1937 MG VA Open Tourer
MG’s smallest pre-war touring model featured a traditional grille flanked by large chromium-plated headlights and an elegant body design that was tested to reach about 82 mph with the windscreen folded flat.
The VA stood on distinctive 19-inch wire wheels and used hydraulic brakes with a Lockheed system (unusual for the period), plus built-in hydraulic jacks for convenient roadside maintenance.
Power came from a tuned version of the Morris TPBG engine displacing 1,548cc with twin SU carburetors, producing 54 horsepower at 4,500 rpm. The four-speed manual gearbox featured synchromesh on the top three ratios, making it the first MG saloon to offer this advanced feature. Suspension used half-elliptic leaf springs front and rear with a beam front axle.
The Open Tourer was the rarest and fastest of the three available body styles (alongside the four-door saloon and Tickford drophead coupé), with approximately 564 examples built out of a total production run of 2,407 cars from 1937 to 1939.
This scarcity, combined with its sophisticated specification and sprightly performance, makes the VA Open Tourer a highly sought-after pre-war British sports car today.
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