MG MGA! Ordinary mechanicals made magical. Classic road(ster) test

How did they do it? MG always took ordinary running gear, in this case from humble Austin and Morris saloons, and created British sports cars that sounded magical and made you smile!
This 1960 (built 1959) MGA 1600 MK1 is finished in rare Alamo Beige which makes it all the more special. What an enjoyable classic car road test.
Merchandise? Step this way: HubNut.org - thank you.
#cartest #classiccar #antiquecar

[@nickfarrow9032]

MGA is the car I'm going to buy once I'm finished with my Sunbeam Alpine. Not fast, but IMO one of the most beautiful traditional roadsters ever built.

[@jeffhildreth9244]

The ALPINE is in a class of its own.

[@frankb5603]

I had an MGA. Keep the Alpine!

[@stevesmith2214]

The indicator switch is actually vacuum. The delay is adjustable via a small screw in the rear, though on most the leather sealing washer has fried out and they don't work as they did when new. Great vid and a lovely example.

[@HubNut]

Wow. Cheers for the explanation.

[@clarebrookes314]

Brilliant video Ian, really enjoyed it as did you by the look on your face! The Flying Sausage as he is known is a lovely car. You are welcome to drive him any time. Thanks for testing him 😊

[@johnnytenjobs]

I saw this the other day and assumed it was an American version. Ian has sorted that.

[@clarebrookes314]

@johnnytenjobs you can't really mistake this car though can you.

[@johnnytenjobs]

@@clarebrookes314 Definitley not.

[@michelvondenhoff9673]

It doesn't matter the 0-60 time... The longer it takes the longer you're having fun 🥸

[@HubNut]

So true!

[@anjdog2003]

I've had many sports cars but my 1962 MGA is one of my favorites.

[@BigPaul62]

I've never seen one in that colour. Suits the car quite well.

[@graemew7001]

You have just tested my favourite car of all time, I worked on loads as an apprentice in the late 80's and they drive so well. You're right about the rarity of Alamo Beige, I worked on loads over the 4 years and never saw one in that colour. You're also correct about the wood floor which was always something that I would add some metal plates to just for piece of mind. I'm off to watch this again, shame I can't give it more than one like ☹

[@robkleinlangevelsloo259]

The joy on your face, it's wonderful to see. You are becoming my favorite motoring journalist. There is almost no one as knowledgeable as you are. Thank you. Keep up the good work.

[@andrewg8791]

I love my MGA. Not the quickest, but quick enough. Not the fastest, but fast enough. MGs just deliver more smiles per mile.

[@jrushen4235]

Most of the British sportscars of the 60's and 70's had modest underpinnings but the design was on another level. Fabulous.

[@Gershwin48]

I owned a ‘62 MKII for a few years in my early 20’s. Loved it. Sold it in early 70’s. Found the current owner who had restored it and won many awards for his hard work. It was like finding a kidnapped child when I found him.

[@twocvbloke]

It's fun when a car actulaly sounds like it's got a tonne of power, but hasn't, yet gives the feeling of it being powerful, unlike modern things that have to do all kinds of trickery with the exhaust pipework to try and match this level of fun, but never achieve it... :P

[@TheAllyMor]

In all the years I've watched your videos, I don't think I've seen you enjoy a drive as much as this. What a noise from that beautiful wee car. Magic!!

[@iainmacleod4007]

My late father owned an MGA hardtop when I was born YYK 30. He soon replaced it with an early Sunbeam Alpine after that which was a soft top. Shortly afterwards he bought a 1963 Jaguar Mark 2 which has defined my life and passion for classic Jaguars ever since. We still have the registration plate WWG5 on my mothers car.

[@sean640307]

I've always wanted a 1500 MG TF, but that MGA is making all the right noises for me!!! A "proper" sports car.....

[@oddjob7821]

What a beautiful car. Whoever owns that is so lucky. Must bring a massive smile every time it's driven.

[@09gearchange]

What a great video HubNut. Certainly a contender for the (never ending smile) category. Its an absolute pleasure seeing how much you enjoyed driving her.

[@davefrench3608]

The joy on your face Ian would make anyone want to own one. Great review.

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

Love the colour. I think it really shows off the design of the car.

[@harpsi8]

I remember see mgs parked around LA. In the late 50s. While my Dad drove a Studebaker champion of green color. My dad did take a long look at the MGs Well done video ! 😊

[@beegee22]

Great little drive! The A is one of the most beautiful cars ever built, lovely lines.

[@mikebud-bf8qp]

If there was a beauty pageant for cars it would win it !

[@clarebrookes314]

I agree 👍🏻

[@giulianomarco]

All of the beige! 😁👍

[@Garffey]

Just Glorious that Ian, thanks for the test....you'd just never get bored of that! (as you obviously didn't!)...👍👍

[@peterjames448]

Great review of a lovely little car Ian; from a time when the world moved at a gentler pace. It looked like you genuinely enjoyed your drive! 😊

[@allanriches9381]

never seen you smile so much whilst driving a car.😂

[@raygale4198]

What makes it so special is the basic experience of driving a machine that is just complex enough to do what it needs to do, with no driving aides and no hiding the noise and feedback that the car produces. I'm considering buying an MGB here in Australia as I'm just done with modern cars. Excuse me now while I go change my shorts, that snorting roar was just to enjoyable.

[@markjosephbudgieridgard]

That was just great the MGA is just one of the prettiest sports cars ever.

[@steve-by6xu]

The smile on your face driving it says it all.. :)

[@Phiyedough]

What a beauty! I've never dared look at the price of them but would love to own one.

[@graemew7001]

I've looked at the price and to be fair they're not too bad at all. I want a 1600 mk1 in Glacier Blue (only the 1500 and Twin Cam came in this colour but sod the purists!!), if I come into money I'm having one and keeping it until my demise.

[@helge.]

What a well chosen shirt for this occasion!

[@petroldrinker]

Beautiful car. Lovely rorty exhaust note. I saw one in San Fransisco when I was last there with quite a crowd looking at it. Another great video

[@bombakdik]

MG were indeed kings as you say. Good gearbox, good engine, lovely interior. They broke lot less down than the Triumph cars.

[@compo308]

This car looks soo good. And the sound it makes is just incredible. Mr. Hubnut had huge smile while driving this!

[@maxeluy]

The best 10 minutes in a long time seeing YT. The sound is intoxicating 🤤

[@robertbills4290]

When you tried the wipers and pressed the water jet. I expected the water to fire over the windshield and on to you. Lovely car again Ian

[@revolution1one]

MGs were and are so very popular here in western Canada. They're considered a common classic here. Last year I went to a car show called "All British Field Meet" and it had dozens of different kinds of MGs. Even UK market examples that were not sold here. Like a MG F, a RV8 and a MG TF. My family owned a '72 MG B that we restored. It was a blast to just be a passenger in!

[@jimrobertson5931]

Sold quite a few in Canada as well. I currently own a 1969 MGB GT. Just a comment , a lot of UK KZbinrs seem to forget that Canada actually exists. Canadian soldiers stationed in the UK during WW2 also brought back these cars in large numbers. Just saying…..

[@nomdeplume2724]

All the beige…. Excellent! The smile per mile index was obviously off the scale too… 🤪

[@petermckee1061]

I had one in the 1970s. I wish I still had it! The hand brake is known as a "fly off" type. Not unusual in sports cars of the day.

[@shieldaigbencher]

Beautiful cars. I used to walk to school in the 80's past a guy who was restoring one of these in his garage. That one is lovely.

[@clarebrookes314]

This one was restored in a home garage in the 80s! I believe it was done in Middlesbrough if my research tells me correctly.

[@tristanpage6805]

A shirt that so matches the car. Great video again.

[@RollinRoadsUK]

What a gorgeous, joyous little car! Wonderful

[@bentullett6068]

That colour looks stunning on that MGA.

[@brentboswell1294]

Thanks, I've never seen an MGA before (I'm a Yank), but plenty of MGB's 😊 I was probably born too late for the MGA, being of 1972 vintage...also seen the older ones, like MG-TC, and kit cars that are designed to look like a T series. Yes, those exist...

[@guymcdonald3360]

Fantastic to see here back on the road again

[@user-zo3qk1bn1e]

We owned this car several years ago… a little beauty 💕

[@TheStwat]

What a gorgeous little MG.

[@ThreeCoos]

Great video and a fantastic car, it surely fits into your "Power, less is more" mantra.

[@andrewgardner9615]

The dad of an old girlfriend of mine had a twin cam MGA-35 years ago.Edit-Neither the girlfriend nor I were old back then!

[@whitemoor66]

Glorious little car and they make such a fabulous noise!

[@FourthDrawerDown]

Oh my word. You know you’ve arrived with a red leather interior. Marvellous 😊

[@beegee22]

And a lovely patina on the leather!

[@chrisperyagh]

A local cellist I know has a fully restored red MGA which looks absolutely immaculate - I haven't been for a drive in it though, but he sometimes drives it over and parks it up outside my gaff when the weather is favourable when sharing lifts to gigs and picking up others in my far more capacious Accord tourer. There's a glimpse of an MGA in the film 'Silkwood' that Kurt Russel's character was working on (Karen Silkwood's car was famously a 1st generation white Honda Civic complete with the ridiculously large 5mph bumpers). At the time I found it odd that such a car of that era would even be seen in the US, but now you mentioned the US servicemen fell in love with them explains it. Although later on BL made a loss on every MGB sold to the US as the GB£-US$ exchange rate was in the favour of the US buyer at the time (and an MGB was featured in the '70s film 'Coma' along with a Fiat).

[@wgeddis]

Looks and sounds glorious

[@markusjuenemann]

You obviously really enjoyed this!

[@nervo6321]

Breathtakingly beautiful.

[@grayfool]

What a sports car should be. Simple, light, and fun. Brilliant.

[@cambridgemart2075]

That sounds proper roarty! Love the car and the sound it makes.

[@ThomasTomAczel]

I really enjoyed this video tremendously. It's so obvious how much fun you were having in this little car. These are fabulous little sports cars. You don't need a 550 horsepower V8 to have fun. The beauty of the MGA and the MGB is that even though they are not fast, they are still a lot of fun to drive, and unlike a lot of older cars, they can still keep up with modern traffic. Indeed they go plenty fast enough to lose your license in; please don't ask me how I know! I own a 1965 MGB Mk I (for nearly 54 years) and a 1962 MGA Mk II. Despite the very similar mechanicals, they are distinctly different experiences to drive. (You can easily recognise the Sydney Enever derived shared DNA when you look at them underneath on a hoist). It's wonderful to see an Alamo Beige MGA. It looks terrific. Here in Australia nearly every MGA and MGB gets repainted red or BRG. It's so unimaginative and tedious. A car like this one really stands out. Thanks so much for posting this.

[@davidminns9799]

Thank you Ian for that B series soundtrack how many times is too many to keep re- watching with the volume up👍😊

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

Beautiful colour combination indeed

[@_autoverse]

You looked at home behind the wheel, your shirt complemented the paintwork nicely.

[@chrisdowns1987]

That looked like a lot of fun! The model on top of the dash is a nice touch 😊 Thank you! 👍

[@derekbilton-heenan854]

Great knowledge and a great shirt. Thanks for another great video Hubnut

[@JPoulAndersson]

My brother has an MG A 1600 from '61 I believe. A great little car, pretty too! Joachim

[@alansmith1770]

You looked like you was having a real good time Ian. Lovely car loved the colour

[@nigelh4617]

That is a beauty. And the colour suits it.

[@pdn007london2]

Great video Ian, one of those only you can do. Great to hear MGA history.

[@davidneale5821]

I have always loved the MGA 😀

[@mothmagic1]

One of my favourite British sports cars, the other being the Healy 3000

[@Zaranathax]

Ian looks particularly handsome in this car!

[@Bicyclehub]

Highly enjoyable video! I really think you should sell something to buy one for yourself. The curvy body design is so perfect, it’s like a rolling sculpture.

[@curmudgeone]

@HubNut It’s as if you were Ian Carmichael in School For Scoundrels who had just traded in his ‘there’s one born every minute’ Swiftmobile for the sporty British number to make Terry-Thomas grit his gapped front teeth in rage at being one-upped. Lovely car and your joy at driving it so evident. I know zero about cars, how they work, how to fix them etc.; but I come from a time when cars had personality, one could truly self-maintain them and my dad loved them. Think if I keep watching your videos I may start at my relatively senior age to understand how they work. Your videos are a joy - no overweening ego, just solid knowledge, joy and a sense of humour. 🙂

[@PenryMMJ]

Always thought the styling of the MGA was alright, but nothing special. But in that colour, with the whitewall tyres, that's really nice.

[@roygardiner2229]

What a beauty! I love it. On the drive you did remind me of Toad in "Wind in the Willows"!

[@philipgallagher3234]

Gorgeous car. A mate nearly bought one in about 78. I bet he still regrets not doing it...mind you his TR6 was impressive. I always felt that design/style wise...the MGA was a Moggie 1000 stretched & restyled....the design cues are all there.

[@garethparkin9498]

That's beautiful

[@itsmephil2255]

That gearbox whine though ❤

[@simonf8902]

Best looking MG.

[@petefroud5308]

Lovely machine. Three bearing crank nice and revy.

[@Rjhs001]

I think I was enjoying this almost as much as you were Ian. Fabulous stuff!

[@bernardcromarty485]

The 'fly off' handbrake was also found on the Triumph Spitfire (and others) - it was considered 'sporty'!

[@bloodybrit]

Great video, felt like I was riding along with you.

[@CortinasAndClassics]

The Sausage. Beautiful car .

[@shanehnorman]

One of the prettiest sports cars, ever, anywhere. This one has a nice hard-edged exhaust note - and the colour suits it really well (but not the whitewall tyres!).

[@HubNut]

Oh I love the whitewalls. With the colour, it looks very American market I think.

[@beegee22]

@@HubNut Yup - whitewalls are period correct. Not a favorite with classic purists, but they were a common sight in the day.

[@The-Rectifier]

That's a absolute beauty. A Lady in the Village,ive used to live in my childhood, did owned a white one. Never forget the sound of it.( ofcourse...ive surely waa impressed by the Lady to😂😂😂)

[@andrer.boucher1137]

🍁🇨🇦🍁Stunning vehicle. Never seen one in this colour. Super condition and great fun to drive. Enjoy.

[@lawrence5117]

That's a lovely looking car. Thanks

[@lesklower7281]

So simple but it gives the driver so much enjoyment

[@meirionevans5137]

Loud shirt and the wind in yer mullet, excellent!

[@daniellee9015]

Absaloutly brilliant video Ian ❤👍what a beautiful car a time gone buy when we could build cars brilliant

[@ben_jam]

Lovin the mini mullet mate, v cool !! The car is pretty special too

[@johngrubb1590]

That soundtrack does not get old fantastic.

[@alangordon3283]

A glorious colourful machine

[@martinneumann7783]

Who needs a Jag when you can have that? Wundervoll! That engine sound... mmmhhhhh

[@graemew7001]

I worked on these and E Types as a youth in the late 80's and as mad as it might sound, having driven a fair few examples of both I always preferred these over the Jag. A proper little B road car, not quick but didn't need to be.

[@seed_drill7135]

A neighbor of mine got hit head on in a 1960 MGA in high school. And while it sucks totaling a classic he was lucky to escape with just a broken arm. The school was less lucky, as he was their quarterback.

[@AndreiTupolev]

The sound as you go up through the gears could almost be a turbocharged rally car 😀

[@chuckbradley1]

Never seen you so happy...

[@patsyroberts3967]

Love your absolute delight! :)

[@ianbrown-zw8pz]

Drove a restored MG A regularly in the mid-70s. It wasn't mine but a well-off friends. It was bright yellow and brilliant to drive, you didn't have to be going fast to enjoy it! Squashed me and my two small sons in it and they loved it too, especially with the hood down. Happy memories!