The MG Magnette Is A 1950s Luxury Sports Saloon! (1955 ZA Road Test)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.ค. 2024
- WIN with Lancaster Insurance: bit.ly/3LuyHeU
We're used to classic names being used on heinous SUVs these days, but sporting nameplates on unusual models isn't new - MG's ZA Magnette slapped a sports car label on a luxury saloon, infuriating purists. Were they right to complain, or is the Z-Type the perfect classic compromise?
Proudly supported by Lancaster Insurance - get a quote on YOUR classic car insurance here: www.lancasterinsurance.co.uk/...
Welcome to Classics World, your ultimate destination for all things classic cars! 🚗💨🌟
We bring you enthusiastically knowledgeable content, embracing the nostalgia of vintage automobiles while celebrating their relevance in the modern world. Our engaging storytelling, expert insights, and warm, inclusive community make us your go-to source for everything classic cars in the UK and beyond. Join us as we preserve automotive heritage, sharing captivating narratives and personal anecdotes that ignite the passion of car enthusiasts everywhere. Subscribe now and be a part of our passionate community, keeping the classic car spirit alive together!
📺 Subscribe to Classics World's TH-cam channel now to embark on an exhilarating journey through the timeless allure of classic cars, where enthusiastic expertise and captivating storytelling unite: th-cam.com/users/classicswor...
👍 Was this video helpful? Please click Like and share it with your friends, and let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Find Classics World on…
Website: classicsworld.co.uk
Facebook: / classicsworlduk
Instagram: @classicsworlduk
TH-cam: / classicsworlduk
#ClassicCars #VintageAutomobiles #ClassicCarEnthusiast #NostalgicMotoring #CarRestoration #AutomotiveHeritage #ExpertInsights #ClassicCarCommunity #CarCulture #ClassicCarEvents #CarShowcase #RetroCars #TimelessBeauty #CarHistory #AutoAppreciation
- Music -
• Noir Et Blanc Vie - A Typical Ride Out: • Noir Et Blanc Vie - A ...
All content on this channel is - unless otherwise stated - the opinion of the given party and any offence caused is severely apologised for. Any and all third-party content is credited and referenced to the best of our ability and all externally-created content is entirely the legal property of its original and rightful owner/s. All rights respected.
Chapters
0:00 A Misplaced Name?
0:48 MG Saloons - Y-Type
1:55 The Controversial Z-Type Magnette
2:31 MG Joins BMC
3:11 Not A Good Start...
3:51 Design
4:09 Suspension
4:28 B-Series Engine
4:59 Luxurious Interior
5:32 Driving Impressions
6:02 The Perfect Modern MG - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
![รวมเพลงลูกทุ่ง 6 หนุ่มไทบ้าน ฮิตติดกระแส ชุดที่ 1 l มนต์แคน ไมค์ ไผ่ เสถียร ไหมไทย พี [Longplay]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/GD2v1OjMw5I/mqdefault.jpg)
Back in the early 70s, one of my fellow students was looking for one of these. He had previously had the Wolseley version, which fell to pieces! I happened to be at my favourite garage one day, when I spotted one of the salesmen moving a beautiful ZA around. It had belonged to their delivery driver who had sadly passed away, and the family had asked them to sell it on their behalf. I let my friend know, and within minutes of seeing it £50 had changed hands and it was his! Yes, really £50! It was considered a "banger" despite its low mileage and beautiful condition. I drove it many times, and thoroughly enjoyed it! The steering was a revelation compared to the Austins of the same era. It was light and accurate, with plenty of "feel". The brakes (drums all round) were light and very effective, despite having no servo assistance. The gearbox was slick, and it was a joy to drive. Its one of the few saloons from that era that I could happily drive on today's roads!
That reminded me strongly of my own "opposite" experience - one of my fellow students in the late seventies had set his eyes on an Armstrong Siddeley Star Sapphire, which could by then be bought for a bit more than scrap value if it would start on the button. What a horrible barge that was! We went out on the A40 to Burford in it, and I kept my thoughts very much to myself. Pleasant leather seats though.
I think it's one of the best looking British Cars ever produced.
Crisp styling a bit like a Lancia same league. Had it been further developed it could have become a BMW beater. But they didn't.
Hundreds of these were destroyed when being used as Stock Cars back in the early 1970s. Very strong, and with a bulletproof B series engine (well bulletproof unless you used a reconditioned engine where the reconditioner had not radiused the big end properly).
I recently inherited a 1958 MG Magnette ZB from my late father. It is really nice to see a review, not much on youtube about this model MG. Mine was shipped to South Africa where it was assembled in 1958.
Add an MGB motor,5 speed gearbox & boosted disc brakes......a car for then,now & the future. Simply wonderful.
That would absolutely ruin it and make it valueless.
But a highly usable keeper.The kids can worry about its value.
@@user-pb8vc8vp8w OK.
Not necessarily...I've come across several {British} videos on TH-cam where people have dropped in the Rover V8. A friend of mine had a 58 Magnette back in the late 60s and I got to drive it a few times. I really liked it but wouldn't be opposed to having one with more power and a 5 speed box to keep the revs down on the freeway. Let's face it, it's the styling and interior that most of us like on these classic cars, so putting in a modern more reliable, powerful and fuel efficient engine would make for a very nice package. I'm not saying this would be appropriate for all vintage/classic cars but the Magnette is still a viable car on today's roads, so a performance upgrade wouldn't hurt.
If there was consternation about Magnettes in the 50’s they’d turn in their graves about the Chinese rubbish being dished out these’re days!
I really like these cars and would love to run one, something else in the fleet would have to leave first though, sadly.
I agree entirely with your sentiments ... however, ditto with relinquishing one of the fleet!
I wish there wore more of these in the States. They are a pretty rare bird over here. I adore the Art Deco dash.❤
I bought an MG ZA low milage in mint condition. Motorola radio and a set of winter tyres.
One day while looking for a new squeak I found safety belt mounts in the door pillars and under the front seats. Seat belts were not fitted in those days, but my elder brother-built race cars. So, I check with the Irving safety belt rep, and he got me a set. These proved valuable when a couple of years later, a stop line runner hit the rear quatre and flipped us over and left me and the front passenger hanging upside down, but unhurt.
The car was sold as parts, and I bought a Riley 1.5.
Lovely cars. MG was quite a creative company. Unfortunately, they didn't fit into the BL and BMC business plans. Anyone who visits the British Motor Museum at Gaydon should spend some time looking at the the prototypes that MG created but never had the opportunity to put into production.
Ironically the Magnette shared its bodyshell with the Wolseley 4/44 which sported an MG TF engine. In the 1960s many 4/44s were broken so the engine could be slotted into a TD or TF MG. The Z type MG was a real MG sharing the engine and box of the MGA and it had rack&pinion steering. Its susessor, the Farina Magnette was just an Austin Cambridge with knobs on. Autocar summed it up as "An opportunity for the ordinary motorist to drive a car that sported one of the most exciting motoring badges of all time !" Talk about damning that old barge with faint praise.
The Magnette only shared the Roof, Front Doors, and Boot Lid with the 4/44. !! They were both designed at the same time by Gerald Palmer, but the Magnette was held back a year waiting for the new B Series engine to reach production. It was the First BMC car to get the B Series engine, 18 months Before the introduction of the MGA.
I was around in those days and my boss drove me to work in his 4/44, four on the tree, didn't the 4/44 have rack and pinion?, My memory is that when BMC was born it found itself with a load of bits and pieces from the companies that made up this new concern and one way to get rid of the left overs was to use them up in the same bodies, hence the MG Sedan and the 4/44, just change the grill basically to alter the appearance and put in a floor shift.
Ex brother in-law participated in Stock Saloons late 60s / early 70s and got through about six I believe he told me zA/zBs … !!!
I ran a ZB Varitone in the '80s which gave great enjoyment in Britain and on holidays in France.
Spacious boot for big frame tent + !
Thanks for your video 😊
Thanks for watching!
My first MG as a young lad in the late 70s was a (hand) brush painted (yes you heard that correct) tired green ZA. I loved it, was rust free and on the button. I loved the styling etc. I always wanted a ZB Varitone but they were/are pretty rare in OZ. Later in the UK I progressed to MGBs, then B GTs, an MGC GT (Downton Tuned Stage 3) followed by MGB GT V8 conversions etc. I'd love a subtly modified Magnette with period wire wheels and dare I say an MGB engine and overdrive - surely something MG could/would have done, albeit with an MGA 1622 engine in period - costs aside? Still lovely cars and lets not forget the more gentle Wolseley 4/44 version, of which many succumbed in the 60s/70s for their T-Type engines when the MG T-series had a rebirth amongst enthusiasts.
Love these. They are not often seen or talked about.
Perfect for a sporty and well-appointed 1950s saloon. Just discovered that the design was inspired by the Farina styled Lancia Aurelia. I thought the overall shape and nose in particular looked very Italian and Lancia-esque.
My dad had one, he was responsible for building the Ford foundry at Dagenham, another thing he did was design and fit an indicator kit, instead of semaphores, for the Magnette which MG took up and retro fitted to many.
It was our first ton up car!
My first car when I was eighteen in 1968 very fond memories of it apart from the power pac radio that would flatten the battery in about ten minutes if it was left on.
My girl friends were less than impressed having to give me a push to get it started due to a flat battery after being parked in a country lane 😂
It certainly pleases my eye. The one thing that made me roll my eyes though was the horrible mess of wiring under the dashboard. That is just unacceptable to me.
My very First Car . . . . And what a Car it was >> Loved it !
Very interesting to learn about these models from the past. Thank you!
Only ever been in the presence of one of these not at a car show once. It was owned by a local bodyshop chap. I wonder if both it and he are still with us, was 15 years ago...
The first car I ever drove on a public road. A 1955 Magnette UMN 608. Was sorry when my father sold it
Great cars, I had one in 1960, a ZB. The one in your video is a ZA they weren't any way near as good as a ZB, you should get your hands on one and try it.
When i left school i worked for an Austin Rover dealer and i remember there was hell on with MG enthusiasts when the MG Metro was introduced. Compared to the Chinese crap the badge is on now i wish they had called it a day with the MG F.
The early ZA metal top dashboard (tin tops) sent them into a furious rage. You can imagine the spittle running down and dripping onto their velvet cravats.
My grandfather had a ZB in a darker green. He loved that car but couldn't enjoy it for long, as he died of bowel cancer when I was 10. I'm now 66 and have owned a Peugeot 306 TD from new in 1997, but should a disaster should befall it, I'd like to get a Magnette with an installed 1.8 engine from an MGB or Marina TC.
A mate had one .. quite cosy and sort of spritely .. kept on snapping crankshafts however .. J ag ones never did that.
That is why I have a 1955 ZA sitting proudly in my garage.........and they are Not expensive .....Yet.
I went to an MGOC meeting once in an subtlely tuned Montego.
It was like a scene from the film 'The Whicker Man'.
I should have clocked the sea of red MGBs in the car park and the mountains of pipe ash beside them.
You don't get that from Scimitar or Triumph people.
Enjoyed your Feature on a favourite Car. ❤
In the late 1960's/early 1970's MG Magnette ZA/ZB were really popular for small oval stockcar racing, with many stolen for the purpose
Looks just like a slightly smaller Jag S type . Which is a great look !!
To think they replaced this lovely thing (that was very highly regarded) with a lumbering twin carb Morris Oxford. What were they thinking?
The Mk3 Magnette is certainly divisive...
I put a mk3 motor and box in my MO 51 Oxford ,it was great ! livened it up !
Lovely car and good video 🚘🚙🚗👏👏👍👍⭐️⭐️
Lovely. Bath reg. I believe.
Where is the ex-railway station shown in this video?
How about we swap in a Twin Cam engine and disc brakes?
There's one in the UK that has that setup...
The styling grammar is a little bit Alfa Romeo or even Lancia…
Used to get a lift no,e from primary school about 1960 in a friends fathers Magnette , it was terrific . Also his previous car was a Jewett Javelin .
It would have been a Jowett Javelin. Jewett, also a car maker, never made a Javelin.
@@vichungerford8960 typo error
@@alanthomson1227 The same designer I believe. ZB and Javelin.
@@johnmagnall9649 interesting , didn’t know that . Explains a lot .
It was the Riley Pathfinder that was regarded as the Sport version of this body style. It was chosen by Police forces as a pursuit car for that reason and was a costlier option.
The Cops used the Wolseley 6/90 not the Pathfinder (the 6/90 being the cheaper spec version of the Riley).
@@marknelson5929Pathfinder had a 2.5 litre in-line four cylinder.Wolseley had a more advanced straight six,with an overhead camshaft,so was considerably quicker than the Riley. I think the Riley engine followed on from the 2.5 model RME.I remember that car having absolutely massive chassis rails,something like six by three inch box section! I think the Pathfinder and the 6/90 were the first “monocoque “ models.
Ozzienuck.....V8 is overkill. You can upgrade a Magnette & still keep the overall theme intact by using MG motors up to 2ltr with HP figures well in advance of its' original. Normal usage would be more than ample.Next you'll tell me a T-type would go better with a V8. Gawd
I Love my ZA Magnette.
I don't like the chrome accents from the front arches and the dashboard looks like a joiners tool chest, apart from that, it is a very British-looking car from that era, the glory days of British mooring, but at its end,
What a crying shame. MGs are now made by the Chinese. Why is EVERYTHING for sale in UK?
Beautiful 😂
OK Mr Pedantic but the badge is MG and they bought the rights to it and egyts in the UK think they are buying a British car. Don't forget Volvo, Lotus, and others, all owned by the Chinese.
Sedan, not a place to get pie-eyed.
And in 2024 MG is owned by the Chinese. And they make odd vehicles like the MG Comet.