MG Enthusiast Magazine Vol.44 No.10 Treasured Trophy Back Issue

IN AN IDEAL WORLD, we
would not be running Iain
Ayre’s feature on the Farina
Magnette this month. Not
because it isn’t a great feature –
amusing, thought provoking and
informative in equal measure –
but because it paints such a nice
picture of a model that is usually
overlooked by enthusiasts.
That probably requires a little
explanation on my part. You see,
I have long harboured a desire
for one of these unfancied family
saloons. It has been a nagging
desire at the back of my mind
rather than evolving into a fullscale
hunt for a Farina of my
own. I’ve kept an eye in all the
classifieds and on the internet,
but on the rare occasion when
one has come up for sale, I’ve
either been too busy to check it
out or it has simply been priced
beyond my budget.
And that’s why I say that Iain’s
feature is not particularly timely –
I have noticed that interest and
hence prices for all of the big
Farina family have been on the
increase of late, and reading
Iain’s report can only add fuel to
the fires. If I am not careful, then
I might find that I am already too
late to join the party and the
pleasures of MkIII/MkIV
Magnette motoring might get
away from me for good.
That is probably not as far
fetched an idea as it might at
first seem. I’ve heard enough
people say how they could
barely give a T-Type away in the
1960s or 1970s to know how a
car’s fortunes can change. More
recently the MGC’s reputation
has gone through a thorough
transformation, and the results in
terms of rising prices are clear to
see. And what about the early
pull-handle MGBs such as the
one featured on p26? Once
upon a time they were just the
older and less desirable model
of B, but nothing could be
further from the truth today.