A Primer On

By Neil Cairns

Introduction:

In 1932 the MG Car Company, Abingdon, built a range of saloon cars that had tiny Wolseley six cylinder overhead camshaft engines. These were of 1087cc initially, and produced just 39bhp to power a quite smart looking car on a nine foot wheel base, or a shorter seven foot, ten inch wheelbase. The names of the models were MG Magna, and MG Magnette. The cars were developed afer a year or so into very well known MG racing cars, such as the Magnette K3 & K4 series. People have now forgotten that the name 'MAGNETTE' was first used on a small, somewhat underpowered, saloon car.

Due to pressure by BMC to have the two Austin Healey sports cars built at Abingdon, and the success of the new MG Midget, as well as the current popular MGA sportscar, saloon production was moved out of the crowded factory, to Cowley. The MG ZB Magnette was replaced by a larger saloon in late 1958. It was a somewhat expensive, heavy, and underpowered four door car, with a smart interior and two-tone finish. It too had an Italianate style, by Pininfarina, as did the MGB GT, and the other in house BMC cars. BMC had once again muddled their markets, and the new MG was not popular. It suffered from the logical extension of BMC trying to keep too many marques alive, as cheaply as possible, to satisfy the many franchise garages they supplied. The car also suffered from the 'experts' who poured scorn on it, by now a traditional thing to do on any and every new MG saloon upon introduction, as the MG 1100/1300, MG Metro 1300, MG Maestro and Montego will testify.

Mk3 Magnette: 1959 to 1961.

The 1489cc Mk3 MG Magnette was honest in design and execution, one of a family of five cars BMC intended to sell of differing luxury and performance. Like the new MG Midget, it was based on a long line of thoroughly reliable, if not exciting, Austins; but it used the previous MG ZB engine, gearbox, back axle, and instrument cluster with two differences. One was the fitting of twin SU HD4 carburetters, the other single action, Armstrong lever arm dampers as on the MGA, acting as the top location of the kingpin. To save costs, one can only assume, the ADO9G as it was known, ( ADO means Austin Drawing Office,) used the Austin A55 floorpan, but unfortunately did not adopt the anti-roll bars or the overdrive unit. The Mk3 Magnette differed from the other Farinas, like the ZA did from the Wolseley 4/44, in having its own dashboard, interior trim, seats, bootlid, bonnet, front panel, grill, sidelamps, rear lamp clusters, rear wings, front wings and inner wing panels, 4 1/2J wheel rims, chrome trim, exhaust manifold, aluminium inlet trunking and air filter, twin carbs; more than enough to cause a restorer problems. It had leather covered bucket seats, with a nice divided rear seat and central arm rest, Windscreen washers and a heater, all standard fittings. Alas, most MG historians give the car just one line in their treatise and glossy books, along with a black and white photo from the BMC archives, none can be bothered to take a decent photograph! Not very good investigative journalism at all.

It was the wrong car in the wrong market. It was not the cars fault, but the BMC sales department. Earlier, the Morris Minor floorpan and suspension had been sold as a Wolseley 1500 and Riley 1.5 litre, but because the body was so unlike the Morris, it sold well. The new MG saloon was too much like the other corporate cars, masking its good points.

Mk4 Magnette: 1961 to 1967.

Upon a request MG at Abingdon took a look at the car, and advised the ADO on the poor handling and how to improve it, ( cheaply, of course,) and they took note. The car was given a longer wheelbase, wider track, lower front suspension, improved rear springs, Armstrong double acting lever dampers, anti-roll bars front and rear, 4J rims, and a nice new stronger 1622cc MGA 1600 Mk2 engine, ( with a slightly softer camshaft,) and gearbox. This much improved Mk4 MG Magnette sold even less than its predecessor, the Mk3 having gained a poor reputation. Production began at 2000 units per year, but dropped to 200 towards the end. Again it differed from the others with the afformentioned panels, and now its front and rear bumper assemblies, making it four inches longer than an Austin, Morris or a Wolseley. The Mk4 lost the divided rear seat, sharing the Riley's, and gained stainless steel wheel trims. The extra length attracted a bigger fare for our MG Farina on the ferries as well!

The Mk4 could fly, not something many MG experts and historians know, ( or want to know,) as very few have ever driven one. They assume it is like the Austin A60, and assumptions are dangerous ground. On its introduction as the ADO38G in 1961, along with the new MGB in 1962, the Mk4 could be had with a Borg Warner type 35 three speed automatic gearbox, but the four speed manual gearbox sold much better. A MGA 1500 will go from 20 to 40mhp in top gear in 12 seconds, the MGA 1600 Mk1 takes 11 seconds; the MGB, 10; the ZB, 11.5; the Mk4, 12. 40 to 60mph figures are MGA 1500, 15; MGA 1600, 12; MGB , 9.5; ZB, 15.5; Mk4, 14. Not bad for a 22cwt car. It also shows how good the 1622cc engine was for mid-range torque. Figures from road tests of the time.

Magnettes Today:

Today this rare MG model has a modest following, the car is after all part of the MG story, no one can deny it that fame. Cars were exported to various parts of the old Empire. MG Farina Magnettes are found in New Zealand, Holland, Malaysia, Taiwan, Africa, Greece, Germany and Switzerland, in single numbers. Double figures are found in Australia, the USA, and Canada. Only the UK breaks into three figures, just. Virtually all non-European Farina Magnettes are Mk3 cars.

This Farina, the biggest MG of the post war era, attracts attention now. Wives and girlfriends are often seen to be looking into one on displays at MG shows, as the female of the species has far more common sense than the male, and likes a dry solid roof, the heater, the big comfortable leather seats, the massive boot, the enormous rear seat leg room, the pleasing shape, and the reasonably priced spare parts shared with a number of other similar models. That is not a real MG, someone says. That someone should look harder at MG history, at the first bull-nose MG models built by Kimber, at those early Magnettes, and the S,V,W range, and the post war saloons. All offer comfort, speed, safety, good appointments and value. Nearly all were modified Morris saloons! Cecil Kimbers dream was to get into the profitable pre-war fast-luxury saloon market, it was only Morris Motors and its bad management that stopped him. This "Confection of BMC" as McComb called the ADO9G, meets Kimbers definition of Grace, Space, and Pace, very neatly indeed.

Some Little Known  Introductory Facts about the Farina Magnette.....

• It has three engine fitted during production:
  • 15GE 1489cc 66bhp, 1958-61
  • 16GE 1622cc 68bhp, 1961-66
  • 16GF 1622cc 72bhp, 1966-67
• The 16GF unit had many MGB 1798cc components, to cut production costs, such as water pump, oil pump, sump, etc.
• In the USA, spares are so scarce an exhaust system is said to cost almost as much as a running car!
• Rack and pinion steering was never fitted, BMC thought worm & peg more character building perhaps.
• The Farina Magnette will be 40 years old in November 1998, and the youngest 31 years old in April 1998.
• A very similar looking model was assembled in Argentina, from 1959 to 1963, by "Sociedad Industrial Americana De Maquinas, Di Tella Automotores SA", of Buenos Aires. It looked just like a Mk3 Magnette, complete with grille, but the badge said "DI TELLA" on it, and the car carried a local chassis plate. The Riley Farina was built as a pick-up. The company still exists, making ships, railway engines, and other heavy engineering.
• The oldest existing and running Farina, of all the various marques, is chassis number GHS/1- 193, on a Mk3 Magnette, registration 5125AH, registered on 1 March 1959, property of Dave Wright, Norfolk. The newest is a Mk4, chassis GHS/2- 30850, registration RBL449F, registered on 1 April 1968, once the property of M.G. Cars Ltd, Abingdon, now property of Mike Laflin, Norfolk. Must be the Norfolk air.
• The Royal Family in Perak, Malaysia, run a Mk4 M.G. Magnette. The only other Farina M.G. in that country is an ex-ministerial car, a Mk3, now run by a doctor.
• The Mk3 use a different suspension cross member with flat rubber insulation. Mk4 uses rubber cones, causing serious problems with interchangeability.
• Oxford City Police used four Mk3 Magnettes, loaned by BMC, in 1959/60, for patrol work, registrations 2704VW, 2705VW, 2706VW and 2707VW.
• The most expensive Farina Magnette to date was sold at auction for £4,382, in February 1997. It had only done 4,500 miles.
• Whilst the other Farina cars had a face lift as well as the other improvements, in 1961, the low production levels of the MG Magnette Mk4 simply did not permit the cost, so a Mk3 looks very like a Mk4, unless you know where to look.
• A three bearing 1798cc MGB engine ( 18G & 18GA) will drop straight into the car, no modifications required. Austin Westminster A110, / Wolseley 6/110, / Austin FX4 Taxi, and Austin Healey 3000 kingpin and disc brake will fit easily, all use the same kingpin. MGA ( disc brake models,) wheels are required if you do the disc modification. Standard A60 wheels will not clear the caliper.
• MGB ( Roadster only to April 1967,) banjo rear axle 3.9 diff casing fits the Farina BMC axle. But Mk3 halfshaft splines do not. Mk3 has square splines, Mk4 star splines, MGA 1500 parts required for the Mk3.
• The SU HD4 carburetters are unique to this MG and the Riley version. Other cars that use a bigger HD include Rolls Royce, Bentley, Jaguar and Rover.
• To get a longer wheelbase, BMC cut costs and drilled the rear leaf spring centre bolt/locating dowl further back by one inch, ( 25.4mm,) putting the rear wheel on a Mk4 very close to the rear edge of the wheel arch. To get the rear squab of the seat back two inches (50mm,) further, they dented the forward edge of the inner wheel arch the same two inches, ( 50mm).
• To lower the front suspension, as the Mk3 always looked too high, 20mm spacers were fitted under the spring pan, dropping the car by 25mm to 30mm.
• Even in good condition, properly shimmed, and with no wear in king pins or ball  joints, there can still be 50mm free play at the steering wheel rim.
• Most common cause of steering stiffness is lack of hypoy 90 gear oil in the steering idler. It can seize up in bad cases of neglect.
• Like the ZA/ZB, at the forward eye fixing of the rear leaf spring to the chassis, the mounting can rot out dangerously. Its top hat section is open at the top to road dirt and winter salt.
• It took just six years to sell 36,601 ZA/ZB Magnettes, but nine years to sell 29,459 Farina Magnettes.

FARINA M.G. Production Diary.

• New in 1959 a Mk3 cost £1,072: A 'Duo-Tone' finish was £12..10s..0d extra, (£12.50.) By 1968 this was £916 for a Mk4, and the three speed, Borg Warner automatic car was £93..10s..0d extra.
• BMC built 16,575 Mk3 Magnettes, from 1959 to 1961, only 43 are known to exist now, including those exported.

• 14,320 Mk4 Magnettes were made, from 1961 to 1968, only 91 are known to exist as above. Of these 12 are automatics. Many have MGB engines fitted.
• Introduced on 12th November 1958 to the Motoring Trade, and to the UK public in February 1959, the Mk3 replaced the MG ZB. Itself replaced by the Mk4 Magnette on 18 October 1961.
• About July 1959, at engine number 15GE 8067, the camshaft timing was altered on the inlet valves, retarding it by five degrees, to improve mid range torque.
• 1959 saw a few changes. The expensive twin rear seats were quickly deleted as too costly, as were the smaller ex-ZB bucket front seats. The car shared the Riley 4/68 seats from mid 1959, but with the leather pleats lengthwise, not crosswise as on the Riley. Reclining front seats were an extra later. The front door skin was changed to delete the cut out by the door handle, on the B post.
• Up to mid 1959 the windscreen was triple X 'toughend', after it was laminated and termed 'Zebrazone'.
• Again, after mid 1959 the 'Duo-Tone' ceased to be a roof / boot/ rear fins only split. The car used the chrome strip along its side as the dividing line. This confuses enthusiasts who think only the Mk4 had the later waist-line two tone scheme.
• 1961 saw the Farina range get a full update, longer wheelbase, wider track, bigger and more powerful engine, double acting dampers, lower suspension, though the MG did not get any new panels or lower fins like the other models did. An expansion box in the exhaust reduced noise levels, and the pipe was a larger diameter.
• In January 1964, the ignition key number was removed from the visible position on the switch, to reduce car thefts. Once you had the number, you could buy duplicates at most garages, and the drivers door shared the key. ( Jaguars were the same.)
• October 1964, the steering box was braced to the inner wing. Radial ply tyre grip caused it to flex on its mountings, cracking the chassis leg. The rather high, huge diameter steering wheel was lowered by 25mm.
• Cars up to 1965 have the chassis number repeated, hand stamped into the inner offside wing panel, just above the battery.
• May 1966, stronger synchromesh ring fitted to second and third gear, sintered steel, not brass. Lasted longer. Can be used on MGA's as well. Layshaft spindle diameter increased, for longer life.
• Mk4 chassis number 29013, in April 1966, 16GF engine fitted, commonising parts with the MGB 1798cc.
• MG Mk4 Magnette discontinued on 8 April 1968. Production was below 200 units a year at the end. No one wrote to Abingdon to complain of its loss.

  ---