Working Man’s Jaguar: 1969 MGC GT
The MGC GT is a very interesting car. BMC had a rather fuzzy product planning department back then. They really didn’t have a clear vision of how to begin to badge engineer Austin-Healeys and the cars from Abingdon. They even hired our friend Donald Healey to develop prototypes of cars using a lighter weight straight 6 than the engine that powered the A-H 3000. Old Syd Enever, chief engineer at BMC, was given the task of developing a new engine using more modern thin-wall technology that should have reduced the weight of the engine by over 100 pounds. Unfortunately, Syd didn’t hit the mark. To make a long story short, they shoehorned Syd’s new motor into an MG chassis, killed the Healey version ’cause Donald hated the idea of his name attached to a car he wasn’t happy with and the MGC was born. The press hated it. It was not a very sharp handling car and it was a bit thirsty without the resulting dramatic increase in power. But what it was good at was cruising. Hence the nickname of a working man’s Jaguar. Today’s offering is from one our favorites in California. And it is a beauty in Mallard Green. Although the MGC was offered as a roadster, this GT is the way to go. I think the structural rigidity of having a roof has to help the handling and general feel of a nose heavy car like this. But it isn’t an autocross candidate, it is a cruiser. The interior has just enough patina and we love the wood wheel. The asking price is $22,500. See more photos at the seller’s site by clicking here.