1934 MG NA Magnette Supercharged Sports

Registration no. BKJ 398 Chassis no. NA0431

Footnotes

"It is not surprising that with the makers' knowledge of racing... it should be capable of giving as high a speed as 80mph. What comes as a revelation is the ease with which on Brooklands that speed is reached and held. The rev needle hovering between the 5,000 and 5,500 marks, the whole mechanism feeling as one, and with no sense of adventure attached to such speeds." – The Autocar on the N-type Magnette.

Small-capacity six-cylinder cars were much in vogue in the early 1930s, and MG had duly climbed aboard the bandwagon in 1931 with launch of the Magna 'F'. Maximum output of the Magna's 1,271cc Wolseley Hornet-based overhead-camshaft engine was later raised from a modest 37bhp to a much healthier 47 horsepower, while an extensively revised and improved version of this 'KD' engine, now 1,286cc and tuned to produce 56bhp, was carried over to the 'NA' Magnette of 1934. The chassis too had come in for revision, being lighter than hitherto, while the body was now supported by rubber-mounted outriggers, an arrangement that gave a more comfortable ride. In addition to the factory's usual two- and four-seater sports-tourer bodies, now restyled to feature an elegant swept tail, the NA could be ordered with Airline fixed-head coupé or Allingham two/four-seater drophead coupé coachwork, both of which were the work of freelance designer, H W Allingham.

Build cards provided by the MGCC are on file, making reference to this car's first owner, a Mr Roe of Orpington, Kent, who purchased 'NA0431' on 15th June 1934 through Boundary Garage, Orpington. The car was originally finished in green with matching interior. The file also contains various items of correspondence between the factory and Mr Roe dated 1934, stating that he was to use the car in competition in November of that year. Notes on the factory cards confirm that the compression ratio was raised for this purpose.

The car changed hands and in 1936 belonged to a Mr Jones of Ealing, West London, while an old-style V5 on file records that a Mr Chevis of High Wycombe acquired it on 12th September 1990. It is believed that the MG was restored between that date and 2000 when it was acquired by the current owner (it would appear he is the fourth registered keeper from new).

We are advised that the engine has been supercharged using a period-correct Marshall blower and related parts, and that it has been up-rated appropriately with a steel crankshaft and con-rods. In addition, the rear axle has been replaced with a stronger unit, while the wheels have recently been refreshed and fitted with new spinners.

The MG has just been serviced by a marque specialist, with works undertaken including a new battery, engine flush, sump clean out, de-coke, new copper head gasket, and a new oil filter. Offered from a significant private collection, the Magnette comes with a quantity of invoices for extensive maintenance works dating back to the mid-1980s. A rare opportunity to acquire a supercharged six-cylinder MG sports car from the 1930s.