1962 MGA 1600 MK II Roadster

The vendor commissioned the restoration over three years to exacting standards, then only ran it to log a few break-in miles. Why?

by Julian Shoolheifer

With the arrival of the MGA roadster in 1955, many MG aficionados were taken aback by the fact that the pre-war look of the company’s sports cars had been tampered with. The new MGA had a streamlined, aerodynamic body right up-to-the-minute in terms of styling and design. In addition, management at MG decided that the old XPAG power plant had seen better days and replaced it with a much more modern B-series engine, which had made its debut in the Magnette saloon.

The MGA Mk II was the last of the MGA series; assembly started in April 1961 and ceased in June 1962 with a total production of 8,719 units in both roadster and fixed head coupe configuration. Visually, the Mk II was distinguishable from previous MGA models by various body detail changes. The vertical bars in the front grille assembly were recessed at the bottom, adding much depth to the grille, and a new taillight cluster, borrowed from the Mini, was fitted to comply with new lighting...