That Magnificent MGA

Octagon Newsletter … September 1987

By Philip Sumsion

To many, myself included, the MGA is considered the best looking of all the Abingdon cars. A contentious remark no doubt in MG circles where criticism real or implied, of the 'T' Series cars is tantamount to heresy. No matter, for those of us with memories of the glory days of real sports car racing during the 50's the 'A' is archetypal In looks, if not performance, once behind the wheel of your 'A' it takes little imagination to picture yourself hurtling through the long night at Le Mans or scattering 'peasants' in the villages during the Mille Miglia. Not everyone can own a D-Type Jaguar, a D83-S Aston or a Ferrari 250 but the MGA styling is akin to all of these exotic machines and, for the price of one of them, you could probably own a hundred MGAs … if your garage was large enough, not to mention your bank balance!

In addition to its fabulous looks the 'A' has some endearing features to remind the owner of its vintage ancestry. The heated wooden floorboards are pleasant in winter and offer some compensation for the efficiency of the heater, assuming you have one. In summer this feature is of questionable merit but for top-down motoring can keep the toes warm in the cool of the evening. Speaking of top-down motoring, MGA owners are noted for using their cars in all kinds of weather, without the top in place or even the detachable sidescreens. This is not due to their being a particularly hardy breed of motorists, but more likely that they have never discovered how to assemble the 'all weather equipment.

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