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MGA Twin Cam - bitchy thoroughbred?

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Created on July 28, 2023

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

35

Bruno von Rotz

1

Archiv

21

Daniel Reinhard

35

Bruno von Rotz

1

Archiv

21

MGA Twin Cam (1959) - ready to go

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - Green in green

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - it doesn't get much airier than this in a sports car

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - fast driving requires higher engine speeds

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - could easily compete with all sports cars in its price range at the time

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - you can't see the extra power at all

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - Disc brakes all round as a special feature

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - perfect all-round visibility is guaranteed

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - car design and architecture

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - looks like any other MGA except for the wheels

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - strictly a two-seater

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - elegant fifties design

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - the color is called "Ash Gree"

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - compact sports car with narrow overhangs

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - classic roadster architecture with plug-in windows

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - low waistline and gentle curves

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - a simple exhaust is enough

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - tightly cut cockpit

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - rev counter with yellow and red areas clearly pushed upwards

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - Speedometer up to 200 km/h, no showing off

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - almost everything as in the normal MGA

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - spring-spoke steering wheel like the slower MGA

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - the longitudinally mounted twin-camshaft four-cylinder engine

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - the modified engine lasted longer than the normal four-cylinder engine

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - the new cylinder head with the two camshafts together with a small increase in displacement made around 50 % more power possible

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - Nameplate

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - elegant radiator and curved front

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - special wheels with central locking

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - with the Twin Cam engine, the MGA became "super"

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - additional designation "Super" or "Special"

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - "twin cam" stands for two overhead camshafts

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - the special engine design is also labeled on the hood

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - the crisp rear end

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Carrosserie Charles Menetrey shows an MG A Twincam under restoration - Swiss Classic World Lucerne 2016

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MG EX 181 (1957) - Stirling Moss treats himself to something cool during record drives

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MG EX 181 (1957) - the world record car at full speed, 395 km/h were measured

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MG EX 181 (1957) - the Twin-Cam prototype is shown at the 1957 Geneva Motor Show

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MG EX 181 (1957) - Twin-Cam prototype at a sports car exhibition

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MG EX 181 (1957) - See-through drawing of the MG Twin-Cam record engine

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MG EX 181 (1957) - MG supercharged twin-cam record engine

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MG A Twin Cam (1958) - How the twin-camshaft engine works

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MG A 1958 - MG A Twin-Cam chassis and engine block

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MG A Twin Cam (1958) - this is how the factory marketed it, note that there is no "Super" or "Special" lettering here

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MG A 1958 - MGA Twin-Cam in side view

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MG A Twin Cam (1958) - Test car in closed condition

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MG A TwinCam (1958) - Safety (helmet) was a top priority during the speed measurements in November 1958

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MG A Twin Cam (1958) - Cockpit of the test car with mounted windshields

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MG A Twin Cam (1958) - Interior of the test car

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MG A Twin Cam (1958) - Steering wheel and dashboard of the right-hand drive vehicle

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MG A Twin Cam (1958) - Trunk and spare wheel

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MG A Twin Cam (1958) - Engine compartment

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MG A 1958 - The 'Two-Nocker' engine of the MG A Twin-Cam

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MG A 1960 - View into the MG A Twin-Cam engine

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MG A 1960 - MGA Twin-Cam - Engine production around 1960

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MG A Twin-Cam (1960) - MGA Twin-Cam with its own production line

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - easy to ride

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MGA Twin Cam (1959) - still an attractive car today

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Summary

Four-cylinder engines with two overhead camshafts could be counted on one hand in the 1950s; apart from Alfa Romeo, this was only available in large-scale production at MG. The MGA Twin Cam offered 50% more power than its simpler production brother, but cost less than many equally fast competitors. Nevertheless, it was not a success. This driving report is about an MGA Twin Cam from 1959 and shows the car in current and historical images. A sound sample is also included.

This article contains the following chapters

Two attempts, one engine
Presentation as a special
Enthusiasm in the press
Sophisticated technology
The great death of the engine
Not a great success
Technology under control today
At the wheel of the rarity

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Over 100,000 MGAs were built between 1955 and 1962. With its elegant lines and robust technology, the MG sports car, which was sold open and closed, was particularly popular in the USA. In 1958, however, a very special version with a twin-camshaft engine appeared, which only made it to just over 2000 units in three years and is now considered the most sought-after MGA version - despite its bad reputation, which still lingers today. Engines with two camshafts per cylinder bank are not an MG invention. As early as 1912, Peugeot had a racing engine with two overhead camshafts, and racing engines used this design after the Second World War to achieve higher engine speeds. At Alfa Romeo, a four-cylinder engine with two overhead camshafts was used in the Giulietta from 1954, and other manufacturers also began to experiment with this design approach.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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