MG MGA Mk II1600 - key facts

Introduced in 1961, the end came for the MG MGA Mk II1600 in 1962. 60mph was reached in 13.7 seconds. Ma imum speed of the MG MGA Mk ! 1600 was 101." mph.

MG MGA Mk II1600 Specifications #rom 1961 $nti% 1962 Bodywork Dimensions &en'th 12ft 11 in 3.96m (idth 4ft92/4in 1.")m *er+ (ei'ht 19,)1+-0.,,6ton 900k' Engine .n'ine disp%acement 1622cc 99cu in 67%inders 67%inder &a7out 8a%0e operation 2ower /utput 3pecific /utput 5or9ue /utput 3pecific 5or9ue #ue% 57pe #ue% s7stem 6ar+urettor make 2ower to wei'ht " In%ine /0erhead 0a%0e ,6+hp 1 ))00rpm ,)23 1 ))00rpm )3+hp-%itre 0.,7+hp-cu in 971+ft 1 "000rpm 1324m 1 "000rpm ,14m-%itre 2etro% 5win 6ar+urettor 3$ Performance 97+hp-ton

Acce%eration 0:)0mph 9.7 seconds Acce%eration 0: 60mph 13.7 seconds 3tandin' Btr mi%e 5op speed #ue% consumption .n'ine %ocation .n'ine a%i'nment =ri0en whee%s #ront 3uspension ;ear 3uspension <rakes Gear+o t7pe 4um+er of 'ears 163km-h 9km-% 101."mph 22.3mp' !assis #ront &on'itudina% ;ear Independent 6oi% 3prin' <eam a %e ha%f e%iptic %eaf =isc front> =rum rear " speed Manua% " 19.1 seconds

5he MGA is a sports car produced +7 MG di0ision of the <ritish Motor 6orporation from 19)) to 1962.

5he MGA rep%aced the o%der 5:t7pe cars and represented a comp%ete st7%in' +reak from the o%der 0ehic%es. 5he car was officia%%7 %aunched at the #rankfurt Motor 3how in 19)). A tota% of 101>0,1 units were so%d throu'h the end of production in ?u%7 1962> the 0ast ma@orit7 of which were e ported. /n%7 ),69 cars were so%d on the home market> the hi'hest e port percenta'e of an7 <ritish car. It was rep%aced +7 the MG<.

=esi'n
5he MGA desi'n dates +ack to 19)1> when MG desi'ner 37d .ne0er created a stream%ined +od7 for Geor'e 2hi%ipsA 5= &e Mans car. 5he pro+%em with this car was the hi'h seatin' position of the dri0er +ecause of the %imitations of usin' the 5= chassis. A new chassis was desi'ned with the side mem+ers further apart and the f%oor attached to the +ottom rather than

the top of the frame sections. A protot7pe was +ui%t and shown to the <M6 chairman &eonard &ord. !e turned down the idea of producin' the new car as he had @ust si'ned a dea% with =ona%d !ea%e7 to produce Austin:!ea%e7 cars two weeks +efore. #a%%in' sa%es of the traditiona% MG mode%s caused a chan'e of heart> and the car> initia%%7 to +e ca%%ed the $A: series> was +rou'ht +ack. As it was so different from the o%der MG mode%s it was ca%%ed the MGA> the Cfirst of a new %ineC to 9uote the contemporar7 ad0ertisin'. 5here was a%so a new en'ine a0ai%a+%e> therefore the car did not ha0e the ori'ina%%7 intended D2AG unit +ut was fitted with the <M6 corporate <:3eries t7pe a%%owin' a %ower +onnet %ine. 5he MGA had no e terior door hand%es. It was a +od7:on:frame desi'n and used the strai'ht:" C< seriesC en'ine from the MG Ma'nette sa%oon dri0in' the rear whee%s throu'h a ":speed 'ear+o . 3uspension was independent with coi% sprin's and wish+ones at the front and a ri'id a %e with semi:e%%iptic sprin's at the rear. 3teerin' was +7 rack and pinion. 5he car was a0ai%a+%e with either wire: spoked or stee%:disc road whee%s.

1)00
MGA 1)00

),>7)0 made 2roduction 19)):19)9 1>",9 cc '.)L) B-Series 1"

5he 1",9 cc en'ine produced 6, hp E)1 k(F at first> +ut was soon uprated to 72 hp E)" k(F. &ockheed h7drau%ic drum +rakes were used on a%% whee%s. A coupe 0ersion was a%so produced> +rin'in' the tota% production of standard MGAs to ),>7)0.

An ear%7 open car tested +7 the <ritish ma'aGine 5he Motor in 19)) had a top speed of 97., mph E1)7." km-hF and cou%d acce%erate from 0:60 mph E97 km-hF in 16.0 seconds. A fue% consumption of 26.7 mi%es per imperia% 'a%%on E10.6 &-100 kmH 22.2 mp'I usF was recorded. 5he test car cost J,"" inc%udin' ta es.

5win:6am
MG A Twin Cam

2roduction 19), :1960

2>111 made

1,588 cc (1.6 US-Series DOHC

A hi'h:performance 5win:6am mode% was added for 19),. It used a hi'h compression E9.9K1 %ater ,.3K1F =/!6 a%uminium c7%inder head 0ersion of the <:3eries en'ine producin' 10, hp E,1 k(H 109 23F. =ue to detonation pro+%ems> a 100 +hp E7) k(H 101 23F %ow:compression 0ersion was introduced %ater. #our:whee% disc +rakes +7 =un%op were fitted> a%on' with =un%op pe' dri0e knock:off stee% whee%s simi%ar to whee%s used on racin' ?a'uars> uni9ue to the 5win:6am. 5hese whee%s and chassis up'rades were used on a sma%% num+er of C=e&u e MGA 1600 ;oadstersC +ui%t after 5win:6am production came to a ha%t. Aside from the whee%s> the on%7 outside identifier was a C5win:6amC %o'o near the 0ent aside the +onnet. 5he temperamenta% en'ine was notorious for warrant7 pro+%ems durin' the course of production> and sa%es dropped 9uick%7. 5he en'ine suffered from detonation and +urnt oi%. Most of the pro+%ems with the 5win:6am en'ine were rectified with the %ow compression 0ersion> +ut +7 then the dama'e had a%read7 +een done. Man7 restored 5win:6ams are runnin' more re%ia+%7 toda7 than the7 e0er did durin' production.5he 5win:6am was dropped in 1960 after 2>111 E2>210 accordin' to someLF had +een produced. 2roduction ended in Apri% 1960> +ut had s%owed to a trick%e %on' +efore. An open car was tested +7 the <ritish The Motor ma'aGine in 19), and was found to ha0e a top speed of 113 mph E1,2 km-hF> acce%eration from 0:60 mph E97 km-hF in 9.1 seconds and a fue% consumption of 27.6 mi%es per imperia% 'a%%on E10.2 &-100 kmH 23.0 mp'. iraF was recorded. 5he test car cost J1>2,3 inc%udin' ta es of J"2,.L

1600 and 1600 =e:&u e

Production 1959- 1960 1,501 !"de

1"#$$ cc %1&6 I'

In Ma7 19)9 the standard cars a%so recei0ed an updated en'ine> now at 1),, cc producin' 7, +hp E), k(H 79 23F. At the front disc +rakes were fitted> +ut drums remained in the rear. 31>)01 were produced in %ess than three 7ears. . terna%%7 the car is 0er7 simi%ar to the 1)00 with differences inc%udin'K Am+er or white Edependin' on marketF front turn indicators shared with white parkin' %amps> separate stop-tai% and turn %amps in the rear> and 1600 +ad'in' on the +oot and the cow%. A num+er of 1600 =e &u e 0ersions were produced with %efto0er specia% whee%s and four whee% disc +rakes of the departed 5win:6am> or usin' comp%ete modified 5wincam chassis %eft redundant +7 the discontinuance of that mode%. 3e0ent7 roadsters and 12 coupes were +ui%t. A 1600 open car was tested +7 the <ritish ma'aGine The Motor in 19)9. It had a top speed of 96.1 mph E1)".7 km-hF and cou%d acce%erate from 0:60 mph E97 km-hF in 13.3 seconds. A fue% consumption of 29.7 mi%es per imperia% 'a%%on E9.)1 &-100 kmH 2".7 mp'IF was recorded. 5he test car cost J9"0 inc%udin' ta es of J277.

Mark II and Mark II =e:&u e

2roduction 1960 M 1962 ,>719 made 1>622 cc E1.61F

5he en'ine siGe was increased a'ain to 1622 cc +7 increasin' the +ore from 5he inset 'ri%%e fitted to the 1600 Mark II

7)." mm E3.0 inF to 76.2 mm E3.0 inF for the 1961 Mark II MGA. 5he c7%inder head was a%so re0ised with %ar'er 0a%0es and re:en'ineered com+ustion cham+ers. It a%so had a hi'her ratio "K1 rear a %e> which made for more re%a ed hi'h:speed dri0in'. An inset 'ri%%e and Morris Mini tai% %amps appearin' horiGonta%%7 +e%ow the deck %id were the most o+0ious 0isua% chan'es. ,>19, Mark II roadsters and )21 coupes were +ui%t.

1600 Mark II =e&u e ;oadster> with knock:off stee% whee%s As with the 1600 =e &u e> there were a%so some Mark II =e &u e 0ersionsH 290 roadsters and 23 coupes were produced.