MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - MGA Spats?

Greetings all,

While researching a totally unrelated subject concerning my 1600 coupe, I came across this unusual photo of an MGA with spats. I've seen these on Jag XK models and a rare few TR3s with these afixed but never an MGA. I guess I really didn't know they were even offered. Anyway, it was so unsual I thought others on the BBS might enjoy seeing the photo as well. Cheers!


Robert Maupin

I think they're kinda attractive, and would look especially good on a Coupe.

Andy 60 Coupe
Andy Preston

Spats? Is that a british term? (I thought I knew all of them.) They've always been known as fender skirts in my part of the world. They make the car look a little pre-WWII, don't they? They also negate the advantage of center-lock wheels, which is the ability to change tires quickly.
David Breneman

I doubt you could fit skirts/spats on a car with spin-offs, I'm sure they stick out too far. At least that's the case on the Jaguar XK120/140/150s.
MGA Larry

> I doubt you could fit skirts/spats on a car with spin-offs...

Larry, the car with the "spats" in Roberts photo has wire wheels with spin-offs. From the side shot it's hard to tell how far, but the "spats" appear to protrude from the rear wings. It sure gives the car a different look. I think I like it.

Andy Bounsall

Greetings,

I went back and found the site once more and have attached another few photos showing the "spats" more from the front of the car, a MK II model. They do have a bow out to there configuration. Kind of neat actually. The second photo shows this car with an aftermarket detachable hadrtop that sort of gives you an idea of how a coupe might look. It really changes the look. Cheers!!!


Robert Maupin

Here is the photo with the hardtop.


Robert Maupin

I remember a few years ago at the Bay State MGA Club's annual MG show at the Museum of Transportation in Brooklyn, Mass, there was an MGA with fender skirts (spats). A white one, either a coupe or roadster with hardtop. Looked like a mini XK120 Jag. Very nice.
Marvin Stuart

Personally, I don't like spats at all. I think they destroy the MGA's sporty lines.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Definitely like a mini XK 120 - I didn't like that with spats either - but it certainly looks different - each to his own!!
Cam Cunningham

Yuk!
P. Tilbury

I don't know Peter, some white spats would nicely compliment the white top on your coupe!

JK!


MGA Larry

When I first saw the original side shot I didn't like it. The more I looked at it, the more it started to look interesting. Doesn't look like an MGA, more like a mini XK120 as others have said. I'm not so crazy about it from the 3/4 front shot. That looks more like a Frankenstien-MGA. As for the photo of the car with the hard top attached, I think Peters description was pretty acurate...YUK!
Andy Bounsall

For me MGA's have a light and agile look. The "spats" make it heavy and elderly. Personally I don't like them or XK's either. To each his own though.
GD Glenn

OK I've seen pics opf this car before. It is interesting to say the least. And, yes, it does sort of grow on you.

But what is the chrome thingy above the rear bumper? Not the luggage rack on the boot but below that. Is it some sort of overrider?
C Schaefer

Makes the car look pregnant and with the hardtop positively old. Never quite understood the purpose of skirts. Aeordynamics perhaps?
The chrome "thingy" appears to be some sort of rear badge bar.
Cheers,
GTF
G T Foster

I have another picture of this car. It is a 1962 MGA 1600 Mk II with fender skirts and a Parish Hardtop. It was on sale at McLean’s Brit Bits in 2003. The hardtop is not bad. The rest just makes it look tail heavy.


Barney Gaylord

Many accessories and/or customizing work is just to make someone's car "different" from the normal stock model. It is not always an improvement over the original. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or in this case perhaps in the eye of the owner only. It is usually done when there are many examples of stock vehicles on the road and someone just wants to stand out from the masses. I think that the skirts/spats make the MGA look like something out of the late 30s. It would stand out in a crowd of MGAs.
Ed Bell

Like I said, they make the car look very stylish and streamlined, by 1930s standards. Sort of like having wide whitewall tires on a 1970s Corvette. If only it had been a Dusenberg. :-)
David Breneman

Saw this car for sale on some site last year.....thought it was unatractive with all the extras. Why mess with the timeless beauty of the design?
Irene Breland

Hmmmm ... looks like a wedding using wedding cars tunbridge wells cake to me.

Or F. Scott Fitzgerald meets the Clockwork Orange.
Richard Ross

When I saw this MGA with spats several years ago I immediately started searching for a pair. The only source I found was (eBay)angelheartpancho (JORGECERVERA218@LIVE.COM) in San Diego. He offered to make a set for me for $800.00. Needless to say I am still looking.


J. F. Kaiser

I find the whitewalls and all the extra chrome more objectionable than the spats. Triumph fitted spats to a TR2 in the early '50s; along with an "underpan" and removal of the bumpers and windshield to further smooth up the car, the spats helped them achieve a two-way timed run of 124 mph. I might like to see spats on a similarly prepared land-speed-record-style MGA.
k v morton

Don't forget that many MGAs came to the US with factory whitewalls (as did mine) and that whitewalls were featured in much MGA advertising even in Europe.


David Breneman

You are right about factory whitewalls, but I never liked the look. And I never cared for the chrome wire wheels, either. I've always preferred a stripped down competition look, with less chrome, not more. And I think the spats might look purposeful on a salt flats racer, kind of like EX179, but they look pretentious with all the chrome and extra decoration.

Ken
k v morton

My car has the thin stripe white wall tyre - fitted by a PO - Continental brand - made in '92. Quite like the look - but will have to change them soon - will miss them.
Cam Cunningham

I finally found a picture to illustrate my thoughts of spats on a salt flats racer. I think this 1953 Healey, borrowed from K&R Reproductions, looks like a proper race car.

Ken


k v morton

Cam, I really like the whiteline tyres. However, the only new tyres with decent compound I can readily find are the Coker "arm and a leg" ones.

I have a set of the white line trims like the ones Moss sells. I have heard some negative things and seen some awful versions of these and so haven't fitted them yet.
Neil McGurk

Hi Neil - a friend in our club put the Moss white line trims on his midget - good at twenty paces but they kept wrinkling up so he took them off. cheers Cam
Cam Cunningham

It's all a matter of preference. Personally, I really like the look of wide white walls on an MGA. It gives the car a very classy vintage look to my eye. I know one fellow who really dislikes them though. He said he'd prefer to see the car with thin red line tires. To me those tires scream of the 1970's muscle-car era. To each his own, I guess.
Andy Bounsall

This thread was discussed between 07/01/2009 and 19/01/2009

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.