1957 MGA 1500 Mk1 Roadster

Breaking with tradition, MG replaced the square-rigger T-Series in 1955 with a modern, streamlined sports car designed around a strong box-section chassis and employing proven BMC mechanicals. Undercutting its rivals like the Austin-Healey and Triumph TR3 helped the new MGA become a sales success and a total of 101,081 were built between 1955 and 1962, of which around 80 per cent were sold in the USA. The MGA 1500, or Mark I, was powered by the B-Series 1489cc four-cylinder engine developing a healthy 72bhp and drove through a four-speed gearbox, making the car a willing performer. Indeed, the MGA was equally at home on the racetrack, taking a fifth and sixth in class at Le Mans in 1955 while Nancy Mitchell won two European Ladies' Rally Championships in 1956-1957. Great looking, satisfying to drive and mechanically robust, the MGA is the archetypal Fifties era English sports car and is an excellent choice for the classic car owner, thanks in no small part to the thriving support network of clubs and specialists.