On 26 September 1955 MG announced the replacement of the TF, the all new MGA. A complete departure from the outdated styling of the T-series, the MGA 1500 featured a sleek two-seater sports car design, with a front engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. With styling receiving subtle updates of the years so did the powerplant.

In 1961, the MGA Mark II 1600 debuted, powered by a 1,622-cc inline four rated at 90 bhp. The car’s top speed was 105 mph and it is said to have been capable of similar performance as the low-compression Twin Cam. A small group of 1600 Mk IIs were completed as Deluxe versions, 290 roadsters and 23 coupes. There were fitted with many of the race-bred Twin Cam parts, including Dunlop wheels, close-ratio gearbox, quicker ratio steering rack, Dunlop disc brakes all around, and often delivered with the Derrington wood steering wheel. Many SCCA racers of the era regarded the robust 16GC designation engines as one of the most reliable available, especially for racing. This, paired with the uniquely optioned Deluxe model, essentially offered customers a great car to enjoy on the open road or at the racetrack right out of the box. While never marketed in period as the “Deluxe,” it is the name that contemporary enthusiasts have given what was more commonly referred to internally as the “Client Competition” model. With only 313 examples produced, the Deluxe is arguably the rarest post-war road-going production MG.

According to its British Motor Industry Heritage Trust (BMIHT) certificate, this MGA Mk II was built between 17-18 May 1962. A left-hand-drive North American export model, it left the factory finished in black over red with a gray top. Factory equipment included a heater, whitewall Roadspeed tires, grey tonneau cover, speedometer in mph, disc wheels, and a close-ratio gearbox. It was despatched to the US on 22 May 1962, just a few short days after completion.

Gordon Morris’s MG Franchise, Morris Garage of Oneonta, New York sold this special MG to a Mr. Kuhn while he was attending college. Kuhn came from a car dealer family that owned a Chrysler franchise at the time, and the Kuhn Chrysler badge was installed on the bumper when the car was new, as a memento of sorts. The MG was carefully enjoyed and saw limited use before passing through what is thought to be one or two subsequent owners before being tracked down and acquired by a well-known MG collector, Mr. Meyer of New York. Mr. Meyer proceeded to carefully service the car with preservation in mind and took the MGA to numerous shows. It was highlighted in Hemmings Motor News, October 2013, and later featured as a co-cover car in Hemmings 100th issue of Sports & Exotic Car, December 2013. Five years ago, Mr. Meyer sold the MG to a Southern collector of original preserved cars.

Today, showing a mere 15,943 miles from new, the MG retains mostly original paint, its original interior, and matching drivetrain. It has always existed as it is presented, a true time-capsule and almost certainly the most original Mark II Deluxe in the world. Included in the sale is the BMIHT Certificate and what is believed to be the original soft-top, top bows, side curtains, jack, spare, tool kit, and original owner’s manual.