Our Cars : MG 1100 or MG 1300 Mk2?

AROnline Contributor Martin Williamson says that MG is a given for him – like several other members of our Editorial Team, he has a soft spot for the ADO16 range, so that begs this question: MG 1100 or MG 1300 Mk2?

I have always had a fascination with the BMC 1100 and 1300 (commonly referred to as ADO16, the BMC project number covering all the variants) having had an Austin Apache as a first car. These cars get under my skin, and I always find myself buying another after selling one.

For those not familiar with the BMC 1100/1300 (ADO16), it’s not a simple matter of choosing the bigger engine for more performance. The 1100 was launched in 1962 while the 1300 was launched as the Mk2 from 1968 and brought with it various changes which may or may not appeal to different folks.

When it comes to the MGs, I’ve had three 1300 models and currently own an 1100. Why the retrograde step to an earlier 1100 or Mk1 as it became known retrospectively? Partly, I suspect for the same reason that I also have a 1966 MGB GT Mk1 after having had a 1980 MGB GT. For me, it’s the earlier cars that have the period charm.

The 1100, like the MGB GT Mk1, is what I think of as the last of the old-style classics before the safety-mandated era. Interestingly, the 1100/1300 range actually has a lot in common with the MGB and the changes ran in parallel – so, just as the MG 1300 Mk2 gained flush internal door handles and padded door pulls, so, too, did the MGB, using the same parts. Just as the toggle switches gave way to safer plastic rocker switches on the 1300, along with a column-mounted ignition switch, so they did on the MGB. If safety is your thing, then the later cars are going to be the ones you would want to be in should you have an accident.

On the other hand, if you like dipping your headlights with a foot-operated switch, and you love the sound of the toggle switches clicking satisfyingly into position and that little green tell-tale on the end of the indicator stalk is your thing, then the earlier cars are the ones to go for.

In short, by the 1960s, the engineering was such that most classic cars from that period will keep up with, or even be held up by, modern traffic. Sure, the stopping power isn’t that great, but one drives accordingly and more defensively. As to the handling, well some may beg to differ, but I’d say the 1100 and 1300 range isn’t too bad – it can be improved, but it again adds to the charm of why we drive them. The biggest smile-inducer is more the way the car floats down the road! For the driver, there’s the added charm of the bus-like steering wheel which induces a relaxed approach to driving and, for the passenger, the range offers a disproportionate amount of interior space for the relatively small external dimensions.

So, having done much of my driving in the safety-focused, padded plastic designs of the 1970s onwards, I find myself drawn to an age where, although I would not have been driving, the earlier cars bring back fond memories of childhood and watching my father driving. For me, the earlier MkI still provides sufficient poke to put a smile on my face and keep me out of trouble with the modern traffic while, at the same time, transporting me back to a time when cars were more simple, yet driving was more involved.

To throw more confusion on the matter, it isn’t all about the relative safety aspects of the 1300 versus the more period feel of the 1100. In the UK, when launched, the 1100 was available as a four-door only, although some export markets received the two-door model. All the early literature for the MG 1100 showed two-door models, but for whatever reason the 1100 is four-door only in the UK. Personally, I prefer the two-door with its slightly more coupe look. Anyway, in 1967, the 1275cc A-Series engine was offered as an option and, for a brief period through to 1968, one could buy an MG as either 1100 or 1300 with two or four doors in the case of the 1300.

However, from the full Mk2 1300 of 1968 onwards until 1971, the MG 1300 was two-door only. For this reason, and the fact it is faster, the 1300 is always going to be the more sought after – hence its consequent higher asking prices when these come on the market. An MG 1300 Mk2 in excellent condition can fetch over £10,000 these days.

The MG 1300 Mk2 took a small move upmarket gaining a fold-down arm rest on the rear seat squab, and lost the original strip speedo of the MG 1100 (also used in the Wolseley) and received what was the Riley Kestrel dash – the more sporty-looking three-dial set-up included a rev counter in the second dial and an oil pressure gauge to complement the temperature and fuel gauges in the third dial.

Moreover, in line with the safety improvements, the 1300 Mk2 gained the plastic rocker switches and the doors were fitted with the flush door handles and padded pulls rather than the lever on the earlier cars. In 1970, the MG 1300’s ignition switch moved to the column away from the dash. The dash remained a wood veneer as with the 1100, but it now looked far more the part with more information for the sporting driver.

Additionally, the option of leather on offer in the 1100 Mk1 was dropped and the Mk2 upholstery was vinyl. Another change was that the front seats no longer had the hardboard backing shell of the Mk1 – no bad thing really, as the shell had a tendency to tear, anyway.

For me, all of that is the reason I have previously gone for the 1300. That, and the fact that the 1275cc A-Series engine is pretty quick. In addition, with a rear anti-roll bar, a decent set of new 12in tyres in the 155 width rather than the original 145 width used on the crossplies and poly bushing in the front sub-frame, the car can be an absolute hoot on the country roads.

The downside is that the entire ADO16 range went from using a twin-piston front brake calliper (the same as on the MG Midget) to using a single-piston swinging calliper and therefore any brake upgrades are more limited as it is harder now to find even standard brake discs and pads. That said, a number of owners have gone the route of modifying the driveshafts to those used on later Metros. Speaking of driveshafts, the MG 1300s were all fitted with the rubber cross-bracing inboard with the remote gearchange.

By the time the ADO16 went into its final Mk3 phase with the Austin, Morris, Wolseley and Vanden Plas variants, the MG and Riley had been dropped in 1971 and 1969 respectively. The Mk3 models got the Hardy Spicer inboard CV joints and rod change linkage, both of which can be fitted to the MG 1100 or 1300 as an upgrade as there is less risk of damage from failed inboard rubber joints and fewer issues with imprecise gear changes from the softening of the rubber sandwich plate between the diff and the remote housing or even cracked casings.

Okay, so why the 1100? What does it have going for it if it’s slower and has less in the way of dashboard sporting aspirations? In the UK, as mentioned, the four-door only option can be a bonus when travelling with family. These days, for the classic enthusiast, it can be cheaper to buy the earlier MG with an excellent condition MG 1100 fetching more than £7500 – not cheap, but still less than the 1300 MK2 by a reasonable margin.

Apart from that, for me the 1100 wins on that ‘Farina’ appeal. It’s hard to describe but, when I look at the 1960s BMC stable, the delicate Farina fins on the 1100 somehow shout 1960s in a way that Michelloti says 1970s when I look at the saloon range of Triumphs – and, of course, the magic pen he worked across the ADO16 to produce the Austin Apache and subsequent Victoria.

The later tail lamps which got bigger on most BMC/BL models as safety became the focus took away from that elegant look in my opinion. On cars like the MGB, the fitment of reversing lights just added to the clutter and took away from the purity of style born of the simplicity. The MkII and MkIII versions of the ADO16 both shared their Lucas L815 tail lamps with, of all things, the Austin FX4 black cab.

However, when the ADO16 was facelifted in 1967, the loss of the rear fins to accommodate the sloping tail-light units along with the side repeaters at the front meant that the revised model just didn’t look as good in my opinion. While the MG retained the same front panel and grille, as did the Riley, Wolseley and Vanden Plas, the Austin and Morris variants got a new front grille which was again not quite as appealing as the original.

So, while I am no fan of the strip speedo, and having a preference for the two-door coupe style, I rather like the 1960s feel of the 1100 with the foot-operated dip switch, the green tell-tale on the indicator stalk (anorak fact alert – only used from 1965 through to 1967, as the earlier strip-speedo units had green arrow warning lights) and the simple door levers and swinging door pulls on the front doors.

What then, would be my ideal MG 1100?  Well, I already have it, up to a point. Mine started life as a Connaught Green model with the late option of the olive-green interior rather than the grey that would traditionally have gone in the green models. The Heritage Certificate supports this fact as I have had a number of people tell me the interior colour is not correct. However, prior to my purchase, it had been resprayed in non-BMC shades of green over light, mint green, and when it had a major body refurbishment, I reverted to Connaught Green, but went for the Old English White duotone scheme which was an option on these.

My intention is to replace the original strip-speedo dash in my MG 1100 with an early Riley Kestrel Mk1 dash and its toggle switches – I prefer the look as it fits with the MG’s sporting aspirations whereas the strip-speedo unit is, well, just a bit naff. Mine came originally with leather seats, but these need redoing – I do, though, have a lovely pair of front vinyl seats which I acquired from an Engineer, who’d worked on these when new, and which he’d stored, having only used them in his new MG 1100 for less than a year. I put a new loom in and made provision for a few additional upgrades to include relays for the lighting as well as for the rev counter on the Riley dash.

The engine is original, with only 54,000 miles on it, and has probably never been opened. However, a session on the rolling road highlighted how restrictive the original air filter and manifold to the twin HS 1¼in SU carburettors was in performance terms. Having fitted a Maniflow exhaust system based on the Downton pattern, and fitted the inlets to the carbs from the MG 1300 Mk2 along with K&N filters and D6 needles, the performance is up considerably – all this on its original positive earth and mechanical points system. The distributor was rebuilt with new springs etc. and, once set-up, the engine now pulls well. An engine steady bar has been fitted down below to help tighten things up.

The front subframe and suspension were rebuilt during the respray and feature poly bushes now, while Falken 155 12in radial ply tyres complete the handling. By comparison to the MG 1300 Mk2s I have owned, this 1100 does have a tendency towards more understeer than those – at least in part, I suspect that is down to it not having a rear anti-roll bar.

The final step on the engine would be to get a Stage 2, ported head fitted. However, I would not say no to a supercharger were I to find a period Shorrocks unit. Along with upgraded discs and pads and an anti-roll bar at the rear, this would complete the ideal 1100.

What of an ideal MG 1300? Well, if the MG 1300 Mk3 had existed, I have often wondered whether it would have gone the way of the rest of the MG range. To that end, then, would the grille have received a black honeycomb plastic insert? It would not be difficult to create that ‘what if’ scenario, and I almost did. The red MG 1300 Mk2 featured here was also owned by me during the rebuild. An earlier owner got wind of the fact I owned it, made me an offer which was too good to refuse and completed the restoration himself.

However, my plans had been to source some Austin America bumper overriders which have the rubber facings like the ones I had had on a custom MG 1300 a few years earlier. The grille slats would have been painted a satin black, as would the C-posts or, alternatively, a black vinyl roof would have been fitted. The wood-veneered dash would have been done in a black vinyl finish –  similar to that found in the Austin/Morris 1300 GT.

To complete the 1970s look, RO-style rims would be needed. As is apparent in these images, my MG 1100 is fitted with a set. RO-styles were never offered in the UK – the Austin/Morris 1300 GT had hub-caps. However, the South African equivalent of the GT, the Austin Apache TC, and the Spanish Austin Victoria Deluxe were fitted as standard with these. In the UK, the option was normally to add Dunlop D1 alloys, but the RO-styles really do add to the effect.

Naturally, the 1275cc engine with the 11-stud head is eminently tuneable with the possibility of going to 1340cc and pushing beyond 100bhp. In my experience the standard 1275cc is already quite quick by comparison to the 1100, but more is possible, and it would make for a very nice ‘sleeper’ out on the road. The handling, as mentioned, seems tighter than the 1100, but the driveshafts could do with upgrading to inboard CV joints along with an engine steady kit from the later Mk3 cars – this does, though, cause complications with the clutch slave cylinder and these slave units are more difficult to source now.

Another temptation with an ideal MG 1300 Mk2 would be to attempt a conversion which was offered by Creech Motors in Somerset during the late 1960s and known as the Mystique. Using an MGB GT tailgate, the ADO16 was converted into a five-door hatchback. Done right, I think this could add to the appeal of the coupe style of the two-door body.

One given in all of this is that the Hydrolastic suspension would stay! Units can be repaired if the hose has failed, but the system works, and it is what gives these cars their charm and unique ride. To replace it with a coil-over suspension system as has been done would be to lose their allure.

While both the 1100 and the 1300 are not Minis when it comes to the ultimate small car with go-kart handling, they are not far behind. With the ever-rising prices of Minis, the ADO16 is starting to look more attractive. If you can find a good one of whatever marque, then give it a try – you would be surprised at how much fun these are and find out why so many of the owners have been around them for so long. As I said at the beginning, they get under your skin! More importantly, whether you’re an MG enthusiast, an Austin afficionado, a Morris devotee, a Riley fan, a Wolseley buff or a Vanden Plas fanatic, there’s an ADO16 to suit you.

26 Comments

  1. Somehow, I have always thought that the 4 doors suited the looks much better than the 2 door versions. The MG 1100 in two-tone paint was especially classy as can be seen from Martin’s car now. The only change I would make would be to revert to original wheels and nave plates. A lovely article on 2 lovely cars – thank you.

    • Thank you, but I am a bit lost on the nave plates. I have the original MkI (non-vented) wheels and hub-caps in storage.

        • Thanks for the clarification, I wondered if that were the case. I know someone that has a fixation with number plates but in this case these are the original number plates, too, on my car, although not on my MGB GT, the font is wrong for the age on these cheaper aftermarket black&silver plates.

  2. Would have actually liked to have seen what a hypothetical MG 1300 MkIII with two-tone paint could have looked like, though OTOH the second picture with the MGB GT brings to mind the proposed Innocenti IM3/I5/I5 facelift whose feint MGB-like looks would appear to be more amenable to forming the basis of an MG 1300 MkIII.

  3. Very good and thorough article Martin. It’s a fact that cars of that era (and before) were very robust. We had a beige 1100 when we were very young and had zero money. With about 10Lb pressure we still took it down to the south coast one summer Sunday – and ignored the oil light until it stayed on permanently. We stopped in a lay-by, let it cool down, poured in another 2 pints of oil and soldiered on. I think it used about a gallon of oil on the 160 mile round trip. It still ran for months afterwards – getting us to work and back. Modern cars don’t have to do that – the electronics either work and frighten you to death or die themselves and kill the car!

    • Reminds me of a Mark 2 Cavalier I had 25 years ago. It used to use nearly as much oil as petrol and I always carried a 5 litre can and kept an eye on the warning light. Yet it always started, even under a snowdrift, was still capable of long journeys so long as you had enough oil and i managed to sell it to someone for £ 100 who kept it running for another year. Of course, even in the eighties, there were none of the electronic gizmos and electronic engine management systems that would have given up and so long as the engine was oiled and watered, the Cavalier kept going. Also being in some dead end jobs it had to as I couldn’t afford a better car until 1996.

  4. I too have always had a soft spot for the ADO16 – the first of my Dad’s cars I can recall. Too young to remember if it was an Austin or a Morris, but one of the two.

  5. I was considered very chic in my duck egg blue four door during my teens in Washington DC when most of my friends drove Beetles. I loved that car, but the dealer network was non-existent, parts difficult to obtain, and the roof lining kept falling down as the adhesive used was not up to dealing with the heat. But I still loved it!

    • Another feature of the MkI vs. the MKII, proper bows for the roof lining and not glued to the metal as on the MKI.

  6. Sorry to pull the author up on a minor error, but Creech Motors was actually based in Evercreech, near Wells, in Somerset, not Devon. My own vehicle was supplied by them in the early 1990s when they had the Rover franchise and they continued trading up until approximately 2003 when the owner, Gerald Fry, decided to retire.

  7. I still admire the Vanden Plas Princess 1300, a miniature limousine that was my favourite ADO16 variant. Mind you, the MG 1300 is a good car and a 100 mph 1300cc car was rare for 1969 and shows how advanced the ADO 16 was for its time. Also BMC and early British Leyland knew how to make interiors nice on their cars.

    • My 1962 MG 1100 2-door has a 1275 engine… sitting on the garage floor next to it. Can’t wait to see how “fast” it is. They’re pretty rare here in USA!

  8. Each to there own but I loved the MG 1300 and its Austin/Morris 1300 GT sisters went like brown stuff off a stick

  9. Can i dare to say that i thought that the Riley Kestral was the better look apart from the seat trim pattern.

  10. Ive never had an ADO16 of any variety but they are a pleasant little car and a natural progession of the Mini.
    Minis are my thing and the earlier the better, the 1st edition Mk1 being the purest in my eyes. I share your love of floor mounted dip switch, green indicator repeater, magic wand gearbox and my favourite, floor starter button! although ADO16s way too upmarket for that!
    The duotone MG to my eyes is the nicer of the 2, Id happily have one in my garage.
    Nice article.

  11. Dad had Austin 1100s as company cars back then, so they create a warm nostalgia.
    They are certainly some of the prettiest small cars of the Sixties.

  12. Know Innocenti had their own version of ADO16, yet wonder whether the grille of the mk1/mk2 MG ADO16s (and non-MG ADO16s) could have benefited from a more tidier grille design similar to the pre-Bertone 1965-1975 Innocenti Mini (with matt/satin black trim)?

  13. Martin, great information, and insights, on how this model evolved through its production life . Back in the day, I was involved with Minis and ADO16’s, drove and worked on them, and ran an MG1300 Mk2 as a road car for a while.

    A few reminiscences, from a boy racer perspective. The mechanically identical 1300GT’s, with their lowered suspension, handled better than the high-riding MG ….. but their ground clearance, under the vulnerable power unit and exhaust manifold, was distinctly marginal. These higher powered models could also be more prone to warranty claims, on the somewhat fragile transmissions.

    When any ADO 16 with the 70 bhp 11 stud engine bit the dust, the motor got swapped into a Mini, before it could even cool down. I also had an early Morris 1100 with 1071 Cooper ‘S’ power unit, which was a riot for club motorsport, though it did eat diffs for lunch.

    They weren’t, of course, designed for this kind of use, with their soft engine location etc. With the ‘sandwich plate’ gearchange, a no-cost trick to make it less floppy was to arc weld the two halves together, where they overlap.

    Today, one of these MG’s in good condition must be a very enjoyable period piece, to drive sympathetically, with its gentle character, airy, spacious interior, and cultured ride / handling balance. To have two of them, better still !

  14. We used to have a MG1100 Mk2 – a lovely car to drive. It used to take ages to clean all of the chrome on the grill and bumpers.

    Regrettably it rusted away and need too much restoration work. Although I kept the grill as a reminder.

  15. I bought my first ADO16 four years ago, a mk1 Wolseley 1100 in the duotone colours of Island Green and Toga White. Bought it following a deceased estate sale, and became the second owner. I absolutely love floating along in it, such a comfortable drive.

  16. A great read from Martin… and great pictures of the MG ADO16’s as well. Love the colours! I have an admiration for these cars that I never had for the Allegro.

    My brother owned a 1970 Morris 1300GT and that was a good looking car with good performance too (burnt orange with black vinyl roof.). A personal favourite was the Riley Kestrel

  17. My mother had a white MG 1300 Mk II, two doors, new back lights, though it still had the strip spedo and the “old” switches

  18. Have read the MG 1100/1300 represented a 7.2% or so of total ADO16 output, is it known where the Riley and Wolseley versions stood in comparison?

    To put things into perspective a hypothetical MG saloon version of the Mini with the same 7.2% output as the MG 1100/1300, out of around 1.871.077 or so Minis built over 1962-1969 comes to a potential 135.717 MG badged Minis. Compared to the 59.367 or so Riley Elf (30.912 aka 1.6%) / Wolseley Hornet (28.455 aka 1.5%) models, which together represented a 3.1% of total output of Mini production at the time.

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