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MG MGA - What year should I call my car?

I know a number of you (like me) have your car titled the year it was "sold" vice the year it was "made".

Which year do you normally state? Or is there an official rule in judging that covers the subject?

A good example is a friend who has a '62 that's titled as a 1963 MGA; he goes though a long explanation every time he's asked the year of his car.

Thanks, Dennis
Dennis Suski

I don't see why the need of a lengthy explanation... My '59 MGA was made in late '58. I drive a 2001 Jeep that I took delivery of in October of 2000, after ordering it in July. Model years have always been screwed up... If he wants to call it a '62, call it a '62. The title is just the title.


Del Rawlins

The State DMV is not likely to let you change the year on the documents. But in giving the year to other folks it's not a bad idea to use the year of manufacture.
David Werblow

How about, "I have a 1962 MGA that was first registered in 1963"? I would think that the build date would be the actual year of the car. Model years, an American invention of one Alfred Sloan, became important when the federal government began to get involved in car design. Different years required different safety and emissions equipment. Thus, knowing the exact "model year" was important under such circumstances. In early US auto production, car styles did not change from year to year and thus a Ford Model T differs little over its production life. Sloan wanted to increase the market share of General Motors and introduced the annual changes, now called a "model year". The intent was to change the styling of the vehicle sufficiently that it would cause people to purchase newer vehicles on a more regular basis. One did not want to be perceived as driving a car that was several year old lest one be suspected of not keeping up with the neighbors. Most of the more recent changes (over the last 40 years) of the British and European cars have been driven by the need to keep up with the US market. Hence, "style" and government regulation have made the model year (which now begins in October rather than the original January of the new year) important in the more modern cars. Older British and European cars had their modifications and upgrades made as they became available rather than being associated with a model year change as is standard today.

Les
Les Bengtson

It was a common practice in the past to title automobiles with the year that they were sold. My MGA is a Nov 1957 build and was titled as a 1958. I fool around with old Triumph motorcycles and it is common to see them with a title being a year later than when built. The car or bike was in inventory for a period before sale. Easily explainable, especially when one considers that in the 1950's and 1960's there was zero coordination between state DMV's. Even today DMV policies vary wildly between states.
Bill Haglan

Bill, do you refer to your's as a '57 or '58?

I have two A's made in '57 that we're titled in '58. I know I have them listed in the NAMGAR database as 1958 and I'm guess there are a ton of years that are off in the database due to the titling.
Dennis Suski

I agree with Les - the year of manufacture should be given - not the year of first registration - although it seems as though the USA gives the year of reg.as the Title.
Suppose you had a 1960 manufactured MGA and it sat in the showroom for 2 years - then registered in '62 - it would seem like it was a MkII if you called it a '62 MGA.
Cam Cunningham

If tomorrow, you were to find a pristine never before titled MGA manufactured in 1955 and some state bureaucrat decided it needed to be titled as the year it was first titled, would you call it a 2012 MGA?
Jeff Schultz

The British tradition is to use the year of manufacture. You will see this in all the books written about MGA's, including the Original MGA by Clausager. There is also no doubt about this date, whereas the first registration date can be lost when paperwork does not come with the car.
BMIHT use the date the car left the factory, ie, a week or so after it started on the line.
Peter.
P. Tilbury

Dennis
I have a 1958 VA license plate on it as that is the title year and I suspect it would cause a crisis with an LE guy if I was pulled over and the license year and registration differed. I suspect you are correct that a lot of the MGAs are listed in the register by a title date that is different than the manufacture date. An interesting situation. I know with old Triumph bikes you have to go by serial number rather than title year when ordring parts as your 1966 may be a 1965.
Bill Haglan

This thread was discussed between 28/04/2012 and 30/04/2012

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