Exotic! 1959 MGA Twin Cam - Australian test - Sounds Amazing!

[@Zeem4]

The head-mounted camera footage is absolutely perfect in a car like this, with no roof or windscreen surround to block the view. I particularly enjoyed the crossing of the bridge.

[@Zadster]

Perfect choice for this car, I can feel a bit queasy with p-o-v headcams, but no problem here. I can see why the MX-5 became so popular, a decent but not too powerful engine that responds to revving, enough creature comforts but not too many, simple drivetrain. Lovely.

[@niklaswejedal463]

just my thought, too - It almost felt like being in the car - that last part on the better road was just amazing! Very enjoyable!

[@itsmephil2255]

Wish you had mounted the camera on the scuttle pointing back....that would have been awesome to see

[@HubNut]

No way of attaching it sadly.

[@rayg9069]

@@Zadster MX-5 are still popular, very rarely appear on the second hand market in anything other than beat to an inch of it's life condition. People seem to buy them, early models anyway, and keep them for life.

[@timhancock6626]

Only Hub Nut could possibly say "ooh look at that lovely Land Cruiser" when driving a twin cam MGA....

[@johnd8892]

Land Cruisers often seen in petrol stations due to huge thirst and huge tanks to fill.

[@carbonarc23]

Wow, Hub Nut has really pulled one out of the bag here. Beautiful old girl :)

[@portnaluinge]

That engine makes a profoundly likeable noise.

[@gosportjamie]

And, unlike most cars, you hear the nicest noises from the cockpit, rather than from behind the car coming out of the exhaust. That's a trick a lot of modern car makers could do with learning again...

[@sefikempowermentcoachvilla7843]

Easy to 'heal and toe' even in sandals. Best Hub Nut quote so far 👍👍👍

[@janhanchenmichelsen2627]

Today, it bloody SNOWING (!?!!) in Bergen, Norway, my job is on corona-hold ... and I’m watching mr Nut drive a blood-red MGA TC in Aussie on a nice road while the cicadas are chirping away. A dream came true for you, Ian, I myself will one day do something similar and visit the antipodes. Thank you for giving us some sunny smiles on a slate-gray day.

[@chrisrumble2665]

Love MGA's especially the Twin Cam. It's on the lottery-win collection list.

[@gryfandjane]

Stellar. As an MG owner, this car is the stuff of legend. I may as well go back to bed... my day can only go downhill from here. ;-)

[@matty6848]

You must of been in your element watching this!

[@pagegreer5081]

Such a classically beautiful car , enough said!

[@williamfence566]

What happened to the British car industry when in 1958 we can do this !. Fair play to the owner, I'm not sure I'd be loaning this out

[@cme2cau]

Love the Old Pacific Highway. It's sobering to think this was the main road north out of Sydney when I was a boy. Usually infested with motorcycles and police! What a lovely car! And it still has the Lucas headlights! Not the Prince of Darkness here!

[@jsteel8288]

Indeed, 6:47 starts on the intersection of the Pacific Highway and Bridge Road, going north through Hornsby...7:43 heading for Galston Gorge?

[@graemew7001]

I absolutely love MGA's, I worked on them 30 years ago as an apprentice in a Classics Garage and have wanted one ever since. A standard 1600 mark 1 would do me, they handle so well and you don't have to be doing silly speeds to enjoy them, 55-60mph is enough. The indicator toggle switch you refer to would have been in the same place as it is now, I preferred a switch like that as the toggles had a habit of flashing once and cancelling, really irritating.

[@chrisross2916]

Ahhh, nothing like a fang up and down the Old Pacific Hwy in delightful machinery with the top down. Thanks so much!

[@danielriley889]

He should have stopped at the Pie in the Sky if it is still open !

[@CaptHollister]

The use of the head cam turned out to be perfect for this road test. I felt an adrenaline rush just riding along, I can only imagine how it must have felt to actually be behind the wheel. Definitely a HubNut highlight.

[@WarriorRazor]

You should do head-cam more often, it really gives you a sense of speed in the car.

[@ferrumignis]

Absolutely stunning car, a real credit to it's owner.

[@marknelson5929]

I know those roads well! The Twin Cam has always been a favourite, lucky man. It was kinda nice that your 'camera' in this instance due to lack of windows to put it on gave us viewers a lovely drivers eye view. Just what you want in this kind off MG.

[@aircrashtupolov7895]

What a beautiful machine! British and best! 👍❤

[@mguytv]

Ah, recognise the Old Pacific Highway north of Hornsby, Ian - great bit of road!

[@elonmask50]

Gorgeous little Car, it’s a real treasure and a tribute to it’s owner, that twin cam is a very neat fit between those shapely guards. Gotta love the Smiths instruments, whatever they aren’t pointed at, is the actual reading, between them and Lucas, the prince of darkness, it’s a wonder it runs at all. My Mum had a Morris Minor fitted with those brakes and that engine back when I were I wee tacker, apparently one of Dads friends in the MG club wrote off his MG-A and on an alcohol 🍺 powered weekend they upgraded Mum’s car, the faded blue grey 🚙 Minor with its flip out trafficators went like shit off a stick after that. Unfortunately... The reason the MG A fell off the road that night had now been transferred in Mums daily driver, a faulty master cylinder, Mums foot went to the floor and we proceed into the rear of the spanking new Kingswood on its maiden voyage as it stopped at the light in front of us. Fortunately Mum was a Police trained driver and she washed off most of the speed by flicking the key off and wrenching on the hand brake so there was little damage to Mum, the Morrie, or we three unrestrained kids, but it was the last time she drove it, for some reason, she had lost all confidence in fathers ability to fix cars, and even with all new brakes, she never drove it again, apparently our lives flashed before her eyes, and the Morrie, wasn’t in the picture, no idea what happened to the 🚙

[@cheesywheels]

Brilliant story, thank you.

[@rayg9069]

The instruments were designed to confuse the Germans if any fell into enemy hands during the war, they would have no idea how many miles they were from anywhere or if they had enough fuel to get back.

[@FMFGUF]

Is it by any chance, the one in this link: www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/349943833520033913/

[@frothe42]

Headcam perfect for this drive! Mechanically well ahead of its time. And what a raucous sound! Another spot on video!

[@robertngreen6]

Goose bumps as you drove off at the end - what a sound!!

[@pablojones5613]

I have never understood why people love M.G. cars. Your video has given me some understanding, at least. They actually look like a lot of fun.

[@richardglossop9085]

Your camera footage showed how exciting that ride was. What a beautiful machine, and the engine noise. Fantastic 👍👍🤣

[@garysimpson3900]

What a beautiful classis. The roll over "iron monger" spoils the look somewhat. At least there is no "Triangle Of Doom" on this model.

[@steved3702]

It's all doom when the rain comes!

[@iatsd]

Only because they've butchered the windscreen too.

[@timhancock6626]

Deluge of Doom.....been there, done that in the kit car I built....😁

[@johnd8892]

Roll cage for safety in racing, but also stiffens things up no end so gives a chassis advantage racing. Roll cage design to go faster a new science.

[@Tareelad]

One best videos of drives yet, could feel your passion coming through.

[@simonredfern2584]

What a beauty! I'd hate to think what its worth though, probably more than I have in the savings jar I would imagine. Also Headcam works so well on an open car. Topwork mr hubnut!

[@peterriggall8409]

Head cam worked well on the twin cam. 😉 What an experience. Loved the sound of the engine bouncing off the cliffs. A good example of how you bring this experience to life. Compare that to reading an article in a mag. on the same car with photos. Can’t compare.

[@stevemogan5384]

Great video, felt like I was right in the seat with you, very enjoyable.

[@simonbaldry9233]

Excellent video Ian, the head mounted camera put us right into the driving seat.

[@001-j7l]

we need more WOT intro's, love it! Edit: Waw! that head cam was awesome! you need to invest in a 360 camera so we can all come along for a ride in VR, imagine that! sat in the passenger seat being taken for a spin by Mr HubNut! No idea on the cost of these 360 cameras though.

[@quentincalabrese3300]

Every cars should sound like this !! Thanks for the ride

[@johnboy384]

That is a SWEET looking machine. Paint like glass. Lovely.

[@alanriley9754]

My father (dec.) was an Morris Garage TC owner and motor mechanic with much knowledge of these MGAs. He met Lord Nuffield once. A great test.

[@alanriley9754]

Cheers. The diversity of your test cars is most appreciated.

[@michaelarcher6278]

Really enjoyed that video eating my dinner and wishing I was there. Well done HubNut.

[@garyhardwick8489]

No triangle of doom on that car! Nice video,head-cam seemed to work well. Thanks for sharing.

[@stephenswift8001]

Pretty car! That looked like a entertaining drive; when it wasn’t raining!

[@kjs1973]

Wow wow , gorgeous ..added points for the driver cam .

[@MrGaryRoberton]

A fortunate thing in retrospect you were so overloaded with work in the Australia -N.Z. Tour, as we are all in need of interesting diversion now. Thank you fifty times!!

[@mikecawood]

This has to be one of your best videos ever. I loved every minute.

[@MatthewJohnCrittenden]

Bloody marvellous, a credit to it’s owner and great headcam footage. On a sidenote, having exhausted HN vids a long time ago I’ve become addicted to the Smith And Sniff YT channel and throughly recommend it for anyone needing a chortle or two.

[@MrOvershoot]

Exactly the same here, really funny with great observation

[@MrButtonpresser]

Back in the day, the Old Pacific Hwy was jammed with trucks, caravans and cars. I don't think many MGs got a proper workout like this one. Lovely car, nice review.

[@ronaldbentley7180]

another great video, of an absolutely fabulous piece of motoring heritage, loved it

[@aussiebloke609]

Love the look of those Brooklands style wind deflectors. Virtually useless, but they really look the part. And as a car that was designed for twishing roads through the hills, I'm rather glad you took it onto the Old Pacific Highway, rather than the expressway. :-)

[@twocvbloke]

Certainly a cool little car, perfect for driving on summers days, if only the UK had them where the rain didn't fall at random intervals... :D ooh and that outtake at the end, never heard such language in my life... :P

[@RWBHere]

Back in the 1970's, a fellow student had an MGA Coupé, which he had fitted with an MGB engine. So it had the ride and handling of the A, with the power of a B engine from a decade later. That was a very nice car to travel in. Great fun to drive, too. It's good to see this one in such fine condition, and with such a gorgeous colour. Thanks Ian.

[@jetblack6953]

Thanks Ian what an amazingly beautiful car. The head cam was brilliant. I am very very envious of your drive.

[@amosburton5227]

Lovely little car that you actually have to get on and drive not just sit there, that engine noise through the cliffs was sublime, and the head cam worked perfectly with this car to give a real feel of it going down the road awesome video as always Ian!

[@craigmclean8260]

Looks like an absolute blast, complete w/ proper sports car noises! My dear old Dad cut his mechanic's teeth on MGs, both in owning, and fixing/racing them (TDs, as I recall) around the Washington, D.C. area in the 1950s/'60s...The head-cam worked great for your drive!

[@adrianellis6902]

In not many words, Absolutely bloody marvellous.

[@lukestocks4370]

Oh yes the old road to Gosford, That's my race track, you won't have kept up with me though there, give it the beans!! Especially coming back up the hill!

[@richdelgado3405]

A beautiful example of what MG could have been today.

[@daniellee9015]

What a beautiful car brilliant video Ian

[@Endfloat]

Oh that noise! Every car should sound like that! What a thing of beauty that car is.

[@musicdpk]

Thanks for the fun video - beaut car! Probably been said already - Old Pacific Highway north of Sydney, Pie in the Sky cafe, Brooklyn Bridge - great road!

[@davidneale5821]

The MGA my favourite MG, even the standard car. Thankyou for sharing 😁

[@Canalsman]

The Magic of MG! Fabulous car, fabulous sound ...

[@Shane_Marsh]

What a lovely car ian, I didn't realise they were so technically advanced in the 50s. The headcam is not for me, made me feel sick but can't detract from your usual excellent presentation and content. 👍

[@Levenstone132]

Beautiful car , that head cam really works,driver's eye view and with those front indicators,lever arm dampers and no synchro on first my Moggy Traveller was almost an MGA!

[@Feeshgmod]

I really like the head camera view, should do it more often :)

[@philh1462]

That looked completely glorious.

[@raspucin70]

That was proper fun! It seems that you can have huge adrenaline rush without even breaking the speed limit :) And a good choice for camera mount - it worked out perfectly.

[@jdtseventyfour]

Wow what a fantastic car to drive. Always thought the MGA was such a great looking car. As you say theres no wonder the Americans loved them. What a great sounding car too. Love the head cam video as well.

[@splatmanhooha4264]

Pretty little car, what we did best, back in the day. Best place to conserve one, in the dry, mainly rust-free, outback!

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Lovely little car, and what a nice noise it makes.

[@goosegog]

Lovely to see you enjoying a sports car, Ian. I know they're not your favourite type of car but this looked fun for you. The head mounted cam gave good results too. Top work.

[@commonsense953]

A great example of good British engineering at the time ... nice car to look at.

[@grayfool]

Wow! Bloody marvellous Ian. Great driving footage too.

[@LinuxGalore]

Thanks for the memory, spent many a weekend tearing up and down the old (pacific) road while keeping a sharp eye out for the men in blue.

[@maxwellr.pegler154]

Hi Ian, the blinkers were a vacuum jobbie, mounted where the toggle switch is now. And the blinkers flashing light was where the master switch is now.

[@RichieRouge206]

Not really my era of cars of interest but still very cool to see it! The engine looks and aounds amazing, loving the head camera too!

[@shanehnorman]

One of the prettiest sports-cars ever. The weaknesses of the original engine have largely been overcome in survivors with the help of modern oils and fuels. With bigger SUs and hotter cams, it's easily capable of 120 bhp. I've driven both MGBs and ohv MGAs - never a Twink - and would agree the A is a sweeter drive, mainly because, although it's only a about 70-80 kg lighter, it's more compact and feels more wrapped around the driver. Also, the low doors leave one more exposed to the elements, giving a stronger sensation of speed.

[@adamclark7536]

Ahh the memories. My first car was an MG Midget. A year of fun, picking up girls, hooning round any bit of gravel covered surface, doing a 360 spin in the rain and surviving. Loved that car.

[@robinwells8879]

Not a hint of any wiper action and still a thumbs up from Ian 😉. I'm a Triumph man myself but even a grudging thumbs up from me based on that achingly gorgeous side profile and an amazing engine.

[@SquidgyPickle]

I initially thought it was a v4 when I saw the angle of those rocker covers. Beautiful looking motor.

[@chrisrumble2665]

The MGB was planned to have a V4. At one stage it was also going to to have an 1800 Twin Cam and coil sprung rear end which would made it a British Alfa or Fiat Spider.

[@munnsie100]

I've seen that very Mondeo in my local area a few times, Ian. That's quite interesting!

[@davidterry2038]

Fantastic. What an amazing sound from a true sports car.

[@jamesgovett2501]

Great drive along the old pacific highway, that head cam was made for it, but geez you took a risk with that open cockpit as you were lucky you did not get a mouthful of blowies! (Blowflies)

[@benjaminmarriott1746]

Just wow, such a rare little brit so far away, as a man of sounds a four banger can easily bore me but that sounds, bloody fantastic. N/A roar right in front of you. Looks, as a driving experience, spine tingly. Simply, Gorgeous.

[@markymarkfromreefton]

That was a mint toyota surf cruising along with you at the start...

[@nunorodriguez9108]

no triangle of doom there : ) amazing machine, cheers

[@HakanKoseoglu]

Cutest little thing! Beautiful!

[@stevehallam0850]

I think you enjoyed that, despite the disappointing lack of wipers 😁. The head cam worked very well.

[@richardbaron7106]

The exhaust burble these MGs make is something else. My dad had a black-bumper MGB in Oxford, MS that was most def not in concours condition and it was so much fun to drive around. It was a typical MG of the time - ran about 75% of the time, being repaired the other 25% :)

[@julirensch]

love the Brooklands Wing Screens...had them on my 1962 MGA 1622 cc

[@bradpigott8883]

Ah, the old Pacific Highway up to Brooklyn. Loved driving that road. Wish I'd known about it when I owned a "B".

[@michaeltutty1540]

Fantastic video, Ian. Love the MGA, really starting to appreciate them more. One thing you did not mention as being modified on this example is the Standard grill. It follows the contour of the bodywork around it. Tin Cams, and the subsequent Deluxe, had a grill with the bars almost vertical, and do inset. This was to enhance air flow through the radiator. The curved bars tended to send air follow over the car, rather than through the radiator.

[@maxwellr.pegler154]

Not quite right, you're referring to the MK2 MGA, which had the grille you describe, and Mini taillights horizontally.

[@bedstuyrover]

The most beautiful of the MG designs!!!

[@shaunw9270]

Beautiful & what a lovely sound too ! 👍

[@reidkeevers]

Nice to see such a beautiful car with original NSW number plates, quite a rarity on older cars here.

[@JA-pb7oz]

Not even a hint from the Triangle of doom.

[@oldclassiccarUK]

Cracking little car, like that a lot (apart from the rollbar obv)

[@AutoRevArg]

I've driven one, and it is an absolute treat. How it sits happily at 3500 revs

[@mrfahrenheit3867]

The prettiest car ever made IMHO, my first car was a red MG midget when I was 15 and I always wanted an A but it hasn't happened as yet. Primrose yellow with red leather then I could call her rhubarb and custard. 🧐

[@2Worlds_and_InBetween]

its certainly up there with the greatest, I have a bit of a Sunbeam Tiger 🐯 thing going on since I was a kid tho

[@mrfahrenheit3867]

@@2Worlds_and_InBetweensame here, as a kid seeing Maxwell Smart, a.k.a. Agent 86 skid to a stop outside of Control HQ and not even putting a nickel in a parking meter , I thought to myself 'that's how I want to go to work'

[@captaccordion]

My goodness you had some fine adventures Hubnut! On the BMC first gear whine, I just watched an episode of Thunderbirds and was amused that they'd given the whine to Lady Penelope's pink 6 wheel Rolls. I guess it's just the way cars sounded! Cheers.

[@grahamejohn6847]

Wow-what a beautiful car , when I was a youngster my uncle raced MGs he Had an MGA an MGB and a midget. All red of course because red is faster lol. Then to my teenage dismay, he got rid of them and bought two Mini Coopers. The shame of it all. I love your videos and thank for such good entertainment.

[@MonaroTravels]

Love the reaction when the VE commodore went past :)

[@williamgreer4087]

Such a beautiful car ❤️

[@leejohnson3209]

Head cam really works in the open top.

[@torresalex]

That little thing is ruddy awesome. Very well sorted with some modern upgrades that make it better without ruining it, hearty congratulations to the owner! And what an interior! Why aren't interiors as elegant and functional like that any more?