and a rebuild should use improved parts. The alloy head on an iron block makes the cooling system critical.
• Brake seals and hoses perish on little-used cars, and 1500s have drum brakes all round.

At a Mathewsons viewing

• Check the chassis number plate and engine number against the V5C, and ask whether there is a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate, which covers MGs built from 1953 to 1980.
• On a claimed Twin Cam or De Luxe, ask the MGA Twin Cam Group or MGA Register to check the chassis number before bidding, and look for the Dunlop centre-lock wheels and four-wheel disc brakes, though these alone do not prove a car is genuine.
• With a torch, look under the car at the chassis rails, sills, rear spring hangers and rear crossmember for rot, fresh welding or thick underseal.
• Look along the bottom edges of the doors for bubbling, check the panel gaps, and lift the seats and carpets to see the floorboards and battery trays.
• Open the bonnet and check the engine for oil leaks and coolant loss, and if staff start the car, listen for knocks and watch for smoke; do not assume it will be started.

Parts, specialists and clubs

Seen on Bangers & Cash

• MGA (Bangers & Cash series 5, episode 7, First shown March 2022)
• 1962 MGA Mk2 Coupe (Bangers & Cash series 6, episode 12, First shown November 2022)
• MGA (Bangers & Cash series 10, episode 10, First shown October 2024)
• 1960 MGA Roadster (Bangers & Cash series 10, episode 13, First shown October 2024)

Sources

• Buyer's guide: MGA (Classic & Sports Car), 10 April 2019
• MGA buyer's guide (Classics World), 24 January 2025
• Your handy 1955 to 62 MG MGA buyer's guide (Hagerty), accessed 13 October 2026
• MGA Twin Cam Group (MG Car Club), accessed 13 October 2026
• Heritage Certificates from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust (FBHVC), 9 August 2022