About this Collectable

1960 MGA Twin cam roadster, LHD - Estimate € 30.000,- tot € 40.000,-

The MGA is an iconic sports car produced by British car brand MG (Morris Garages). The MGA was first introduced in 1955 and remained in production until 1962. The MGA was an important milestone for MG, as it was the first sports car to be completely designed after the company was taken over by the British Motor Corporation (BMC). The design of the MGA was a radical change from its predecessor, the MG TF, with a streamlined body and a more contemporary look.

The MGA was available in several body styles, including a roadster and a coupé. It had a 1.5-litre or 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, depending on the production year, which provided a sporty driving experience. The MGA Twin Cam was a special variant, available from 1958 to 1960. It was distinguished by a more powerful engine and improved performance. It was equipped with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine with double overhead camshafts (DOHC, or Twin Cam), which was advanced technology at the time. This engine produced around 108 hp, which was a significant increase over the standard MGA. During the first year of production, it was found that the engine was perhaps a bit too powerful, which could lead to overheating, among other things. In the later examples, these problems had been solved. 

The Twin Cam also had other technical improvements, such as disc brakes on all four wheels, wheels with central wheel nuts, a strengthened gearbox and a modified suspension. These modifications improved handling and braking performance. This, combined with a weight of just 900 kg, made the Twin Cam popular with car enthusiasts looking for a purely sporty driving experience.    It is a unique piece of history within the MGA range and is appreciated by car enthusiasts around the world.

The MGA Twin Cam at auction. chassis no. 61YM31631

This beautiful dark blue and restored example comes from the last production year 1960, destined for the US market. The body number 61909 confirms this. A left-hand-drive car, therefore, first registered in 1961. In 1999, the car, already in professionally restored condition, was sold to Germany. It was added to the collection of industrialist Lothar Heibel in Bocholt, a prominent car collector. The latter sadly died in 2001, and the current owner acquired the car in the same year. After that, the car was used occasionally, and very well maintained. A total of only 2211 MGA Twin Cam cars were built, of which only 1295 were left-hand-drive roadsters. The M in the Vin number normally refers to a coupé. However, it is known that towards the end of MGA Twin Cam production, some assigned numbers were used on different bodies. At least 3 other late LHD roadsters are known to have a coupé chassis number. Let's just say that the identification of these late cars is not an exact science.... 
We have a US title with this car from 1999, so 25 years old today, which already confirms this chassis number for this particular car. There are no marks on the car that indicate a conversion to a roadster. Moreover, an MGA Twin Cam coupe is a very rare car with only 125 ex LHD built. Truly a beautiful and useful collector's item. The car has a recent Dutch registration!

Our opinion

Now in Chinese hands, the MG brand is far from the classically lined sports cars of yesteryear. So here is a unique opportunity to buy a fine piece of automotive history. A rare one, moreover, as only 2,200 TwinCam examples produced were built. The number of survivors is not known, but small. Thanks to the TwinCam engine and its low weight, the MGA performed better than many competitors.

Equipment

This MGA comes standard with

Modifications

No

Notes

This MGA is in very good condition. Despite the fact that this is already an older restoration, the car has hardly any signs of use, as can be seen in the photos. The car has been stationary for a long time but is driving well, but we recommend some maintenance and tuning work before commissioning.

Recent service history

The MGA has been maintained throughout and received regular servicing and maintenance.

Included in the sale

Included in the sale of this MGA are:

USA Title and Dutch registration papers

About the seller

The MGA TwinCam is being sold on behalf of a Belgian collector who has entrusted us with several cars. The  collection includes many Italian, English and German thoroughbreds and is being sold partly due to fleet revision

Summary

Seller type - Private
Location - Belgium
Chassis number - 61YM31631
Registration number - PM-81-50
Year of construction/date - 1960
Date of 1st admission - 28-02-1961
Mileage - 36,760 miles (read)
Proven - No
Warranty - No
Margin/VAT - Margin car
Bodywork - Convertible
Engine - 1600cc four-cylinder inline engine with 108 hp
Drive system - Rear-wheel drive
Transmission - Manual
Exterior - Blue
Interior - Grey
Upholstery - Leather
Smoking car - No
Owners - unknown, last owner owned for 22 years
Tyres - Riken 185-70-15, DOT unknown, sufficient profile

The description of this Collectable was prepared with the utmost care, based on information provided by and validated by the seller. The Collectables performs a (pre)selection based on the information provided and consults public sources on possible irregularities. However, bidders should themselves ascertain the correctness of the description and can, if they wish do personal research. All Collectables on our platform can be by buyers, of course in consultation with the seller, be subjected to any possible inspection, examination or valuation. Consult our General Terms and Conditions for more details.

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