MGA - A Departure in Style

The failure of the TF finally convinced the management at British Motors Corp. to allow MG to produce the MGA. The MGA was to follow the TD but BMC did not want the competion for their new Austin. The styling for the new sports car had been unveiled in 1951. George Phillips had driven a re-bodied TD in the Le-Mans 24 hour endurance race. The delay in production of the MGA, launched in 1955, did have some benefits. It allowed for a much more refined design and a larger engine (1489 cc)
Pictured above the EX.175 on which the MGA would later be styled after.
The radical change in style did have some critics. The Mga looked nothing like the T-series cars that had preceeded it for 20 years. The MG purists felt it was too radical a departure in styling. There were a lot of advantages to the new stream lined look. The MGA required 27% less power than the TF to maintain 60 mph and got a very respectable 27 mpg.
The MGA met with immediate success, selling 13,000 cars in the first year. The price in the US was $2195 compared to $2625 for the Triumph. The engine was updated in 1956 to 1588 cc. Later that same year the fixed coupe was released. Twin Cam cars were introduced in July 1958. Power output was 108 bhp over the 1600's 72 bhp. Top speed was 113 mph. The Twin Cam met with limited success. The car required a high level of service and suffered from oil consumption problems. The Twin Cam was discontinued in 1960 after only 2000 had been built.
The MGA was MG's first wholely
Maintaining its hold at the top of the Sports Car podium, MG was breaking land speed records in Utah with a number of special prototypes. In 1957 alone, with Stirling Moss at the wheel, a supercharged version of the Twin-Cam (EX.181) broke five international records.

The MGA was a huge success with over 100,000 sold. By the early 1960's it was showing it age. The public was looking for interior comforts other auto manufactures were providing. In 1962 the MGA ended production.
The MGA fixed coupe model was meant to be a budget version of Jaguar's XK120 coupe.

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