On the road, it’s immediately obvious
as to why the 1100 and 1300 were such
a huge success among car buyers,
especially in the 60s when car owners
were perhaps moving on from the
older Morris Minor. There’s generous
room for four people as no floor space
is sacrificed to an intrusive propshaft
tunnel. Up front, the A-series engine
is soundproofed by the dashboard
and bulkhead so noise is minimal.
The Hydrolastic suspension provides
a refined ride quality that contributes
to the seemingly sound-deadened
interior, resulting in few complaints
from the suspension as we travel over
rough sections of tarmac or negotiate
an irritating pothole. The 1100/1300
represented luxury and refinement in
a modern-looking motor vehicle where
front-wheel drive was the way forward,
along with astonishing disc brakes and
French-style fluid-filled suspension.
Nowadays, there’s an undeniable
novelty value about this MG 1100
and in fact any 1100 or 1300 model.
For a car that was once the best-
selling model for many years, the
website http://www.howmanyleft.co.uk lists
a mere 102 MG 1100s and 106 MG
1300s in 2018. And the figures are
equally low across the entire range
where a mere 1645 MG, Riley Kestrel,
Wolseley, Austin, Morris and Vanden
Plas models are listed for 2018.
Hopefully, these remaining
survivors are destined to live on, even
if they are retired to museums and
collections. As for Ray’s MG, he seems
determined to use and maintain his,
having found one that seems to have
been looked after from the start.ABOVE: Retired motor mechanic and
aircraft fitter Ray Greenhalgh swore
that he would not own an 1100/1300.
That was until he found this pristine,
well-preserved 1966 Mg 1100.
ABOVE: The 12-inch steel wheels are
painted silver and equipped with
chrome trims sporting MG logos.
http://www.mgenthusiast.com MGEAUGUST 2019
1966 MG 1100
73THIS MID-SIZED
FAMILY SALOON WAS
HUGELY SUCCESSFUL IN
THE UK, BEING THE BEST-
SELLING CAR FROM 1963
TO 1966 AND ALSO FROM
1968 TO 1971.