Rare competition model
For fans of MG’s elegant post-war MGA, the twin-cam is something of a holy grail.
If you’re aiming to spot one, the visual give-aways are the competition Dunlop knock-on steel wheels and of course the distinctive powerplant under the bonnet. Less obvious are the four-wheel disc brakes.
Intended as a competition platform, the car proved to be a little on the fragile side when comprehensively thrashed thus shortening its career. Improved fuels and rebuild practices have turned them around – or at least those which survived.
Just 2111 were built, 323 of them coupes.
This example is thought to be one of two Australian delivered coupes and has undergone a full restoration.
Overall, the MGA was a make-or-break model for the company. Our feature on the series notes: “In the space of a few months during the 1950s. MG transformed itself from a brand trapped in the past to market leader in the realm of affordable sports cars.
“The MGA was so different from previous T Series that the company was nervous about its effect on conservative markets like the United States. They had no need to stress.
“Of the 100,000 As built during the ensuing five years, more than 80 percent were exported and most were bought by US-based enthusiasts. That still left plenty for UK and Colonial sales from which Australia’s stock of cars has largely come.”
This twin-cam is with the Healey Factory in Melbourne, priced at $130,000.