MG VA Saloon

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Only in production from February 1937 to September 1939, the MG VA was the smallest of the three touring models that MG offered before the war, the others being the 2-litre SA and the 2.5-litre WA.

Using a tuned 1.5-litre twin-carb version of the Morris TPBG overhead valve four-cylinder unit that was also fitted to the Wolseley 12/48 and the Morris 12, the VA generated a useful 54bhp and could touch 80mph with ease. Other features included a four-speed synchromesh gearbox, 10” Lockheed hydraulic drum brakes, adjustable Luvax shock absorbers, sporty 19” wire wheels, built-in Jackall hydraulic jacks and a bumper stabiliser to damp torsional flexing at the front end.

The four-door saloon body was made in-house by Morris and had the traditional MG grille flanked by two large chrome plated headlamps with the spare wheel mounted on the front left wing. The interior was luxuriously appointed with leather seats and doorcards, a wonderful Art Deco dashboard and a sliding steel sunroof.

The saloon cost £325 at launch although an open tourer version was also available for £280 and a Tickford-bodied drophead coupe at £335. Just 2,407 VA models were produced in total of which 1,259 were saloons and all are much sought-after today.

ARX 712 was first registered in March 1938 and, according to correspondence on file from the MG Car Club, was initially used as a demonstrator, although precisely what this entailed isn’t clear. Period advertising shows a VA Tourer with the registration number ARX 711 being featured in MG sales material so perhaps ARX 712 was used for similar purposes? When war broke out the car was taken off the road and put into storage where it was to remain for over a dozen years.

After the war it resurfaced at Morris dealers Wales & Edwards Ltd of Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury from whom a local man, Mr Buckle, acquired it in 1952. At this point the VA still had only 8,000 miles on the clock and over the next four years Mr Buckle added another 18,000 miles, having the car religiously maintained by Wales & Edwards throughout. There are no fewer than 25 of their service sheets on file covering this period, giving an average service interval of only 720 miles with each visit to the garage resulting in a bill for around £3. Which sounds cheap until you realise that the average weekly wage in 1952 was £9 for men and £5 for women – some things never change!

In June 1956 Mr Buckle sold his much-loved VA to another local chap, Jack Kendall of Ketley, for the princely sum of £400 at which point it had 25,972 miles on the clock (invoice on file). Kendall used the car regularly until 1970 when he finally gave up driving at the age of 80. Ownership then transferred to his son John, chief mechanic at West Midland Motor Co of Shrewsbury, who continued to cherish the car right up until his death in 2010. Our vendor, who had known and admired ARX 712 since he was a child, succeeded in buying it from the Kendall family in 2012.

ARX 712 still displays only 103,503 miles on the clock which is the genuine distance covered from new. Lovingly maintained throughout its life it remains in outstandingly original condition throughout. Apart from the running boards which were replaced in 1971, the sunroof which was covered up many years ago and the front wings which were repainted fairly recently, it is exactly as it left the factory 81 years ago. Even the majority of the paintwork is original and although it has been almost polished through in a couple of areas, it still gleams brightly today. The impressive tool kit in the boot is also still present and looks to be complete.

Starting promptly and running beautifully when we were treated to an enjoyable test drive on the occasion of our visit, it displayed excellent oil pressure and temperature on what was a very hot afternoon. Even the little red light on the dash which warns you if you stray over 30mph in town still works perfectly, the vendor advising us that the only known fault is the fuel gauge which can sometimes give a false reading if the tank is less than a quarter full.

Well known to the VA Register and with plenty of history from new, this remarkable survivor must surely be the most original, unmolested and well-cared-for VA in existence. It now only needs a caring new owner who can continue to cherish it for future generations to enjoy. What a great find!