MG F-type 12/70 Magna, 1932
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Updated: 29-March-2024 10:44

MG F-type 12/70 Magna, 1932

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MG F-type 12/70 Magna, year 1932. Chassis number F142X. Colour blue combined with a beige leather interior and black carpet. Black mohair soft-top and tonneau cover. The MG F-type Magna is a rare MG model which was produced in the years 1931 and 1932. In total 1250 F-type cars were built. The MG Magna and sister-model Magnette were introduced aside the smaller ‘Midget’ models. The Magna featured a longer ‘underslung’ chassis and a powerful 38 bhp six cylinder in-line engine fitted with twin carburettors. The F-type Magna and its successor, the L-type Magna, formed the base for may MG racing successes with six-cylinder cars.

The presented magnificent MG F-type Magna was sold new in the year 1932 in Ipswich, United-Kingdom. The automobile was extensively and ‘body-off’ restored and overhauled in the year 1988. This MG F-type Magna is in superb top condition; concours!
History: The MG has lived with the first owner from 1932 until 1939. Then the MG started a trip around the world! In 1939 the car was shipped to Malaga (Spain), and about twenty years later, the MG found a new home in Singapore. From the far-East the MG was shipped to Canada. In the year 1988 the car came home in the United-Kingdom where it was fully restored and overhauled to perfection. In 1996 the MG found a new owner in the Netherlands and the car was road registered there in 1997. The only Dutch owner has cherished this MG Magna for 22 years. This is a very rare, superbly driving, six-cylinder MG in TOP condition!

ARCHIVES | SOLD

CCF 1812

Technical data

six cylinder in-line engine (SOC)
carburettors: 2x S.U.
cylinder capacity: 1087 cc.
capacity: 41 bhp. at 5500 rpm.
top-speed: 125 km/h.
gearbox: 4-speed, ENV pre-selective (Wilson patent)
brakes: drum brakes all round
weight: 813 kg.

MG history

MG (Morris Garage) was set up by William Morris in the year 1923 to market a more sporty line of Morris models. Morris Production Manager, Cecil Kimber, was transferred from the factory in Cowley to Morris Garages (in Abington) to design MG's using Morris parts. MG production in Abingdon started in the year 1924. At the end of the 1930s, even normal passenger cars were introduced under the MG label.
The business flourished when in 1945, just after World War II, the sporty prewar MG TB and its successor the TC stole the hearts of the American soldiers. Numerous MGs were shipped to America where this type of motorcar was yet unknown.
Demand for the MG sports cars quickly rose in America, and most of the MGs were sold across the big pond in the years that followed. MGs were simple and well-built, affordable and easy to maintain. In 1952, Austin Motor Corporation merged with Morris Motors to form British Motor Corporation Ltd*.
In 1955, the pre-war TB and the post-war TC, TD and TF series with their pre-war designs were followed by the MG A roadster, which also became available as coupes after 1956.
In 1962, the successful MG A was followed by the even more successful and austerely but elegantly lined MG B. This series, too, mainly found its way to America. The MG B was available as roadster and as a 2+2 coupe, called the ‘GT’.
As British Motor* had stopped the production of the Austin Healey, there was again the need for a six-cylinder sports car from this stable, which made the MG C see the light of day in 1967. It was an MG B with a six-cylinder engine. However, this car failed to live up to expectations as its road-holding and character were not of Healey’s caliber. Eventually, Healey’s successor was to come from the newly merged British Leyland* stable in 1968, and was called the Triumph TR6.
In 1973, a V8 variant of the MG B came onto the market: the MGB V8. This model had a powerful Rover 3.5 litre V8 motor and was to be built until 1976.

The MG B roadster and the GT were sold until 1980, and, under pressure from American legislation, were adapted with safety-enhancing and emission-reducing conversions during their last five production years. The resultant thick rubber bumpers and less powerful engines made these cars much less attractive. Meanwhile, Japan produced the Datsun 240 Z, and put an end to the British sports car hegemony in America.

In 1980, it was curtains for MG B. In the years after, some Austins did appear, ‘dressed up’ as MGs but we’d rather forget about them. Finally, in the 1990s, a worthy successor emerged in the form of the MG F, which is available to this day.
In the year 2001 BMW decided to get rid of Rover because they were losing lots of money because the British pound was too expensive as was manufacturing cars in England.
A group of investors bought Rover. They took over the entire model line and were able to work out the last details on the Rover 75 Tourer and market it. Next idea was to give MG a true rebirth; various Rover models were technically re-engineered, tuned and spiced up to make thru drivers cars of them, a sporty line of cars alongside the Rover middle-class luxury line.
Looking at the Rover/ MG cars and reading about them in the press we can tell that we have high expectations of the MG models to appear in the future.

© Marc Vorgers 

British Leyland*
1968-75: BRITISH LEYLAND MOTOR CORPORATION, LTD
1975-78: BRITISH LEYLAND LIMITED
(in the merger of BRITISH MOTOR HOLDINGS with Austin-Morris and Jaguar interests in 1966)
and LEYLAND MOTOR CORP. LTD.
partly nationalized by the British government in 1975

Marc Vorgers
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Marc Vorgers