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MGA 1500 Coupe

MGA 1500 Coupe

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MGA 1500 CoupeMGA 1500 CoupeMGA 1500 CoupeMGA 1500 Coupe
Lot number 75
Hammer value £9,800
Description MGA 1500 Coupe
Registration OFF 323
Year 1957
Colour Red
Engine size 1,489 cc
Chassis No. MGA40485
Engine No. 489416FA
Documents V5C; MOT June 2016; 12 old MOTs

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. The 1,498cc engine initially produced 68bhp but was quickly upgraded to 72bhp and, according to a 1955 road test in ‘The Motor’, gave the car a top speed of 97.8mph with a 0-60 time of 16 seconds and a fuel consumption of 26.7mpg.

A standard model in the range from 1955, the Coupe was available throughout the model's lifetime, in 1500, 1600, Mk II and Twin-Cam forms. Mechanically identical to the open models, Coupe features included wind-up door windows, external door handles, locks and extra brightwork. 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 particular Coupe is one of those rare right-hand drive UK market cars and would have been built in late 1957 according to the 40485 chassis number, although the V5C erroneously records it as being first registered in November 1953 (clearly impossible as the model was not even launched then).

It has had seven owners to date, being acquired by the vendor just over four years ago. A professional car mechanic, he was attracted by the originality of the Coupe which had clearly been well-looked after in the past, being previously owned by the proprietor of Pershore Classics who fitted a new headlining kit, radiator, steering wheel plus various other parts in 2006 at a cost of £861 (bill on file). It also has a valuation certificate from 2005 when it was valued at £12,500, plus 12 old MOTs back to 1981 when it was showing just under 53,000 miles (now 62,380 miles which the vendor believes is more than likely genuine).

The vendor was intending to sympathetically restore the car for his own personal use but, as is so often the case, he has not yet got round to this and has now reluctantly decided to pass it on to someone else as the space it takes up in his workshop is required for customer cars and he is fed up with constantly having to move it around!

Perfectly usable as it is with an MOT until July 2016 with no advisories recorded, it can be smartened up over time as desired, although the vendor believes that it would be a shame to take things too far for fear of losing its nicely mellowed character. With top examples of the 1500 Coupe now pushing £20k at auction, it looks good value at the sensible guide price suggested.

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