58 MGA Roadster

    The Magazine Feature Story #13

 https://classiccarsworldwide.com.au 

“IT’S A LIFESTYLE”. MATHEW ATHERTON TALKS ABOUT HIS 1958 MGA ROADSTER, HIS PASSION FOR ALL THINGS MG AND A HUGE HIGHLIGHT – BEING PART OF THE PARADE LAP AT THE 2019 AUSTRALIAN F1 GRAND PRIX IN MELBOURNE

38 years old Mathew Atherton’s life is pretty full on at the moment. Happily married with 2  daughters, the youngest just a few days old at the time of putting this story together plus the daily pressure of running a new business called Dirty Nomad. The business provides towing courses, pre-purchase inspection, pick up and delivery services, detailing and caravan and RV accessories.

Mathew is also working on a car detailing range which he is about to drop on his Instagram and Facebook page called MGALIFESTYLE which he is very excited about. “The results are amazing” he says. “These products produce the highest gloss and protection with the strongest hydrophobic range of ceramic sealants available for classic and modern classic cars and bikes.” Previously, Mathew had an education background which he had been involved with since leaving school until COVID got in the way. He then decided to follow his passion and build a business around the things he enjoys and started Dirty Nomad and MGALIFESTYLE and looks forward to people getting on board and supporting.

Early interest in cars

“My passion for all things cars was set from an early age with my dad” says Mathew. “I bought my first car when I received my learners license and being a Ford lover it was a 1995 Ford Fairmont. That began a long list of modifications from the day it was picked up. It wasn’t long until I was done with the Fairmont and moved quickly onto an array of car brands and modifying them to what I thought was the way they should have been manufactured and then moving on to the next. This included BMW coupes, supercharged minis, mx5 n/a and turbo Skylines and then into 4 wheel drives with a very modified Toyota FJ Cruiser. Today, my everyday car is a more relaxed and practical Ford Wildtrack.”

Classic cars and the red 1958 MGA Roadster

“Growing up as a kid I never really appreciated classic cars as much as I do now” says Mathew. “It was always the modern hero car of the time such as the McLaren F1, Ferrari F4 and BMW M3’s. I have always been drawn to AC Cobras, 1983 Posrche 911 sc, Falcons and GT40’s.”.

Completely Knocked Down (CKD)

The MGA Roadster was originally a completely knocked down car and after assembly delivered to its first owner in New South Wales on 24^th December 1958. Mathews grandfather acquired the car back in the ‘70’s and it has been a prized family possession passing from one generation to the next for almost 50 years.

In 1983 and 1984 the car had a full body off restoration back to the chassis and the body was resprayed and put back together.

The MGA was introduced in 1955 and many were shipped around the world from the UK in the form of ‘Completely Knocked Down’ units to be assembled in other countries. The total content of these ‘kits’ would depend on the resources of the assembler at the destination. Wheels, tyres and batteries might not be included and car bodies generally not painted except for primer. These Australian CKD cars were the most numerous and also the most incomplete as shipped. Parts were sourced locally for paint, tyres and tubes, batteries, glass, rear leaf springs, bumpers, trim  including seats covered in vinyl, wiring harnesses and some instruments. As the MGA was in significant demand, and with encouragement through tariffs, a decision was made to commence local assembly. This task was subcontracted by BMC (Australia) to Pressed Metal Corporation in Sydney from 1957 to 1962 with greater local content.

Interestingly, the degree of assembly of the MGA in Australia was very much greater than at the MG factory in the UK. A total of 2,040 MGA Roadsters were built in Australia. Because of production volumes major mechanical components such as engines, transmissions and chassis were imported. In the case of the MGA 1500 the engines were built in Australia from imported components.

Specifications

The MGA 1500 uses a1489 cc engine fitted with twin H4 type SU Carburettors which produces 72 hp. It has Lockheed hydraulic drum brakes used on all wheels. 

The MGA convertible has no exterior door handles and uses a pull cord on the inside of the door to keep the lines of the car clean.

It has a body-on-frame design and powers the straight-4 ‘B series’ engine from the MG Magnette driving the rear wheels through a four-speed gearbox. Suspension is independent with coil springs and wishbones at the front and a rigid axle with semi-elliptic springs at the rear. Steering is by rack and pinion. The car has painted 15” wire-spoked wheels.

There are chrome finishes on the bumpers, windscreen surround, light surrounds, mirrors and fuel cap.

Sentimental family connection and memories

“My passion for MG’s and in particular the A, came from my pa” says Mathew. “My first memory of the MGA was in his garage when I was eight years old. For a long time I wondered what was under the car cover and one day he pulled it back and revealed the beautiful red MGA. I remember a slightly musky sort of fuel smell. Over the years pa would let me sit in it and let me pretend to drive this amazing car. We spent a lot of time in the garage pottering around and making things.”

“Eventually, our time together turned into regular outings in the MGA. Pa would always begin the drive home and when he was ready he would pull up, throw me the keys and I would drive home. He was one of the gentlest souls you could ever meet and as he developed Alzheimer’s these drives began to bring back a flow of memories for him. The drives turned into adventures revisiting places he loved, grew up in and worked in.”

“It was during this time I joined the MG Car Club of Victoria as we were having  a couple of problems with the car and I was having trouble finding good, honest people to help keep it running which was important as it was an uplifting experience for pa. It wasn’t long before the A was up and running again, creating memories and driving past people giving them a reason to smile – mostly because pa would either be tooting ladies on the side of the road and then pointing to me as if I did it or chatting to people at the lights because it was so easy to do.”

The Australian F1 Grand Prix and other events

“Being part of the 2019 Australian Grand Prix in the MGA was a huge highlight for me” says Mathew. “Particularly because of my passion for Motorsport and after building and racing several cars from BMWs, Skylines, Toyota Celica and recently the Mx5 turbo.”

“Following the Grand Prix I enjoyed being part of many different events and drives put on by the MGCC. A couple that stand out were 2^nd and 3^rd places at the last two Concourse events as well as sharing a few top prizes at the Autumn Rally 2021 with my wife Karen. It’s a great club with a lot of knowledgeable members. I also enjoy getting out and attending as many car shows as I can. There are some great events now for the enthusiast such as Highball events, YTG C & C and local Cars & Coffee.”

The Australian classic car scene & The future

“It’s great to see the growth and importantly young growth around the classic car scene” says Mathew. “There are always newly acquired and restored cars popping up at events which is great to see. I would like to grow the community around MGALIFESTYLE and offer the followers a little more.”

“I am always intrigued by a car story and its history, where that car was assembled and the journey it has been on to the day you see it. I enjoy reading Classic Cars Worldwide On Line Magazine as it really captures a lot of that information.”

Mathew concludes by saying “I am blessed with a beautiful wife and a little girl who both love the MGA. I recently surprised my daughter by putting her car seat in the MGA and taking her to a local cars and coffee meet. Her smile was infectious and reminded me what this little car was all about. Out on the road the excitement continues. The iconic putter of the SU carbs, being behind that long bonnet, big steering wheel, roof down and cruising along. The MGA is not recognised for its power, but more and more for its beauty.”

“In this world of technology it’s easy to get lost in the fast pace of life. When you are in the MGA life turns analog. There is no technology, there is time to take in the smiles, time to talk and share stories and I know that pa is always there riding  along sharing the memories.”