Someplace within the UK, a girl had an amazing thought. She needed a basic MG to device round in, however didn’t need the one-on-every-corner MGB that the majority go for. Nor did she need any chance of breaking down. So she went to Abingdon’s Frontline Vehicles, who make MGBs bulletproof (and electrical… and V8-powered) and requested them to work their magic.

Maybe it was the fitting mixture of sunny afternoon, British countryside, and basic British sports activities automobile. Maybe it wasn’t. However this was the most effective experiences I’ve had in a automobile in 2025.

Picture by: Frontline Vehicles

Let’s again up a bit—what’s Frontline? It’s a enterprise that restomods MGBs. It began off as an organization that changed MG Midgets for racing, however as time went on, Frontline realized it may take the world’s plentiful provide of B’s and make them faster, extra dependable, and extra luxurious.

The woman with a good suggestion didn’t need an MGB, although; she needed an MGA. Older and sleeker than the B, the A’s form appealed to her, and lo, the Frontline MGA Manufacturing unit Version was born.

You’ll be able to have an MGA with a 2.0 or 2.5-liter Mazda-derived 4 cylinder that’s been delightfully reworked (with ITBs..!) to supply 225 or 290 horsepower. Whichever motor you select is connected to the famously sensible Mazda MX-5 gearbox to make sure slick shifting and massive grins.

Picture by: Frontline Vehicles

Picture by: Frontline Vehicles

The brakes and comes have been swapped out too, the chassis has been bolstered, and the wood flooring have been changed with metal for higher experience and dealing with. Pleasingly, there’s a Quaife restricted slip differential fitted too.

Frontline’s therapy doesn’t cease at making an MG go higher, both. This A’s inside is roofed in luxurious leather-based, with alloy bucket seats to maintain you in place throughout spirited driving. There’s even a USB slot, Bluetooth audio, and it’s all hidden away so you’ll be able to maintain your cellphone charged for on-the-fly Google Maps. Whereas the dials are all as they have been in interval, the electrics powering them are fashionable, so that they shouldn’t go all Nineteen Fifties on you and conk out at an inconvenient second.

Frontline’s demonstrator was constructed to seem like the usual automobile, however the agency says you’ll be able to fortunately ask for a de-bumpered automobile fitted with a perspex racing display if you wish to seem like you’re going endurance racing, too. They’ll make you a convertible or a coupe, relying on desire as nicely.

There’s rather a lot to like about the entire deal, although it comes at a value: £145,000 ($195,000) plus native taxes, so it’s one for the extra dedicated lovers on the market. That mentioned, Frontline’s prowess is confirmed, which implies you’ll be able to relaxation assured the work going into the automobile isn’t half-assed.

Picture by: Frontline Vehicles

Whichever motor you select is connected to the famously sensible Mazda MX-5 gearbox to make sure slick shifting and massive grins.

On a sunny day within the UK, folding your self into the cockpit is a pleasure—although one which requires some work in the event you’re tall. The MGA will not be a capacious automobile. The controls are all pleasingly basic. Smiths dials are neatly laid out over the gorgeous sprint.

Every part works as you’d count on, bar the indications, that are on a toggle change to the fitting of the wheel. Pull the lever to the left to point proper, and vice versa. It takes some time to get used to, and the mechanism is a bit gentle, however as soon as what you’re doing, you’ll be superb.

Classics, restored or in any other case, generally is a little bit of a crapshoot to set off in. The chance of stalling a shiny automobile that pulls the attention is ever current, and within the MGA, you actually don’t need to be ‘that man.’ The Mazda ‘field places these fears to mattress.

Picture by: Frontline Vehicles

Picture by: Frontline Vehicles

It’s straightforward to fit into gear, and the sunshine clutch is a pleasure to roll away slinkily from a cease. On the town, it’s straightforward to string the MGA by any hole you’d care to say. It is a automobile from the 50s, when every part was smaller and truly match on the UK’s roads (the much less mentioned about security laws the higher… ahem), so that you needn’t fear about peeling bits off the aspect. Even when that was a priority, the MG’s physique is low and straightforward to see over, which permits for last-moment bum proppage to ensure you’re in a very good place on the street.

The visibility is a real spotlight. The windshield is giant sufficient to maintain bees out of your retinas, and there’s no roll hoop to talk of. Being slim and roofless, the rear view mirror does the job of the (absent as a result of previous automobile) wing mirrors, and in the event you do must do a lifesaver examine, you don’t want to show your head too far to see over the again of the low trunkline.

You’ll get eyes on you on the town, and also you’ll have a stunning time gently parping round as if the ’50s by no means ended. However to go full ‘post-war enjoyable’, you might want to head to the nation. Normally, whenever you’re driving an older automobile, it feels considerably merciless to push the motor. The MGA sounds great on a trundle, and also you’ll decide up an honest clip with out trouble. Nonetheless, once I appeared on the rev counter, I noticed that rolling as much as 4,500 rpm was barely touching the edges of its vary.

Picture by: Frontline Vehicles

Normally, whenever you’re driving an older automobile, it feels considerably merciless to push the motor. The MGA sounds great on a trundle, and also you’ll decide up an honest clip with out trouble.

A suitably straight little bit of street discovered, I gave it some welly and the factor soared far, far increased, letting out a lovely noise because it went. Loud, wonderful parps flew from the rear, plastering an enormous grin on my face as they did so. In 225 hp spec, with 178 pound-feet on faucet, it feels a lot fast.

The gasoline pedal has respectable really feel. A mild push to get you going results in clean development, permitting for parps-ahoy. Frontline says it’ll get from 0-60mph in 4.8 seconds and can apparently hit 155mph. With a suitably clear street and a heavy proper foot, that’s greater than plausible. There’s solely 815 kg to shift, so modest energy is greater than sufficient.

Scrubbing the pace off is all the way down to a set of chunky brakes, entrance and rear. There’s no ABS to save lots of you in a pinch, which implies you might want to be taught them, and the pedal’s on the heavy aspect. When you’ve figured all of it out, they’re nice, however don’t go in considering you’ll be able to brake like a Golf.

Parps are one aspect of the enjoyable, the dealing with is a cherry on high. Double wishbones with Frontline’s personal dampers reside up entrance, with five-links and Frontline telescopic dampers on the rear. The MGA merely glides across the tight ‘n twisties. The experience can get jarring on among the UK’s extra… lumpy roads, however that’s par for the course with previous British steel irrespective of how a lot you do to it. It’s all a part of the enjoyable.

Picture by: Frontline Vehicles

Frontline’s steering is a pleasure, too. A neatly-sized Motolita ‘wheel is your connection to the street. It’s assisted at low speeds (on this automobile – it may be adjusted to driver desire) as a result of previous automobiles are heavy buggers, however when you’re at pace it’s all you. It’s nicely weighted and offers you confidence that the place the automobile’s going to go.

Wind in your hair (or beard), solar shining, and engine on music, Frontline’s tackle the MGA is nothing wanting unfiltered happiness. The sounds it makes, the odor of its leather-based inside, the texture of its wood-rimmed wheel, the look of the factor… all of it provides as much as a uniquely British expertise. You could even find yourself tasting an errant bee if one slips over the windshield.

Sure, it’s costly and nonetheless comes with Nineteen Fifties sports activities automobile compromises, so it’s not for everybody, however that’s a part of its attraction.