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Australian Delivered CKD MGA Historical Research
Compiled by Steven Hill, Perth Western Australia
Email: [email protected]
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
Introduction
The MGA 1500 was first produced in England in May
1955 and fully imported models were sold in Australia
early in 1956. They proved very popular in Australia,
which influenced BMC to commence assembling them
locally. Abingdon supplied most of the component
parts in Completely Knocked Down (CKD) form and
Australian content was used whenever possible.
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
Assembly of CKD MGAs began
after a dispatch from the UK of 8
right hand drive cars, chassis 25512
to 255191. The first ‘Australian’
MGA rolled off the assembly line in
October 1957.
¹Source: The MGA First of a New Line, John Price Williams, p. 72
Introduction
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
Why Research Australian MGA’s ?
 A number of differences exist between Australian
and Abingdon Built MGA’s.
 Document and explain variations to assist owners
and enthusiasts in:
‘Maintaining the Breed’
Keeping originality
 Help retain history. A part of Australian MG history,
and MG history in general remains largely
unexplained.
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
Information Sources
 Production Records
Minimal records exist. The bulk of
production data appears to have been
discarded/lost
 Period Literature
Solving the ‘Puzzle’
Production
Records
Factory
Employees
Original
MGA’s
Most MGA literature focuses on Abingdon Built MGA’s
 Factory Employees
Hands on experience
 Owners/Enthusiasts
Owners/
Enthusiasts
Period
Literature
Owners and enthusiasts knowledgeable of cars when
new etc
 ‘Original’ MGA’s
‘Australian’ MGA’s
Explained
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
General Production Information
 BMC (Australia) fully manufactured Morris, Austin,
and Wolseley vehicles at their production plant in
Joynton Avenue, Zetland N.S.W.
 MGA’s were assembled at the Pressed Metal
Corporation assembly plant in Cosgrove Road,
Enfield N.S.W. (owned by Larke Consolidated
Industries 60% and the Rover car company UK
40%) alongside 3 tonne trucks and ½ tonne vans.
 1500, 1600 and 1600MKII roadsters were
assembled. No coupes or Twin Cams were
assembled in Australia, they were imported
Completely Built Up (CBU).
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
General Production Information
 Other overseas MGA assembly locations included:
South Africa:
Motor Assemblies Limited (MAL),
Durban, Natal
Eire:
Booth Poole and Co Ltd, Dublin
The Netherlands:
JJ Molenaar’s Automobiledrijf NV,
Amersfoort
Mexico:
Automoviles Ingleses SA,
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
General Production Information
 Abingdon supplied BMC (Australia) with most of the
component parts in CKD form and Australian content
was used whenever possible.
 ‘Australia CKD kits were shipped less tyres, tubes,
batteries, rear springs, ignition coil, spark plugs, hood
material, spare wheel cover, all soft trim, all carpets,
door pads and linings, all timber, floorboards, seats.
The following parts were included: hood frame, hood
rear windows and quarterlights, seat frames, seat
slides and Dunlopillo cushions’.¹
¹Source: Original MGA, Anders Ditlev Clausager, p. 85
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
General Production Information
 The bodies and chassis came as separate pieces and
were assembled by electric welding on jigs before
being bolted together, to increase local content, so
saving duty.
 ‘All cars had wire wheels and the standard rear axle
ratio (4.3). A heater was not normally fitted’.¹
 ‘Australian MGA’s had locally produced bumpers
and electrical looms’.²
¹Source: Original MGA, Anders Ditlev Clausager, p. 85
² Source: Modern Motor, October 1964, p.84
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
Production Variations - ID Plates
 Unique Car Identification Plates
BMC Australia identification plate used.
The ID and patent plates were riveted to the firewall shelf adjacent to each other
(they were not separated as on UK cars) near the wiper motor.
Plates recorded:
* Car Type (unique code)
* Car Number (unique number codings)
* Engine Number (number shown, not “SEE ENGINE”)
* Colour (unique only to Australia)
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s

Production Variations - ID Plates
A close up of the identification plate from a 1600 MKI roadster.
YGHN2
8 / 87440 / 782
16GA / U / 19236
1 / CARN RED / 1
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s

Production Variations - ID Plates
The engine bay of a very original unrestored 1600 MKI roadster. Note the positioning
of the ID and patent plates.
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
 Car Type
MGA 1500
Car type is represented by ‘MGA/51’
(51 indicates Australia)
MGA 1600 MKI
Car type is represented by ‘YGHN2’
Y - Australia
G - MG
H - 1400 to 1999cc
N - 2 Seat tourer
2 - 1600
MGA 1600 MKII
Car type is represented by ‘YGHN3’
ID Plate - Car Type
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
ID Plate - Car Number
 Car Number
Car numbers were generally separated into 3
distinct groupings. For example:
8 / 94432 / 913
1500 and 1600MKI’s were represented with a single digit prefix to refer
to the year of assembly. These prefixes were:
5 = 1957, 6 = 1958, 7 = 1959, 8 = 1960, 9 = 1961
This system was discontinued for the 1600 MKII, when it was
introduced during 1961.
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
 Car Number cont.
8 / 87440 / 782
The ‘middle’ number (87440) is the UK chassis
number. This number was stamped in the front
off-side angle rail of the chassis rather than the
chassis cross member on UK cars.
ID Plate - Car Number
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
 Car Number cont.
8 / 87440 / 782
The third number is the Australian Assembly
Number. This number is stamped on the
firewall shelf in front of the heater or heater
blanking plate (eg. ‘MGA/782’).
Evidence suggests that the Australian Assembly
Number began at ‘1’ for the 1500, and ‘501’ for
both the 1600MKI and 1600MKII’s
ID Plate - Car Number
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s

ID Plate - Car Number
The stamped firewall shelf of MGA 8 / 87440 / 782, “MGA 782”
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
Chassis Number Cross Tabulation
UK Chassis and Australian Assembly Number Cross tabulation*
1500
1450
1389
* Source: Western Australian MGA Register records
1400
1383
1371
1319
1300
1274
1200
1119
1107
1000
1500
900
1600
913
805
777
800
859
1600MKII
782
620
705
700
521
600
556
455
500
357
516
507
452
400
607
537
584
438
356
300
211
200
100
105101
100101
95101
90101
85101
80101
75101
70101
65101
60101
55101
50101
45101
40101
35101
30101
25101
20101
15101
0
82
10101
Aust. Assembly Number
1100
UK Chassis Number
May 1955
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
1500 Assembly Statistics
 1500
Last 1500, 68850
7 / 54629 / 705,
Youngest Aust. 1500 so far on Western
Australian MGA Register records
6 / 35465 / 82,
First 1500, 10101
5 / 25512 / 1,
Oldest Aust. 1500 so far on Western
Australian MGA Register records
First Australian Built 1500
 1324 RHD CKD 1500 MGA’s were produced
worldwide between 1957 and 1959 ¹
  Australian 1500 production > 705 and < 1324
¹Source: Original MGA, Anders Ditlev Clausager, p. 100
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
1600 MKI Assembly Statistics
1600 MKI
Last 1600, 100351
100237 / 1450,
7 / 68906 / 507,
First 1600, 68851
Youngest Aust. 1600 so far on Western
Australian MGA Register records. Maximum
114 more cars if Aust. had remaining chassis
Oldest Aust. 1600 so far on Western
Australian MGA Register records.
Did Aust. assembly commence at:
 UK chassis 68900 ?
 Max. Aust. 1600 prod. = 1063 ( (1450 + 114) -501)
 Min. Aust. 1600 prod. = 949 (1450 - 501)
 1212 RHD CKD 1600 MGA’s were produced
worldwide ¹
¹Source: Original MGA, Anders Ditlev Clausager, p. 100
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
1600 MKII Assembly Statistics
1600 MKII
Last MKII, 109070
106917 / 607,
Youngest Aust. MKII so far on Western
Australian MGA Register records.
First MKII, 100352
100440 / 537,
Oldest Aust. MKII so far on record
Did Aust. assembly commence at:
 UK chassis 100404 ?
 176 RHD CKD 1600 MKII MGA’s were
produced worldwide ¹
  Australian MKII production = > 106 and < 176
¹Source: Original MGA, Anders Ditlev Clausager, p. 100
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
ID Plate - Engine Number
 Engine Number
MGA 1500
Engine numbers similar to UK standards except the
addition of ‘A’ in the coding which represents Australia .
eg. 15GBUHA12345
Serial Number
A - Australia
H - High Compression
U - Centre Gearshift
B - 1500 Series (D from 1959-)
G - MG
15 - 1500cc
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
ID Plate - Engine Number
 Engine Number
MGA 1600 MKI
Engine numbers identical to UK standards.
eg. 16GAUH26435
Serial Number
H - High Compression (no coding if not high compression)
U - Centre Gearshift
A - 1600 Series
G - MG
16 - 1600cc
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
ID Plate - Engine Number
 Engine Number
MGA 1600 MKII
Engine numbers identical to UK standards.
eg. 16GCUL12345
Serial Number
L - Low Compression (all low compression for Australia?)
U - Centre Gearshift
C - 1622 Series
G - MG
16 - 1600cc
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
 Colour
Car colour codes were separated into 3 distinct
groupings. For example:
1 / BR GREEN / 1
Paint Used
1 = BALM
2 = Luteroid
3 = Berger
4 = Brolite
5 = Pinchin Johnson
6 = Spartan
Colour Code
Paint Type
1 = Enamel
2 = Lacquer
ID Plate - Colour
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
ID Plate - Colour
 Colour
Australian MGA’s were painted locally. As such colours vary significantly from Abingdon examples. If
requested, the MGA was available at time of order painted to almost any colour. The following colours have
been identified from the archives section of Dulux Australia.
UK MANUFACTURE
AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURE DULUX CODE
1500 Black
1955 Bardiman Grey
Orient Red
1958 Nurburg White
Tyrolite green
Alpine Green
Ash Green
Guan Green
Glacier Blue
Billeroy Blue
Old English White
Carnation Red
Island Green (Coupe only) (Engine Red)
Mineral Blue (Coupe only) Carnation Red
(Prior to 1959)
Connaught Green
02238
02191
02197
02236
02214
09864
00014
07590
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
UK MANUFACTURE
ID Plate - Colour
AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURE DULUX CODE
1600 Black
1959 -1962
Chariot Red
Iris Blue
1600 Araluen Blue
Alamo Beige
British Racing Green
Dove Grey
Camden Cream
Old English White
Cherry Red
Cheviot Fawn
Crocus Yellow
Cumulus Grey
Empire Green
English Grey
Gampian Grey
Inca Yellow
Karrim (Royal) Blue
Monza (Carnation) Red
Nurburg White
Orchia
Orient Red
Silverpine Green
Sky (Monaco) Blue
Spruce Green
Stradbroke Grey
09599
00036
09724
09679
09677
00322
05777
06286
07947
00213
00346
00041
09864
02191
00212
00345
08232
09921
07618
06292
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
Additional Variations
 Colour
Areas such as the bonnet prop rod and heater blanking plate (?) were painted body colour
(black on UK cars).
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
Additional Variations
 Upholstery
Manufactured locally in vinyl. Colours varied from UK cars, eg. tan colour.
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
 Carpet
Westminster carpet. Corded type with very little binding.
Additional Variations
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
Additional Variations
 Engine Numbers
Engine number was stamped into the block. The UK aluminium plate was deemed
unacceptable by Australian authorities.
 Exhaust System
Locally produced.
 Body Numbers
There is some evidence to support the notion that all 1500’s and most 1600’s were
issued with UK body numbers. It would appear that late 1600MKI’s and 1600MKII’s
did not have body numbers.
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
Additional Variations
 Rear Number Plate and Supporting Brackets
On some cars the rear number plate supporting brackets were inverted such that the
number plate was displayed below the bumper (note the period luggage rack in the picture
below).
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
Additional Variations
 Spare Wheel Cover
The cover was held in place with bolts and nuts as opposed to UK built cars which were
rivetted.
 Rear Springs
Marked “Made in Australia”
 Sills
Outer sills were welded to the door pillars as opposed to the UK cars which were pop
riveted.
 Oil Pressure Gauge
The coil in the oil pressure gauge line is located under the bonnet rather than under the dash
on UK cars.
Australian Delivered CKD MGA’s
Additional Variations
 Lead Loading
Australian built MGA’s featured much more lead loading, particularly around the rear rail
and front door pillar, at the front of the top door jamb, where the UK cars had a cover
plate.1
 Others ???
¹Source: The MGA First of a New Line, John Price Williams, p. 74