14 Year Stalled Restoration: 1935 MG PA

Determining exactly which car was the “first” sportscar can lead to a very heated argument. While the search begins before World War II, it may come down to your definition of what a sportscar is.  Should gobs of horsepower be a requirement?  What about great handling?  Does the weight of the car matter?  Does it have to be built from the start as a “driver’s car?”  Does it have to be fresh from the factory, or can a sportscar be built by someone with the desire and skill to put dreams into motion?  While you ponder those questions, consider that MG was punching out small, lightweight sportscars like this 1935 MG PA since the beginning of that decade, and modifying cars before that.  Was MG the first company that put all the pieces together?  Would you be interested in finishing a project that would result in having a pioneering sportscar in your garage?

When you consider the old joke that the first race happened right after the second car was built, it is obvious that people caught on to the fun of driving very early.  Some of the surviving footage of the first races is incredible to watch.  This film of the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup race held on Long Island, New York shows several cars of the period duking it out at impressive speeds for the time.  To our eyes, these cars are tall, ungainly, and built like small locomotives.  Were these sportscars?  Or, did you have to move forward in time to production cars like the Stutz Bearcat and the Mercer Raceabout on the American side, with the folks on the other side of the pond represented by such borderline racecars as the Blower Bently and almost everything that rolled out of Bugatti’s factory in Molsheim?

The argument is perhaps a neverending one.  However, the case can be made for the early products of Morris Garages in England.  Not only were cars like this 1935 MG PA sporty.  They were designed to be driven with purpose through the English countryside at a time when plodding along at speeds not much faster than walking was the norm.  They were simple, light, and held two very slight people.  Using parts from more common production cars like an 847 cc Wolseley Motors inline-four with 36 horsepower allowed MG to produce them at a reasonable price.  Not much in the way of oomph compared to today’s powerplants, but the engine did push the bantamweight car to a 0-50 MPH time of 20 seconds and a 74 MPH top speed.

The MG PA you see here has been sitting in a barn for 14 long years and has all the appearance of a stalled restoration.  Widespread importation of MGs didn’t happen until after World War II.  Therefore, there must be a story on how this car came to America.  Sadly, we are not given any historical details in the ad.  What we do know is that the car still has its original engine, transmission, rear end, starter, and generator.  Most of those parts have been rebuilt, including the engine.  The seller tells us that the front fenders, rear fenders, and running boards are all steel and that the windscreen and radiator shell are also in good condition.  We are then told that the car is about 90% complete without telling us what the missing 10% consists of.  From there, the ad takes an unusual turn.  The seller says that they have collected many parts for the car.  The problem is that the parts are in England, and can be had for the shipping costs.  It appears that the seller has had quite enough of spending money on this car.  Hopefully, the new owner will get this MG across the finish line soon.

If you have the skills and patience to resuscitate a pioneering sports car, then this 1935 MG PA for sale on Craigslist in El Dorado, California is waiting for you.  The seller tells us this original car is 90% complete, with more parts available from England if the buyer pays the shipping.  With a $14,000 asking price, would you be interested in embarking on this adventurous restoration?