The MG Magnette is an automobile that was produced by
MG between 1953 and 1968. The Magnette was manufactured in two build series, the ZA and ZB of 1953 through to 1958 and the Mark III and Mark IV of 1959 through to 1968, both using a modified
Wolseley body and an
Austin
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
engine.
MG Cars had previously used the Magnette name on their
K-type and
N-type models of the 1930s.
__TOC__
Magnette ZA
The Magnette ZA was announced on 15 October 1953 and debuted at the 1953
London Motor Show
London Motor Show, formerly the London Motorfair, is a motor show in England. It was held biannually at Earls Court Exhibition Centre, from 1977 to 1999. When the event won the support of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and P&O ...
. Deliveries started in March 1954. Production continued until 1956, when 18,076 had been built.
It was the first
monocoque
Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell".
First used for boats, ...
car to bear the MG badge.
["Safety Fast" MG Car Club. September 2007]
The Magnette was designed by
Gerald Palmer, designer of the
Jowett Javelin. It was the first appearance of the new
four cylinder B-Series I4 engine with a pair of -bore twin-choke
SU carburettors, delivering ,
[ driving the rear wheels through BMC's new four-speed ]manual
Manual may refer to:
Instructions
* User guide
* Owner's manual
* Instruction manual (gaming)
* Online help
Other uses
* Manual (music), a keyboard, as for an organ
* Manual (band)
* Manual transmission
* Manual, a bicycle technique similar to ...
gearbox with synchromesh
A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission system, where gear changes ...
on the top three ratios.
Suspension was independent at the front using coil springs and had a live axle with half elliptic leaf springs at the rear. The steering was by rack and pinion. Hydraulically operated Lockheed drum brakes were fitted to front and rear wheels. When leaving the factory the Magnette ZA optionally fitted the recently developed belted textile-braced, radial-ply Pirelli Cinturato The Pirelli Cinturato is a Pirelli-developed car tyre that was the first example of a wrap-around radial tyre structure. It was used to good effect in motorsport, and most modern tyres are based upon the design. The five-times Formula One World C ...
145HR15 tyres (CA67) but had 5.5-15 Dunlop tyres as standard.
The car had leather trimmed individual front seats and rear bench seat. The dashboard and door cappings were in polished wood. Although the heater was standard, the radio was still an optional extra. Standard body colours were black, maroon, green, and grey.
The similar Wolseley 4/44
The Wolseley 4/44 is an automobile which was introduced by the British Motor Corporation in 1952 and manufactured from 1953 until 1956. It was designed under the Nuffield Organization but by the time it was released, Wolseley was part of BMC. ...
, first sold one year earlier, used the 1250 cc engine from the MG TF. Although visually similar, the MG has lower suspension and only the front doors, boot lid and roof panels are shared.[ The 4/44 was replaced in 1956 by the 15/50.
In 1955, ''The Motor'' tested a Magnette and recorded a top speed of acceleration from 0- in 23.1 seconds and a fuel consumption of was recorded. The test car cost £914 including taxes.]
Magnette ZB
The ZA was replaced by the Magnette ZB that was announced on 12 October 1956. Power was increased to fitting -bore carburettor
A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meterin ...
s, increasing the compression ratio
The compression ratio is the ratio between the volume of the cylinder and combustion chamber in an internal combustion engine at their maximum and minimum values.
A fundamental specification for such engines, it is measured two ways: the stati ...
from 7.5 to 8.3,[ and modifying the manifold.][ The extra power increased the top speed to and reduced the time to 18.5 seconds.][ The similar ]Wolseley 15/50
The Wolseley 15/50 was an updated version of the Wolseley 4/44. The main change was the engine; the 4/44 used a pre BMC Morris XPA unit and after the MG TF stopped production it was the only car still fitted with it. To rationalise production ...
now shared the ZB's ''B-Series'' engine.
A semi-automatic transmission
A semi-automatic transmission is a "theoretical" multiple-speed transmission where part of its operation is automated (typically the actuation of the clutch), but the driver's input would be required to launch the vehicle from a standstill and to ...
, marketed as ''Manumatic'', was fitted as an option on 496 1957 Magnettes.
A Varitone model featured larger rear window and optional two tone paintwork, using a standard Pressed Steel body shell, the rear window opening enlarged in the Morris Motors body shop, Cowley, before painting. 18,524 ZBs were built.[
MHV MG ZB 1958 01.jpg, 1958 ZB monochrome
MHV MG ZB 1958 02.jpg, 1958 ZB monochrome
MG Magnette interior (7501486998).jpg, ZB Varitone instruments
MG Magnette (3653330607).jpg, ZB Varitone wraparound
1959 MG Magnette ZB Varitone - TT gray - int2.jpg, ZB Varitone instruments
]
Magnette Mark III
The Mark III announced 2 February 1959 was nearly identical to the Riley version (the 4/68) of the new Pinin Farina
Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930.
On 14 December 2015, the Indian mu ...
-designed midsize BMC saloon line. They both had truncated tail fins.
All versions (including the Austin A55 Cambridge Mark II, Morris Oxford V and Wolseley 15/60
The Wolseley 15/60 is an automobile which was produced from 1958 to 1961, and then, as the Wolseley 16/60, from 1961 to 1971. The 15/60 was the first of the mid-sized Pininfarina-styled automobiles manufactured by the British Motor Corporation ( ...
) were produced by the British Motor Corporation
The British Motor Corporation Limited (BMC) was a UK-based vehicle manufacturer, formed in early 1952 to give effect to an agreed merger of the Morris and Austin businesses.Morris-Austin Merger Company Named. ''The Times'', Friday, 29 February ...
(BMC).
The car featured BMC's 1489 cc B type engine but, in the MG Magnette III (and its Riley sibling), performance was enhanced by fitting twin S.U. H.D.4 carburetters.
The interior featured a walnut veneer facia panel, door cappings and leather upholstery as well as safety glass windows.[
A Mark III was tested by The Motor magazine in 1959. They recorded a top speed of , acceleration from 0- in 19.7 seconds and a fuel consumption of . The test car cost £1012 including taxes.] 16,676 Mark IIIs were built.[
]
Magnette Mark IV
The Mark III was updated in 1961 as the Mark IV. A larger 1.6 L (1622 cc) ''B-Series'' engine, with capacity increased by increasing the bore to 76.2 mm, was fitted, and the car had a longer wheelbase and wider track. To improve handling anti-roll bar
An anti-roll bar (roll bar, anti-sway bar, sway bar, stabilizer bar) is a part of many automobile suspensions that helps reduce the body roll of a vehicle during fast cornering or over road irregularities. It connects opposite (left/right) wheels ...
s were fitted front and rear. From the outside, the Mark IV was almost identical to the Mark III, apart from the remodelled and slightly less sharply pointed tailfins
The tailfin era of automobile styling encompassed the 1950s and 1960s, peaking between 1955 and 1961. It was a style that spread worldwide, as car designers picked up styling trends from the US automobile industry, where it was regarded as the ...
, a modification shared with its Riley sibling.
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving c ...
was offered as an option.
The model continued to be listed through till May 1968 when the manufacturers announced that production had ceased with "no immediate replacement ... contemplated". 14,320 Mark IVs were built.[
]
Other cars carrying the Magnette name
In 2011, MG Motor
MG Motor UK Limited (MG Motor) is an automotive company owned by SAIC Motor UK, headquartered in London, owned by the Shanghai-based Chinese state-owned automaker SAIC Motor. MG Motor designs, develops and markets cars sold under the MG marq ...
confirmed that the saloon version of the MG 6
The MG6 is a compact car which has been produced by Chinese manufacturer SAIC Motor under the MG marque since 2010. It is slotted slightly above the compact sedan MG GT, and the compact hatchback MG 5.
First generation
The first-generation M ...
would carry the Magnette name for the UK, Europe and China.
At the media launch held at the historic Goodwood Circuit
Goodwood Circuit is a historic venue for both two- and four-wheeled motorsport in the United Kingdom. The circuit is situated near Chichester, West Sussex, close to the south coast of England, on the estate of Goodwood House, and completely e ...
, MG Motor displayed the MG 6 Magnette alongside examples of the earlier ZA and ZB Magnettes to reinforce the continuity of the brand.
References
External links
MG Magnette Register of the MG Car Club
Farina Magnette Register
{{Authority control
Magnette
Cars introduced in 1953
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Sedans
Compact executive cars
1960s cars