MGA 1600 Coupe

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It’s not very often that a closed coupe version of a sportscar actually looks as pleasing as its more glamorous open counterpart, however with the MGA Coupe this was definitely the case.

Derived from MG designer Syd Enever’s streamlined 1952 Le Mans car, the beautifully sleek and understated body was the equal of anything the Italians had to offer and even made Jaguar’s XK120 (to which it bore a passing resemblance) look lardy by comparison.

Of traditional body-on-frame design, the MGA had a notably rigid structure thanks to a triangulated bulkhead design allied to a massively stiff chassis. Initially available with a 1,498cc B-Series engine producing 68bhp, this was upgraded to 1,589cc in 1959, now with 79bhp and a top speed of just over 100mph. To cope with the extra horses, front disc brakes were adopted and the suspension was also uprated.

With direct, vice-free rack-and-pinion steering, plus a great racing pedigree, it's no wonder that the MGA has acquired such a devoted fan club over the years. Production finally came to an end in 1962 when it was replaced by the softer and rather less inspiring MGB. In total 101,081 MGAs of all types were sold, most in Roadster form and the vast majority to the booming US market with only 5,869 sold in the UK, the lowest percentage of any British car.

This lovely matching numbers Coupe is one of those rare UK market cars and has a known history from new. Originally supplied by Bole Garage of Tamworth to first owner Mr John Hargrave of Atherstone in April 1960, it then had three further owners, all in the South West of England, before the current lady owner acquired it in 1982.

Always kept garaged, the car is thought to be largely original but was repainted Old English White in the early 1990s and the interior was retrimmed in red leather. Riding on sporty wire wheels, it has only been sparingly used in the current 36-year ownership, often venturing no further than an annual trip to the MOT testing station.

Put into storage about seven years ago, it was unearthed in the summer of this year and recommissioned for sale at a cost of over £2,000. This included new wheel cylinders, brake master cylinder, battery, front suspension springs, wheel bearings, kingpin etc, the car then flying through its MOT in August with no advisories recorded.

Documentation includes a V5C, original buff logbook, various old MOTs and tax discs. The original Staffordshire-issued registration number, 2650 RF, is also included and is transferable (not that you would, would you?).

These MGA Coupes are among the most beautiful sports cars ever made on these shores and this little cracker, from long-term ownership, looks mighty tempting at the sensible guide price suggested.