Auto Express – August 20, 2019

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk SpecialIssue 43

MODERN

CLASSICS

HEADTOHEAD

Tested

Funinthe sun

MGF vs MX-5

Top-down motoring thrills are guaranteed with these roadsters

DESPITEthechangeableBritishweather,welove

nothingmorethanatwo-seatsportscarwitharoof

thatcanbefoldedawaythemomentthesuncomesout.

MGkick-startedourloveaffairwithroadstersand

cabrioletswiththeveryfirstwooden-bodied,pre-war

sportscarsthatdefinedthebrand.Butchangesinsafety

legislation,coupledtoalackofinvestment,ledtothe

demiseofMGsportscarsin1981,althoughthename

livedonthrough‘sporty’variantsoftheAustinMetro,

MaestroandMontegohatchbacksandsaloon.

ThereturnofMGin 1995 wasbignews,then,withthe

companyonceagaincreatingaback-to-basicssportscar,

thistimewithamid-engined,rear-drivelayout.Itwas

developedonaridiculouslytightbudget,andmanyofthe

componentscamefromRover’spartsbin.Underneathit

usedtwoMetrofrontsubframesandanewtakeonits

Hydragassuspension,whileotherMetropartsincludedthe

doormirrors,heatervents,columnstalksandwipermotor.

TheenginewasRover’ssmall-capacity,high-output

K-Seriesunit,butboredoutto1.8litres,whilea‘VVC’

versionwithvariablevalvetimingwasalsoanoption.

Despitebeingdevelopedonapiecemealbudget,the

MGFwasahugehit,largelydowntoitslooks.Itwasstyled

byGerryMcGovern,nowheadofLandRoverdesign.

AnotherreasonforitssuccesswastheMazdaMX-5,

whichwentonsalein 1989 andwasresponsiblefor

thesuddenrejuvenationoftheUK’sroadstermarket.

Developedverymuchinthemouldoftheoriginal

LotusElan,theMX-5wasatraditionalfront-engined,rear-

wheel-driveroadsterwithretrostylingandanentertaining

chassis.Blessedwithawonderfulgearshiftanddelightfully

weightedsteering,itwasasportscarinitspurestform.

Buyerswentcrazyfortherebornbasictwo-seater,and

othermanufacturersjumpedonthebandwagon.Bythe

endofthenineties,BMW,Toyota,Fiat,andAudiwere

offeringtwo-doorroadstersintheirline-ups,butitwas

theMGandMazdathatwerethebest-sellers.

Despitetheirobvioussimilarities,they’revery

differentcarstodrive.TheMazdaisarguablythemost

entertaining,butit’stheMGthathasthebettergrip,

thankstoitscentralweightdistribution.TheMX-5has

anicerdrivingposition,steeringandtransmission,but

theMGFismorepracticalandhasafarbetterride.

Whilebothsoldlikehotcakeswhennew,eachblotted

itscopybooklaterinlife.TheMGhasawelldocumented

tendencyforheadgasketfailure,earningitselfthe

nickname‘HGF’inthemotortrade.TheMazda,meanwhile,

suffersfromcorrosion,whichsetsinatthebackofthesills

andeatsawayattherearchassislegsandfloors.

Earlieron,theMazdawasalwaystherecommended

usedchoice,buttodaythingsaredifferent.Mostsurviving

MGFshavehadtheirheadgasketsreplacedandevenif

theyhaven’t,replacementisa£500-£600job.Welding

uparottenMX-5isamuchmoreinvolvedandexpensive

process,eveniftheenginesdogoonforever.

TheMGismoreprevalentinthesmalladsandthere

aremoredecent,usablecarstochoosefrom,soasaresult

it’scheapertobuy.Youcanstillgetaviablecarforless

than£1,000ifyoubuycarefullyandcheckforthatall-

importantheadgasketswap.Thatsaid,theverybest

exampleshaveadifferentplaceinthemarket;you’ll

havetopaybetween£4-£5kforareallygoodone.

MX-5salsostartbelow£1,000,butyou’reunlikelytoget

anythingotherthanarestorationprojectforthat.Unless

youdowantonetodoup,itmakesalotmoresensetopay

twicethatforasolidone–butshoparoundandcheckany

purchaseverycarefullyforrusthiddenbyfiller.Aswiththe

MG,theverybestexamplesare£5kupwards–butprices

areontheup,sobothlooklikesoundinvestments.

Mazda

MX-5Mk1

Yearsproduced:

19 89-98

Engine:

1,598cc4cyl

Power: 11 3bhp

0-60:8.5secs

Pricerange:

£300-£10,000

Rarity:

★★★★★★★★★★

Maintenance:

★★★★★★★★★★

Investment

potential:

★★★★★★★★★★