2025 marks 70 years since the MGA made its debut, and to celebrate, British MG restomodders Frontline Cars have unveiled a brilliantly sleek modernised version of the sleek sports car.
Dubbed the MGA Factory Edition, the original car’s looks are all preserved with only enhanced LED lighting, Frontline badging, and bespoke optional extras such as Perspex windscreens, louvred bonnets, picnic storage in the boot giving a hint to what lays beneath.
Featuring a new chassis developed in-house by Frontline, the original’s outdated leaf springs have now been replaced by adjustable Nitron suspension with a five-link rear and telescopic front setup.
A limited-slip differential with uprated shafts and bearings has also been added, while uprated four-piston front and two-piston rear brakes should help it stop on a dime.
And it’ll need those bigger brakes, as with a dry weight of just 815kg, the boost in power ought to make this featherweight fly. Two naturally-aspirated Ford Duratec four-cylinder engines are available, both mated to a five-speed Mazda gearbox.
The smaller option is a 2.0-litre unit that serves up 220hp (168kW) and 241Nm, enough to get it from 0-60mph (0-97km/h) in 4.8 seconds. The larger 2.5-litre engine packs an even bigger punch with 290hp (216kW) and 330Nm, shaving that sprint time to 4.1 seconds.
“The MGA always had more to give,” says Tim Fenna, founder and chief engineer at Frontline Cars.
“We wanted to keep its iconic shape and character while transforming the driving experience. This is a car that looks and feels like a classic but drives like something far more advanced. It’s light, fast, and incredibly rewarding – but still, unmistakably, an MGA.”
The MGA Factory Edition is set to make its public debut at the 82nd Goodwood Members’ Meeting this weekend, April 12-13, following which it will enter full production at Frontline’s Oxfordshire headquarters with the first customer deliveries expected in mid-2026.
Available as a roadster or coupé in both left- or right-hand drive, the company is particularly focused on exporting cars to its growing audiences in Australia and the USA. Sydney’s Modern Classic Cars offers servicing and sales for our market.
