1956 MG Magnette

Richard is the owner of this beautiful 1956 MG Magnette ZB, and has owned it for the past 5 years. Purchased with a passion for classic cars that you can work on, Richard began the hunt to find the perfect classic. He came across this one which had been previously restored to a very high standard. Not afraid of some spannering, as long as the body was good, then that would be fine.

Richard and his friend went to look at the car where the owner at the time had a ramp, and a house sized garage, to inspect the MG. Upon lifting the car up and inspecting the underside, it soon became clear this was the car to buy. The restoration work carried out has been done very nicely and then the underside coated in clear rust proofing, which enabled them to see if any patches had been done to the underside. Happy with the underside, the sides of the exterior body were just so straight, and topped off with an excellent paint finish. This confirmed the decision to purchase this 1965 MG Magnette ZB.

The seller enjoys tinkering with classic cars as much as driving them, but is now finding it difficult to get out from under the car when working on it, so the difficult decision has been made to part with the MG and let someone else have the pleasure of owning the British classic.

Finished in Red, the Magnette ZB is in excellent condition. As mentioned, the car has undergone some extensive restoration in 2008 prior to the seller owning the MG.

The first thing you notice is the gleaming chrome work at the front of the car, from the grille and bumper. This has been rechromed and so it is in excellent condition. There have been indicators fitted to the front at some point, which do look period fitting, and they are working.  We would like to point out, however, that the original "semaphore trafficators" although in place and serviceable are not connected electrically so do not work. The bonnet aligns well with the wings and the panel gaps look straight and even.

Along the sides of the ZB, and they can only be described as very, very straight. The seller was once told by an old school painter at a classic car show that he had the best repainted car at the show. Again, the chrome work to the window surrounds, door handles and door mirror is in excellent order. The window seals have had the perished felt ones replaced with some rubber items, which also make a much better seal against the glass to stop water. One thing the seller pointed out is that the passenger window stops approximately 1-inch from the top. This has been investigated and he assumes at some point it’s had an incorrect window regulator fitted.

Around to the rear, and the curvy boot lid sweeps down and aligns as it should. The MG badge sits proudly on the glossy paintwork. Again, the chrome to the boot handle and bumper is in excellent condition. The rear lights have no cracks or splits and like the front lights are in working order.

The wheels have been finished in silver, with a chrome hub featuring the MG logo to the center. There are some odd bits of paint missing from the edge of the rim but nothing that couldn't easily be touched in. The tyres are all matching and have plenty of tread remaining for many miles.

The inside of the Magnette is finished with maroon leather which is the original. Although there is no real damage there is some cracking to the leather as you would expect, this could be treated with some of the wonderful products available for the restoration of leather.

Sitting in the driver's seat the wooden dashboard is free from any splitting or cracks, and the steering wheel is the original with minimal wear to it. Just behind, and the instruments have an odometer reading of 85,430 miles. All the switches are reported to be working apart from the clock which hasn't moved for some time. Following the wooden dashboard around are the door tops which have escaped any lacquer fading and are in nice condition, along with the lower leather part of the door card.

The carpets are in good condition with just some small signs of age related wear. The headlining has been replaced at some point in its life, possibly the time of the restoration. In the boot area there is the boot mat with the spare wheel to the left, and there is a tool kit present and also an air pump.

The underside of the MG looks to be in very good condition with surface rust to a minimum around any key areas of concern. As mentioned earlier, the car was coated with a clear rust preventer to protect it.

Fitted with a 1489 cc, the Magnette was one of the fastest 1.5 litre saloons of its day. The car starts up wonderfully thanks to the upgraded electronic ignition, and it's also recently had a vacuum booster fitted. The seller is keen to point out a couple of things. He says " the car does run absolutely lovely but it might be running a little rich, possibly due to the jets on the twin SU carburettors", but the car does run and pulls strongly with no hesitation.”

A couple of modifications have been carried out, the electric side of the car has been converted to negative earth and also a stainless steel exhaust has been fitted and stainless steel fuel tank. The front brakes have also been upgraded to a disc setup from an MGA, and is now using Dot 5 brake fluid, meaning stopping the car is easy. The gearbox has a slight noise on first gear but there is no clunking on acceleration or deceleration. The change is nice and smooth and the car pulls well through the gears. Driving the car is reported to be, most importantly, fun, comfortable and with good handling as you would expect.

As mentioned, the MG has been restored to a very high standard which has to be one of the most talked about things of the car. The car comes with the owners handbook and a workshop manual. There are a few receipts for odd items and work carried out, but most of the paperwork has been misplaced over the years by a previous keeper.

A stainless steel exhaust and fuel tank has eliminated any future issues in the way of corrosion for those parts. There is an Aldon electronic ignition now fitted to ease starting and is more reliable.

The V5 is present and shows 9 previous keepers. As the car is MOT exempt, the last MOT expired on the 24th July 2019.

A much loved, enthusiast owned, Magnetto ZB, with an excellent body inside and out. It has had the upgrades in the right places such as the front discs, Aldon electronic ignition, stainless fuel tank and stainless exhaust.

This 1956 MG Magnette ZB is ready to be enjoyed as a weekend toy or used to display at classic car shows (the seller has enjoyed doing this a lot), and has won a few display prizes. Well known for being easy to work on and the parts are readily available, it's the perfect car for the home mechanic wanting to step into the world of British classic cars.

We estimate this British classic will bring in the region of £10,000 - £17,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car is located at our headquarters near Abingdon; we are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’