MG A

Seen as the first modern post war MG, the A used much of its inspiration from the Austin A50 saloon. It used a very strong box-section chassis that had the reputation of being too strong and heavy for the car, but it was rigid.

The suspension was nothing startling but its handling more than matched its competitors like the Triumph and Austin Healey. It wasn't that quick either, with its 1489cc motor producing 72 bhp, but 152 km/h was admirable as was its fuel economy.

In 1956 MG produced a good-looking coupe version and two years later the engine size increased to 1588cc with twin overhead cams. Top speed increased to 177 km/h but was unreliable as it tended to burn pistons. It was available in both coupe and roadster forms and was highly priced with low sales.

In 1960 the standard MGA was the 1600 and with its 80 bhp it could manage 160 km/h. Outwardly, the only difference was separate rear indicators.

The MkII 1600 in 1961 had a larger 1622cc motor which pushed its output to 86 bhp. It had a recessed front grille and horizontal rear lights. Production ended one year later