Britain was once the home of a thriving locally-owned automotive industry, and in the years following the end of World War II, these marques could sell their products into foreign markets faster than they could roll them off the production line. Sadly, many of those iconic brands no longer exist, and those that do are generally owned and run by foreign concerns. MG is a perfect example of this chequered history, as this brand passed into foreign ownership in 1994. It then found its way back into British hands in 2000, before being acquired by Chinese owners in 2005. Whilst under the stewardship of its original owners the company managed to produce vehicles like this 1957 MG MGA Roadster. This particular car has been in storage for many years, or possibly even decades. It has now been brought out of hiding, and the owner is looking at moving the car on to a new home. It is located in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set a BIN of $6,750 for this true classic, although the option is available to make an offer.

I’m not going to beat about the bush here, because this MGA needs nothing less than a full frame-off restoration. Having said that, the frame itself carries a pretty reasonable coating of surface corrosion, but it does appear to be structurally sound. The body is finished in Orient Red, and there is evidence of some amateur repair and repaint work visible in various locations. Sadly, there is also evidence of the sorts of rust that can typically afflict the MGA. The worst of this is in matching spots on both sides of the vehicle and is in the area from the rockers through to the rear doglegs. Given the fact that this is such a common occurrence with the MGA, replacement panels are pretty readily available. There is also damage to the rear fender on the passenger side, and while it looks like the panel might be able to be salvaged, it will almost certainly be more cost-effective to replace it entirely. One cool feature is the fact that this car rolls on wire wheels rather than steel discs. Having said that, the wheels are showing some significant corrosion, and if they are to be revived successfully and safely, they will require the attention of a specialist in this area. The majority of the trim and chrome is present, and while it generally looks like it would be fit to restore, the beautiful grille will need to be replaced.

From a styling perspective, the MGA was a quantum leap forward when compared to its predecessor. If you park and MGA beside an MG TF, it is astounding to believe that the production lives of the svelte and swooping MGA and the more upright TF were separated by mere months. The secret to this change was largely due to what was housed under the hoods of the two vehicles. The MG TF came equipped with the XPAG 4-cylinder engine, which by 1955 was almost old enough to receive a pension. For the MGA this engine was discarded, and with access now available to the newly-introduced and significantly more compact BMC B-Series engine, this allowed for a far lower body line, and as an added bonus, a far lower center of gravity. These attributes brought significant improvements to both overall performance and handling, although the MGA was still no ball of fire in a straight line. The 1,489cc 4-cylinder engine produced 72hp, which found its way to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual transmission. Performance figures saw the MGA manage to cover the ¼ mile in 19.3 seconds, which was nothing to write home about. However, to understand the difference that the engine made, you really need to drive the two cars back-to-back. The MGA doesn’t feel significantly faster in a straight line than the TF, but the story is very different when you point them both at a twisting piece of road. The MGA simply feels more planted and sure-footed, and a lot of this difference comes down to the lower center of gravity from the new engine. The owner does say that this particular MGA is not in running condition, and it isn’t clear when the engine last fired a shot in anger. In fact, it isn’t clear whether the engine even turns freely. I guess from a positive standpoint, these are a remarkably simple engine. If it turns freely but is in need of a rebuild, this is not a particularly complicated process.

Continuing the theme of major restoration work, we move on to the MGA’s interior. It’s looking pretty sad in there, and the next owner is going to need to spend some cash to return the vehicle to its former glory. Thankfully, there are plenty of suppliers who can supply all of the trim components that will be required to get the next owner up and moving. However, cost can be an issue here, because interior trim components are not cheap. A trim kit will cost somewhere between $1,300 and $1,500, depending on whether there is a preference for vinyl or leather trim. In addition, a carpet set will add a further $400 to the tally. There’s nearly $2,000 before we consider what other interior components or hardware might require restoration or replacement. Still, a fully restored MGA interior does make for a pretty attractive sight.

As a project car, this 1957 MGA has both positive and negative attributes. On the negative side of the ledger, it is going to need a full nut-and-bolt restoration, and some of the parts required are not going to be cheap. On the positive side, the fact is that the MGA is an elegantly simple car, and many of the tasks required to restore the vehicle could easily be tackled in a home workshop. It is possible to find an MGA in the market today for under $25,000, but a really nice one can easily push close to $40,000. This one is going to need a lot of work and capital outlay if it is to reach those lofty heights, so I guess that the next owner will need to ask themselves whether they are willing to commit to such a project and whether they feel that it is financially viable.