Details:

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale a 1938 MG VA Tickford Drophead Coupe by Salmons & Sons, affectionately known as Vera.

This car is understood to have been manufactured in August 1938 and was delivered to its first owner in the UK shortly thereafter. There is a copy of a document titled: MG VA Cars 1937 1939 . . . The Survivors on file, which is dated 22nd February 1989. This notes the following information on this car: Year 1938, Registration MPL268 and Owner: White, AJC. Its subsequent early history is not known.

At some stage the car then fell into disrepair and it probably lay dormant for many years. It was purchased in poor condition, most likely in the late 1980s, which is when its restoration started. A decision was made to build a new body in aluminium, with only the original steel guards, running boards and bonnets retained. The Pre-War MG Register of Australia notes that the body was understood to have been built by Rod Jolly, who is highly regarded for his work restoring Rolls-Royce and Bentleys. Progress was slow and the cars then owner apparently ran out of money. The car was sold to MG S, V and W specialists, SVW Spares, in the UK. Shortly after this, in early 2007 the car was purchased by Robin & Jenny Page from Melbourne in Victoria. The project was at a point where the Pages were able to choose the paint and upholstery colours for the car. They made the decision to paint the car in two tone grey, fit a black soft top and trim the interior in maroon. This is a beautiful colour combination giving this VA a very elegant appearance.

In February 2008, Vera as this car was christened by the Pages, arrived into Melbourne. The name Vera was chosen by the Pages from the model designation of VA and the memory of English singer and entertainer Vera Lynn.

In March the car was taken to the 2008 MG Nationals which were held in Tamworth, where it won Class A: Pre-War Touring with an impressive score of 569 points.

Unfortunately not all was well with the little VA as in October of that year the car suffered a major engine failure, necessitating a total rebuild. During the rebuild the capacity was increased from 1,548cc to 1,657cc and the compression ratio increased to 8.6:1. At the same time the gearbox was also rebuilt and other mechanical work completed.

Over the years the Pages kept on improving their beloved MG VA Tickford Drophead Coupe. All that hard work paid off when in October 2012 the car was selected into Motorclassica, which was Australias premier Concours dElegance and classic car show. The car was very well received and it won the Pre-War (British and European) 1930-1939 class. That same year the car also won the Pre-War Touring & Saloons class at the MG National meet in Hobart. There it also won outright in the pre-MGA class.

Other achievements over the years are:

- 2010 1st place in class and outright winner at the MG car club Victoria Concours dElegance
- 2011 2nd place at Cars of the World Concours dElegance at Rochford Wines in Victoria
- 2014 Best Presented British Vehicle at the Great Macedon Grand Tour
- 2015 1st place pre-war class MG car club Victoria Concours dElegance
- 2015 Best Pre-War British Vehicle at the AOMC/RACV Classic Showcase.

After 12 enjoyable years of ownership and many great memories, the Pages decided to sell Vera. The car was sold to the current owners in January 2016. Like the Pages, they have thoroughly enjoyed their journey of ownership with this fabulous car. Unfortunately, they are selling due to ill health.

Today this 1938 MG VA Tickford Drophead Coupe still presents and drives beautifully.

The two tone grey paint work contrasts perfectly with burgundy upholstery and it is the perfect colour choice for the car. The paint work is now almost 20 years old, however, it is still in excellent condition. There are a few minor blemishes and defects, most noticeably two hairline cracks on the swage line on the left hand bonnet and a small star on the right. The panels gaps are all very good.

The interior presents beautifully. The timber dashboard houses the most elegant cluster of instruments that are in excellent condition. The upholstery is all in excellent condition with no rips, tears or obvious wear. Even the carpets are in excellent condition!

Under the bonnet everything presents beautifully. You will note the wheel hammer and original crank clipped on the bulkhead. There is what looks to be a complete tool kit in the boot.

The painted wire wheels are in excellent condition. All the wheels, including the spare, are shod with Blockley tyres, size 5.00 19. The tyres are still in good condition.

We were able to take the car for a test drive following our photo shoot. Like most MGs of that era it required a choke to start from cold. The engine fired pretty much at the first pull of the starter and it immediately settled into a smooth idle. Once it had warmed up we went for a short drive and I can confirm the car is tight on the road and it drove every bit as good as it looks.

The current owners wanted the car to be reliable and essentially be able to jump in and drive it to wherever they wanted. There is no doubt that they achieved that objective as the car was driven from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast which is where it is currently stored.

The Tickford three position folding roof is a work of art and it is in a very good condition. When we photographed the car the roof was not folded down correctly. We have since discovered the correct way to fold the roof down and it does so in a very neat and tidy way.

This car is fitted with a factory replacement engine as noted on the engine ID plate, which we understand was installed many years ago. MG aficionados will note the replacement engine is burgundy in colour, as they were, whereas the original engines were painted green.

Accompanying the car is a toolkit, a crank handle, a history file with receipts and photographs of the restoration, a detailed list with some receipts showing all the work completed to the car since it was acquired by the previous owners as well as various books and MG literature.

Highlights:

- Beautifully presented example of a quintessential British prewar sports car.
- Rare and unique Tickford DHC.
- An older restoration that still presents beautifully.
- Fabulous colour scheme.
- Ready to be used and enjoyed.

Just a fabulous example.

Price: $114,950


Background:

MG is one of the worlds most iconic motoring brands.

In 1912, with the support of the Earl of Macclesfield, William Morris founded W.R.M. Motors Ltd and started the manufacturing of Morris designed cars. In 1919 W.R.M. Motors was liquidated and essentially replaced by Morris Motors.

In 1921 Morris hired Cecil Kimber as a Sales Manager for Morris Garages and in 1923 he became the General Manager. Kimber had a vision and started building sportier versions of Morris cars and labelled them MG. On the 1st May 1924 Morris Garages registered the MG Octagon as a trademark.

Demand grew, which necessitated a move to a larger premises in September 1925. This was quickly followed by another move in 1927. By 1928 the business had grown so much a decision was made to separate it from Morris and the M.G. Car Company was established in March 1928. In 1929 the company moved to Abingdon and on the 21st July 1930 the M.G. Car Company Limited was incorporated.

The first cars to be produced under the name MG in 1924 were special bodied Morris Cowleys. The first MG to specifically compete in sporting events is a car now known as Old Number One. It was produced in 1925 and was first seen at the 1925 Lands End Trial. Other MG models followed quickly but in 1928 at the Motor Show at Olympia MG introduced the MG M-Type Midget, which became the first of many sports cars produced by MG and was a big success for the company.

In that same year MG also introduced the MG 18/80. This was the first MG with a chassis designed and built by MG. The 18/80 was equipped with a six cylinder engine with a capacity of 2,468cc.

A milestone for the company occurred in 1933 when an MG Magnette K3 became the first non-Italian car to win its class at the Mile Miglia.

William Morris owned MG personally and in 1935 he sold it to Morris Motors.

In the late 1930s MG produced a series of sports saloons, the VA, the SA and the WA.

The VA, originally marketed as the MG 1½ litre was the smallest of the three and was available as a 4 door sports saloon and as a 4 seater open tourer and as a drophead coupe. The sports saloon and the open tourer were both built inhouse but the body for the drophead coupe was manufactured by Salmons and Sons of Newport Pagnell, UK.

MG also made a special version of the VA, powered by a 1,707cc engine for police use.

In total 2,407 MG VAs were built between 1937 and 1939. The breakdown of body types is: 1,238 saloons, 591 open tourers and 564 drophead coupes, 2 chassis and 12 unknown.

In 1952 Morris Motors Ltd and the Austin Motor Company Limited merged and became The British Motor Company Ltd, BMC.