1938 MG VA Tourer
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Guide price: £35,000- £40,000
Highlights
・Lovely pre-war MG VA
・Massive file of bills and receipts
・Ground-up body-off restoration
・Engine rebuild with new pistons, valves and big ends
The Background
The MG VA, or MG 1½-litre as it was originally marketed, enjoyed a production run of two-and-a-half years, having been introduced in the spring of 1937.
It was the smallest (and arguably prettiest) of three sports saloons produced by the company in the late 1930s, beneath the SA and WA.
The car used a ‘Morris Garages’ tuned version of the push-rod, overhead valve four-cylinder Morris TPBG engine that was also fitted to the Wolseley 12/48 and Morris Twelve series III.
The MG version had extra grunt, courtesy of twin SU carburettors and developed 54 bhp (40 kW) at 4500 rpm. Drive was to the live rear axle via a four-speed manual gearbox with synchromesh on the top three ratios, though on some early cars it was only on the top two speeds.
Nineteen-inch wire wheels were fitted, and the 10-inch (250 mm) drum brakes were hydraulically operated using a Lockheed system. In-built hydraulic jacks were standard. It had semi-elliptic leaf springs all round, with a beam axle at the front and a live rear axle.
The four-door saloon body was made in-house by Morris and had the traditional MG grille flanked by two large chrome-plated headlights. The factory could also supply the car as a Tickford drophead coupé or as a two-door open four-seater tourer.
The Tourer was the rarest of the lot, with a total of 564 made (of which an astonishing 200 are believed to still exist, mostly in the USA).
Right-hand-drive British Tourers are as rare as hen’s dentists, though, which makes this stunner of a car something a little bit special.
The History
149 UYF was first registered in the UK in 1938 but was exported overseas soon afterwards, before being reimported in 2014.
Thanks to the build records of the car still existing and some work by the MG Octagon Car Club, the original date of registration was tracked down and the car is correctly recorded as a November 1938 car.
While not a huge amount is known of its early history, the car was given a ground-up rebuild in 2014-15 and has been fastidiously maintained by the current owner during his tenure of the car, which he has owned since 2017.
At the time of the rebuild, the car’s refurbished odometer was set to zero to correspond with a full engine rebuild. The mileage of 6,250 on the dials is what the car has covered since it was put back into service six years ago.
The Paperwork
Along with the V5, the MG comes with a folder of bills and receipts documenting the work carried out both during the restoration and by the current keeper, who has refreshed all of the suspension shackles and bushes, springs, brake linings, wheel cylinders, hubs, wire wheels, fuel tank sender, water pump and two tyres.
There’s also a printout documenting work carried out on the car from its return to the road to 5,560 miles when the springs were renewed, recorded against the mileage at which the work was carried out.
Also included with the paperwork are some club magazines, contact details of useful specialists and an insurance agreed valuation certificate from 2017, when the car was valued at £40,000.
The Exterior
Most 1930s cars look pretty special, but as well as being the performance cars of their era, MGs of this time were also some of the prettiest cars ever made and the VA Tourer is most definitely a case in point.
This car looks utterly beautiful in its two-tone green paint scheme, and while there are a couple of very minor imperfections (some cracks to the paint on the front scuttle, a couple of minor marks and some slightly deteriorated chrome on the rear bumper) it really does look fabulous from all angles.
The car’s restoration has been done to just the right level – stunning, but not over-restored, meaning it’s not too shiny, not too fussy and as authentic as it could possibly be.
As well as the panels being repaired and painted, large parts of the wooden body frame were renewed during the car’s restoration so its structurally excellent as well as amazing to look at.
It also comes with a very good tan-coloured hood and – should you need it – a full tonneau cover. These are both in superb order, though the vendor admits to never having driven it with the hood up as ‘that’s not the point’. We concur…
The Interior
The beauty of a car like this is in the details, and the cabin of the VA has a really charming art-deco appeal to it.
The wooden dash is preserved rather than restored, but the Jaeger dials have all been refurbished and work perfectly. They’re also a work of art – Ivory and brass inlays with brown Bakelite surrounds, with delicate printed fonts. If only car makers made the same level of effort today…
There are renewed carpets throughout and the interior was fully retrimmed in green leather when the rest of the car was rebuilt – it all still looks fabulous today.
The Mechanics
With an overhead valve layout and twin SU carbs, the TPBG engine was pretty sophisticated for its day and is still eminently driveable even in modern traffic, with enough power to not hold up other motorists, quite a lot of torque and a reasonable power output.
The engine was completely stripped and rebuilt, with new pistons, bores, valves and big ends and there’s a receipt for the work totalling almost £2,500. It is in fine fettle, having covered a low mileage since. It happily starts from cold and idles and revs smoothly.
The vendor reports that it drives really well, with the brakes, steering, gearbox and suspension all functioning as they should.
The Appeal
This is a strikingly beautiful example of one of the prettiest pre-war British cars and is an absolute credit to its past two owners, who have maintained it impeccably and made it the best it can be.
It’s brimming with character, is far better suited to modern traffic than most pre-war cars, wears one of the most famous badges in the history of the motor car and is a truly lovely, adorable machine.
Notice to bidders
Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the sellers discretion.
Vehicle specification
- Year 1938
- Make MG
- Model VA Tourer
- Colour Green
- Odometer 6,250 Miles
- Engine size 1548
Auction Details
- Seller Type Private
- Location Norfolk
- Country United Kingdom
13
bids
from 7
bidders
- ni•••• £36,250 28/05/21
- Ch•••• £36,000 28/05/21
- ni•••• £35,750 28/05/21
- Ch•••• £35,500 28/05/21
- ni•••• £35,250 28/05/21
- Do•••• £35,000 27/05/21
- Do•••• £33,500 27/05/21
- da•••• £31,500 27/05/21
- wi•••• £31,000 24/05/21
- wa•••• £30,000 22/05/21
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