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MG MGA - A or B?

I have adored MG's since I was a teenager and long desired my own. Over the last three years I have satisfied my lust for a British motorcycle with the exhaustive cutom restoration of my Norton Commando. Now I feel properly acquainted with the mindset of British engineers and finally ready to dive into a 4 wheeled project. I'm going to take several months to educate myself before making a purchase and my first quandry is as follows....

I love the styling of the late 50's MGA's, but the B seems like a more evolved machine, mechanically.

What are your opinions?


Thanks,
Chris
C L Barrett

Got one of each. Drive the MGB to the Metro daily. Nice practical, fun, and reliable little car. MGA goes out on sunny days and on club events. Not as practical (no windows) but more fun to drive, better looking (IMHO), handles better, and can run on the freeways if necessary. If I had to choose only one, the MGB goes. When we moved I had to choose between the MGA and MGBGT. Sold the MGBGT. Hope I don't have to make that decision again. You will have to make the decision which one you want. They are similar but much different with varying strengths and weaknesses. Good luck.
Bill Haglan

There was a thread about this just a few weeks ago. Lots of info in it if you look it up in the archives.

I have both as well, a '58 A and a '65 B. There is no experience like driving an MGA. The vintage feel is wonderful, handling and ride are good and the view from the driver's seat is marvelous. The downside is that it doesn't make a great foul weather car. Clip-on windows allow lots of noisy / cold wind through them and in heavy rain you will get a little wet no matter what you do. Early As have drum brakes on the front which offer less performance than discs.

My MGB, being an early one, still offers a nice vintage feel but is much more civilized and modern-feeling. The B is a stiffer car being built on a unibody-type chassis instead of the old frame and body like the MGA has. The MGA may be an easier restoration project because of this, but the disadvantage is in handling performance and rigidity. In bad weather, the B will keep you more warm and dry, and there are no wooden floroboards to worry about coating now and then. Roll-up windows are a plus if you drive with the top up (never happens here in So Cal) and there is also [slightly] less noise in the cabin on the highway. Later-model Bs will be more quiet than the early ones.

If this car is to be a daily driver then the B would make a more practical vehicle for many reasons. It has more luggage space, locking trunk and doors, outside door handles and roll-up windows with wind wings. Reliability is going to be about the same between the two and parts availability as well. If you are worried about thieves or valdals, the B is a bit less flashy and less likely to draw attention from bored kids. Either car you choose will be a winner, so go with your gut instinct. Better yet, contact your local MG club and see if someone would be willing to let you drive an example of each. Good luck!
Steve Simmons

Hi Chris. Having owned both an MGA and MGB, I can say that the MGB is a much more "civilized" vehicle than the MGA. The MGB is easier to drive, has better weather protection, and parts are easier and sometimes cheaper to obtain than for an MGA. Don't allow those factors to put you off buying an MGA for a minute, unless better weather protection is essential. The MGA is much less refined than the MGB. It has a rougher ride, is somewhat more difficult to drive, is a bit underpowered, and is an absolute BLAST to drive. The MGA has beautiful styling, is a head turner, a girl magnet, and a competent daily highway driver if it has an MGB engine, and rear axle installed. Personally, I love the MGA and greatly prefer it over the MGB, becasue of it's antique, but fun character. Good luck deciding, it's sometimes a difficult choice. Glenn
Glenn

I too have one of each. A 1960 MGA and a 1977 MGB. Start with the A. The style and fun of driving the A is far better than any B. The A's are going up in price so now is the time to pick up one. The B's are still cheap and you can always pick one of those up.
Th A is my vote!!

Tom
Tom

Chris
I have to agree with everyone else. I had a 74B and it had all the advantages the rest have talked about. I hope the new owner enjoys it. The MGA works for me.
Kris
Kris Sorensen

Owning an example of each I have to concur with the idea that a B makes more sense for daily driving or if you plan long distance trips. The A is not very weather tight, the top can be a pain, the pedals on a lh drive car are cramped and overall there is less room for driver, passenger or cargo. Don't know about the chick magnet part--the only women who seem attracted to my car seem to be in their fifties (mostly previous owners or girfriends of)...I would disregard that bit of advice as being superfluous. My A requires a bit more maintenance than does the B, in order to keep it in top shape and a garage is a must. The B, being a bit more weather tight, unless it's a concours car, can happily reside under a carport in mild climates. Without shelter, a BGT would be the best car to own, and even then, I would prefer to shelter it...if for no other reason than shieldiing the paint job from the relentless rays of the sun. Both cars are fun to own and drive. Whatever you do, buy one in decent condition. A rust bucket can be had for a few thousand or less, but you'll spend more bringing it back than a good rust free car would cost to begin with. Mechanically, parts are available for either car, and while not cheap, they are much more affordable than for other similar cars of the era. In a perfect world, you'd have both, like a lot of us, but remember, we didn't just go down to the local lot and pick out a couple. I would get a decent B, relatively rustfree, after reading Porter's DIY Guide to mgb restoration, for tips on what to look for. Get comfortable with it and start saving up for the A--it'll cost you about twice what a B costs and neither type is appreciating much, so there's no real hurry.
R. L Carleen

Both are good choices, the A is closer to the motorcycle thrill. The B is more like an enclosed convertable feel, the A is much more roadster feeling. Both are hard work to restore correctly, but for me the MGA is much more gratifying. Both are capable of daily use. By the way for a REAL motorcycle feel in an MGA remove the few bolts holding the windscreen, put on sun glasses, and go for a back road cruise, laughs a minute.Wife and I use to do this years ago in our salad days, altho you must aquire a taste for bugs.
WCW

Don't forget the MGA Coupe. With its hard top, roll up windows and door locks it offers better weather protection, less wind noise and better security than the roadster with the same great handling and, some think, as good or better styling.
G T Foster

This thread was discussed between 17/10/2004 and 18/10/2004

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This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.