It wasn't as quick as the '58 Impala (18 pounds per horsepower compared with the Chevy's 11lbs per hp), but I'd imagine it was quicker through the bends, if that's what you're into. I am, thanks. It's the polar opposite of the "more is more" Chevy. Plus, they brag about their gearbox, instead of luxury and cushiness. And hey! No tail fins! Bonus!Sadly, like most British cars, it had serious reliability problems. Ah well, I didn't say I wanted to own one. I just want to look at one, and perhaps have a ride in one.
I'm not sure why they felt the need to show a shifting diagram in the ad. You'd think that would belong in the owner's manual. But, maybe they were trying to emphasize the car's fun-to-drive performance? 108 horsepower in a light car (1988 pounds compared to the Chevy's 3500) with a 94-inch wheelbase (that's pretty short) sounds fun to me.
A while back, I wrote a story about a guy who bought one of those new in 1961 when he was stationed at a Strategic Air Command base in Morocco.
ReplyDeleteHe still owns it, and it has never been out of service. It's on its original head gasket.
The idea that MGAs were unreliable is hooey. Later MGBs were a pain in the ass after they loaded them full of emissions crap, but the early cars were great.
Here's the story: http://www.hemmings.com/hsx/stories/2006/09/01/hmn_feature8.html