Description

It’s difficult to fully explain how lovely this particular MGA is.  If only we could get Peter Egan to write this ad for us!  I’m afraid I am more like Sergeant Friday.
“Just the facts Ma’am”.   So here’s the story:

The car was ordered by Dorothy E. H**** (name partly withheld to protect the innocent)  
May 16, 1960.  Dorothy was in the Air Force and stationed in Germany where she took delivery of the car.  We have the original MG Warranty Certificate showing this documentation along with the Chassis and Engine numbers.  The car still wears these numbers.  We also have the paper covered tin shipping tag, showing the shipping company in Germany on one side and Dorothy’s name and shipping address on the other.

I googled Dorothy’s full name and found a brief memoir of her time in Europe, beginning with mention of the poodle she purchased in Paris.  Then she writes about attending the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953, driving an American car on the left side of the road in English Fog, and eventually moving to Germany. We will gladly share this link with the next owner.

There is a gap in the ownership of the car until 1972 where the car was residing in Ohio. We have years of hand written notes describing the service and the mileage of each service performed by the owner himself.  The last entry was a service 10/83 with 27,780 miles on the odometer.

The current owner, a customer of ours, bought the car in 1984.  He tells us he only planned to drive it for a season and then resell it but after driving it he fell in love with it.
Apparently there were a few dings and dents here and there but nothing serious.  He proceeded to strip the chrome and all the body parts from the car and walk them down to his basement where he spent the winter working the original metal until he felt it was ready for paint.  In 1985 he had a local shop paint the body panels the correct white that you see it wearing today.  He was careful to redo the fender piping in the original gray. All the chrome is original to the car except the rear bumper; however he does still have the original rear bumper in decent shape.  The overiders on the rear bumper are originals.
He recently had some touch up done around and on the bonnet due to brake fluid damage.
This was well done and in general the paint is still very nice.

We also have a British Heritage certificate verifying that the car was to have the Octagonal wire wheel retaining nuts instead of the usual eared knock offs.
Apparently a lawsuit in Germany outlawed eared knock offs.  It also shows the car had a gray top when new.  The certificate shows the interior was to be red but the current owner swears it has always been black.  He had the original seats redone just two years ago and states the door panels are original to the car.  About a year ago he had the top manufactured in England with the original Everflex material and used the same on the side curtains.  When replacing the top he took great personal care to respray the top bows the original color instead of black as is commonly done.  The original apron that holds the side curtains is still in place.  The spare still retains the original Road Speed Tyre.

The owner showed the car for a number of years when he lived in Ohio and we have a form from 1991 where the car was judged at 98 points.  There is also a plaque showing the car did parade laps at Indianapolis Speedway at an MGA event.  The car has been here in Arizona the last several years.

According to the owner, the engine, transmission and suspension have never been separated from the frame.  The vast majority of the paint on the engine is original (he said he touched up the oil pan) and has never been apart. The car starts instantly and runs extremely well.  Apparantly the owners have all been schooled in double clutch downshifts as this transmission shifts very nicely with all synchros working well.  In general this car is very tight and an absolute joy to drive.

This is a well cared for, low mileage original car that received service and cosmetic attention as it was required.  I think this trumps a tattered “survivor” and a restored “trailer queen” using repopped parts.