Cash-Free Classics

MGA

They may be among the most expensive MGs you can buy, but don’t let your wallet try to talk you out of buying one.

Like the MGB in particular, the MGA has enjoyed bullish appreciation. And a thriving club scene and ample parts supply means that keeping one healthy should be a joy, provided you start off with a solid car that’s enjoyed professional bodywork attention, and been kept undercover.

Some 95 per cent were exported, so many survivors today have had uncertain overseas histories and right-hand drive conversions on returning home. You really need to scrutinise below the shiny exterior, and get an impartial expert’s opinion if you’re unsure.

Coupés (1956-on) get a few extras (wind-up windows, for example), so there’s arguably more to go wrong and swallow your cash. Roadsters fetch a modest premium but you can expect to pay double our stated target price for the rare Twin Cam.

For your ownership to be ‘cash-free’ – returning all your investment when you come to sell – then mechanical condition will be doubly important; the Twin Cam engine is a rarefied flighty beast, and parts are costly. The less highly strung OHV 1500s and 1600s are less risky.

Genuinely original, unmolested MGAs (or those that have retained maximum possible originality throughout their restoration) will continue to see the best appreciation. But such cars are rare indeed and enthisasts snap them up quickly.