australian delivered ckd mga historical research

Australian Delivered CKD MGA Historical Research

Compiled by Steven Hill, Perth Western AustraliaEmail: [email protected]

The MGA 1500 was first produced in England in May 1955 and fully imported models were sold in Australia early in 1956. They proved very popular in Australia, which influenced BMC to commence assembling them locally. Abingdon supplied most of the component parts in Completely Knocked Down (CKD) form and Australian content was used whenever possible.

Australian Delivered CKD MGA’sIntroductionIntroduction

Assembly of CKD MGAs began after a dispatch from the UK of 8 right hand drive cars, chassis 25512 to 255191. The first ‘Australian’ MGA rolled off the assembly line in October 1957.

Australian Delivered CKD MGA’sIntroductionIntroduction

¹Source: The MGA First of a New Line, John Price Williams, p. 72

A number of differences exist between Australian and Abingdon Built MGA’s.

Document and explain variations to assist owners and enthusiasts in:

‘Maintaining the Breed’

Keeping originality

Help retain history. A part of Australian MG history, and MG history in general remains largely unexplained.

Australian Delivered CKD MGA’sWhy Research Australian MGA’s ?Why Research Australian MGA’s ?

Australian Delivered CKD MGA’sSolving the ‘Puzzle’Solving the ‘Puzzle’

ProductionRecords

FactoryEmployees

OriginalMGA’s

Owners/Enthusiasts

PeriodLiterature

Production RecordsMinimal records exist. The bulk of

production data appears to have been discarded/lost

Period LiteratureMost MGA literature focuses on Abingdon Built MGA’s

Factory EmployeesHands on experience

Owners/EnthusiastsOwners and enthusiasts knowledgeable of cars when new etc

‘Original’ MGA’s

Information SourcesInformation Sources

‘Australian’ MGA’sExplained

BMC (Australia) fully manufactured Morris, Austin, and Wolseley vehicles at their production plant in Joynton Avenue, Zetland N.S.W.

MGA’s were assembled at the Pressed Metal Corporation assembly plant in Cosgrove Road, Enfield N.S.W. (owned by Larke Consolidated Industries 60% and the Rover car company UK 40%) alongside 3 tonne trucks and ½ tonne vans.

1500, 1600 and 1600MKII roadsters were assembled. No coupes or Twin Cams were assembled in Australia, they were imported Completely Built Up (CBU).

Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s General Production InformationGeneral Production Information

Australian Delivered CKD MGA’sGeneral Production InformationGeneral Production Information

Other overseas MGA assembly locations included:

South Africa:

Eire:

The Netherlands:

Mexico:

Motor Assemblies Limited (MAL), Durban, Natal

Booth Poole and Co Ltd, Dublin

JJ Molenaar’s Automobiledrijf NV, Amersfoort

Automoviles Ingleses SA,

Mexico City

Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s

¹Source: Original MGA, Anders Ditlev Clausager, p. 85

General Production InformationGeneral Production Information

Abingdon supplied BMC (Australia) with most of the component parts in CKD form and Australian content was used whenever possible.

‘Australia CKD kits were shipped less tyres, tubes, batteries, rear springs, ignition coil, spark plugs, hood material, spare wheel cover, all soft trim, all carpets, door pads and linings, all timber, floorboards, seats. The following parts were included: hood frame, hood rear windows and quarterlights, seat frames, seat slides and Dunlopillo cushions’.¹


¹Source: Original MGA, Anders Ditlev Clausager, p. 85² Source: Modern Motor, October 1964, p.84

General Production InformationGeneral Production Information

The bodies and chassis came as separate pieces and were assembled by electric welding on jigs before being bolted together, to increase local content, so saving duty.

‘All cars had wire wheels and the standard rear axle ratio (4.3). A heater was not normally fitted’.¹

‘Australian MGA’s had locally produced bumpers and electrical looms’.²

Australian Delivered CKD MGA’sProduction Variations - ID PlatesProduction Variations - ID Plates

Unique Car Identification Plates

BMC Australia identification plate used.

The ID and patent plates were riveted to the firewall shelf adjacent to each other (they were not separated as on UK cars) near the wiper motor.

Plates recorded:* Car Type (unique code)* Car Number (unique number codings)* Engine Number (number shown, not “SEE ENGINE”)* Colour (unique only to Australia)


A close up of the identification plate from a 1600 MKI roadster.

YGHN2

8 / 87440 / 782

16GA / U / 19236

1 / CARN RED / 1


The engine bay of a very original unrestored 1600 MKI roadster. Note the positioning of the ID and patent plates.

ID Plate - Car TypeID Plate - Car TypeAustralian Delivered CKD MGA’s

Car Type

MGA 1500Car type is represented by ‘MGA/51’(51 indicates Australia)

MGA 1600 MKICar type is represented by ‘YGHN2’Y - AustraliaG - MGH - 1400 to 1999ccN - 2 Seat tourer2 - 1600

MGA 1600 MKIICar type is represented by ‘YGHN3’

ID Plate - Car NumberID Plate - Car NumberAustralian Delivered CKD MGA’s

Car Number

Car numbers were generally separated into 3 distinct groupings. For example:

8 / 94432 / 913

1500 and 1600MKI’s were represented with a single digit prefix to refer to the year of assembly. These prefixes were:

5 = 1957, 6 = 1958, 7 = 1959, 8 = 1960, 9 = 1961

This system was discontinued for the 1600 MKII, when it was introduced during 1961.


Car Number cont.

8 / 87440 / 782

The ‘middle’ number (87440) is the UK chassis number. This number was stamped in the front off-side angle rail of the chassis rather than

the chassis cross member on UK cars.


Car Number cont.

8 / 87440 / 782

The third number is the Australian Assembly Number. This number is stamped on the firewall shelf in front of the heater or heater blanking plate (eg. ‘MGA/782’).

Evidence suggests that the Australian Assembly Number began at ‘1’ for the 1500, and ‘501’ for both the 1600MKI and 1600MKII’s

Australian Delivered CKD MGA’sID Plate - Car NumberID Plate - Car Number

The stamped firewall shelf of MGA 8 / 87440 / 782, “MGA 782”

Chassis Number Cross TabulationChassis Number Cross TabulationAustralian Delivered CKD MGA’s

May 1955 19621957 1958 1959 1960 1961

UK Chassis and Australian Assembly Number Cross tabulation*

82

211

584

705

507

859

913

1119

1274

1371

1450

516

607

356

537

556

1383

1389

1107

777

782

805

620

521

438

452

455

357

1319

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1100

1200

1300

1400

1500

1010

1

1510

1

2010

1

2510

1

3010

1

3510

1

4010

1

4510

1

5010

1

5510

1

6010

1

6510

1

7010

1

7510

1

8010

1

8510

1

9010

1

9510

1

1001

01

1051

01

UK Chassis Number

Au

st. A

ssem

bly

Nu

mb

er

1500 1600 1600MKII

* Source: Western Australian MGA Register records

1500 Assembly Statistics1500 Assembly StatisticsAustralian Delivered CKD MGA’s


7 / 54629 / 705,Youngest Aust. 1500 so far on Western

Australian MGA Register records

1500 Last 1500, 68850

First 1500, 10101

6 / 35465 / 82, Oldest Aust. 1500 so far on Western Australian MGA Register records

5 / 25512 / 1, First Australian Built 1500

1324 RHD CKD 1500 MGA’s were produced worldwide between 1957 and 1959 ¹

Australian 1500 production > 705 and < 1324

Aust. Assembly

? Assembly

70553%

61947%

1600 MKI Assembly Statistics1600 MKI Assembly StatisticsAustralian Delivered CKD MGA’s

100237 / 1450, Youngest Aust. 1600 so far on Western Australian MGA Register records. Maximum

114 more cars if Aust. had remaining chassis


1600 MKI Last 1600, 100351

First 1600, 68851 7 / 68906 / 507,Oldest Aust. 1600 so far on Western Australian MGA Register records.Did Aust. assembly commence at: UK chassis 68900 ?

Max. Aust. 1600 prod. = 1063 ( (1450 + 114) -501) Min. Aust. 1600 prod. = 949 (1450 - 501) 1212 RHD CKD 1600 MGA’s were produced

worldwide ¹

Aust. Assembly

? Assembly

1000 ?83%

212?17%

1600 MKII Assembly Statistics1600 MKII Assembly StatisticsAustralian Delivered CKD MGA’s

106917 / 607, Youngest Aust. MKII so far on Western

Australian MGA Register records.


1600 MKII Last MKII, 109070

First MKII, 100352 100440 / 537, Oldest Aust. MKII so far on recordDid Aust. assembly commence at: UK chassis 100404 ?

176 RHD CKD 1600 MKII MGA’s were produced worldwide ¹

Australian MKII production = > 106 and < 176

Aust. Assembly

? Assembly

10660%

7040%

ID Plate - Engine NumberID Plate - Engine NumberAustralian Delivered CKD MGA’s

Engine Number

MGA 1500Engine numbers similar to UK standards except the

addition of ‘A’ in the coding which represents Australia.

eg. 15GBUHA12345

Serial Number

A - Australia

H - High Compression

U - Centre Gearshift

B - 1500 Series (D from 1959-)

G - MG

15 - 1500cc


Engine Number

MGA 1600 MKIEngine numbers identical to UK standards.

eg. 16GAUH26435

Serial Number

H - High Compression (no coding if not high compression)


A - 1600 Series

G - MG

16 - 1600cc

ID Plate - Engine NumberID Plate - Engine Number


Engine Number

MGA 1600 MKIIEngine numbers identical to UK standards.

eg. 16GCUL12345

Serial Number

L - Low Compression (all low compression for Australia?)


C - 1622 Series

G - MG

16 - 1600cc

ID Plate - Engine NumberID Plate - Engine Number

ID Plate - ColourID Plate - ColourAustralian Delivered CKD MGA’s

Colour

Car colour codes were separated into 3 distinct groupings. For example:

1 / BR GREEN / 1 Paint Used1 = BALM2 = Luteroid3 = Berger4 = Brolite5 = Pinchin Johnson6 = Spartan

Colour Code

Paint Type1 = Enamel2 = Lacquer


Colour

Australian MGA’s were painted locally. As such colours vary significantly from Abingdon examples. If requested, the MGA was available at time of order painted to almost any colour. The following colours have been identified from the archives section of Dulux Australia.

UK MANUFACTURE AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURE DULUX CODE

1500 Black 1955 Bardiman Grey 02238Orient Red 1958 Nurburg White 02191Tyrolite green Alpine Green 02197Ash Green Guan Green 02236Glacier Blue Billeroy Blue 02214Old English White Carnation Red 09864Island Green (Coupe only) (Engine Red)Mineral Blue (Coupe only) Carnation Red 00014

(Prior to 1959)Connaught Green 07590

ID Plate - ColourID Plate - Colour


UK MANUFACTURE AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURE DULUX CODE

1600 Black 1959 -1962Chariot RedIris Blue 1600 Araluen Blue 09599Alamo Beige British Racing Green 00036Dove Grey Camden Cream 09724Old English White Cherry Red 09679

Cheviot Fawn 09677Crocus Yellow 00322Cumulus Grey 05777Empire Green 06286English Grey 07947Gampian Grey 00213Inca Yellow 00346Karrim (Royal) Blue 00041Monza (Carnation) Red 09864Nurburg White 02191Orchia 00212Orient Red 00345Silverpine Green 08232Sky (Monaco) Blue 09921Spruce Green 07618Stradbroke Grey 06292

ID Plate - ColourID Plate - Colour

Colour

Areas such as the bonnet prop rod and heater blanking plate (?) were painted body colour (black on UK cars).

Additional VariationsAdditional VariationsAustralian Delivered CKD MGA’s

Upholstery

Manufactured locally in vinyl. Colours varied from UK cars, eg. tan colour.


Carpet

Westminster carpet. Corded type with very little binding.



Engine NumbersEngine number was stamped into the block. The UK aluminium plate was deemed unacceptable by Australian authorities.

Exhaust SystemLocally produced.

Body NumbersThere is some evidence to support the notion that all 1500’s and most 1600’s were issued with UK body numbers. It would appear that late 1600MKI’s and 1600MKII’s did not have body numbers.

Rear Number Plate and Supporting Brackets

On some cars the rear number plate supporting brackets were inverted such that the number plate was displayed below the bumper (note the period luggage rack in the picture below).


Spare Wheel CoverThe cover was held in place with bolts and nuts as opposed to UK built cars which were rivetted.

Rear SpringsMarked “Made in Australia”

SillsOuter sills were welded to the door pillars as opposed to the UK cars which were pop riveted.

Oil Pressure Gauge

The coil in the oil pressure gauge line is located under the bonnet rather than under the dash on UK cars.


Lead Loading

Australian built MGA’s featured much more lead loading, particularly around the rear rail and front door pillar, at the front of the top door jamb, where the UK cars had a cover plate. 1

Others ???


¹Source: The MGA First of a New Line, John Price Williams, p. 74

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