The Pick of the Day is a 1933 MG L-Type Magna from the early days of the M.G. Car Company, which was created about a decade earlier at Morris Garages in Oxford, England; MG takes its name from the initials of its birthplace.
While this advertisement is listed on ClassicCars.com under MGB, it’s actually a distant ancestor of the 1960s-70s sports car, back to the pre-war era when MG was pretty much an unknown brand in the US.
World War II actually provided the spark that brought MG to these shores, when returning GIs who had been stationed in England and experienced the agile two-seat roadsters brought home their new-found enthusiasm, thus launching the sports car mania that swept the nation in the 1950s. “The sports car America loved first” became the slogan for MG.
But long before then, the legendary Cecil Kimber was developing the lineup of MG sports car and racers, which quickly proved to be a “potent competitor in motorsports,” according to the Stratford, Connecticut, dealer advertising the MG on ClassicCars.com.
“MGs were often able to punch above their weight class and inspired many road cars’ conversion to race specification,” the seller says in the ad.
Just 576 L-Type Magnas were produced after MG debuted the 6-cylinder sports car model, according to the dealer.
“The L-Type was introduced in 1933 to fill a niche in MG’s vehicle catalog, that was both more powerful and smoother than the smaller 4-cylinder MG M-Type Midgets but without the added weight of the larger 18/90 sedans. The L-Type became a successful competition car, with notable race results at Brooklands, Monte Carlo, and the Tulip.”
This roadster has been redone in appearance and performance, the dealer says, just as the race car conversions were done in period. The professional restoration was completed in 1990.
“This 1933 MG L-Type is an excellent example of the chassis and is a stunning tribute to MG’s competition cars of the 1930s,” the dealer notes. “It sports a custom boat-tail coachwork inspired by the MG K3 Magnette and benefits from a period-correct supercharger. It is finished in a handsome deep green paint over a black leather interior and has several period-correct competition modifications, including dual fuel fillers, Brooklands wind deflectors, and a high-exit exhaust with a Brooklands silencer.
“The supercharger provides a significant increase in power over stock and emits a tantalizing whine.”
The asking price for this piece of MG magic is a no-nonsense $100,000, which reflects the rarity and desirability of such a cool rendition of British motoring history.
To view this vehicle on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
I’m all over it at about 50k
Agree with Larry
Cool Car! I used to watch early MG’s race in SCCA Class racing in the early 60’s at Limerock Park, CT.
The condition of this car seems a bit lacking for $100k though; A 30 year old “restoration” too? Engine compartment needs a LOT of detailing!
Why is listed as a “1933 MG MGB”? Is this an 1933 L-3 or a later MG Converted to an L3, so it’s a Tribute car?
The description does say it was converted to racing spec and supercharged with extra coachwork in the 90’s.
The ‘MG MGB’ overline on the advertisement is incorrect. It is an actual 1933 MG L-Type Magna that was converted to racing spec in the manner that it was done back in its day. Not a replica by any stretch.
Agree, for essentially a replica.
you gots to agree, its art wheels, regardless of the price.
Beautiful car! I love the interior!