The VA's saloon body carried built-in hydraulic jacks, a factory feature that vanished when the postwar Y-type replaced it.
Lead trim: VA 1548 pushrod four, twin SU (54 bhp at 4,500 rpm)
MG VA 1½-litreVA · 1937–1939
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a MG VA 1½-litre yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe VA's saloon body carried built-in hydraulic jacks, a factory feature that vanished when the postwar Y-type replaced it.
The MG VA (originally the 1½-litre) was built between February 1937 and September 1939, the smallest of the three late-1930s MG sports saloons (with the SA and WA). It used a tuned version of the push-rod, overhead-valve four-cylinder Morris TPBG engine also in the Wolseley 12/48 and Morris Twelve Series III, of 1548 cc (bore 69.5 mm, stroke 102 mm, three-bearing crankshaft, timing chain), with twin SU carburettors and an electric fuel pump, developing 54 bhp at 4500 rpm; drive was to a live rear axle through a four-speed manual with synchromesh on the top three ratios (only the top two on some early cars), on 19-inch wire wheels with 10-inch Lockheed hydraulic drums, half-elliptic springs all round and built-in hydraulic jacks. The saloon body was made in-house by Morris, with the traditional MG grille and no separate quarter lights in the front doors; the factory also supplied a Tickford drophead coupé (£351) and a 2-door open four-seat tourer (£280, saloon about £325), with 564 tourers and 591 coupés made, and a police special had a 1707 cc engine. The Motor tested a VA tourer at just over 76 mph, about 82 mph with the windscreen folded, and 0–50 mph in 15.8 seconds. Production stopped in 1939 and the Y-type filled the small saloon slot after the war. Wheelbase 108 in, length 169 in, width 62 in.
Collectors Spotted in the MG VA Lineage
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Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VA 1548 pushrod four, twin SU (54 bhp at 4,500 rpm) | 1937–1939 | 1.5 L Inline-4 | 54 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
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Owners’ builds
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Rivals
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