An MG for all seasons that was once owned by Al Moss of Moss Motors

An MG for all seasons that was once owned by Al Moss of Moss Motors | The MG Y Type

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Story by Ed Cooke

The name MG almost universally brings to mind a two-seat sports car. This is logical as literally tens of thousands of two-seat MG sports cars were assembled in Abingdon from 1929 until production ceased in 1980.

These nimble sports cars are certainly what built MG’s worldwide reputation as builder of what became the classic sports car. Lesser known is the fact that more than a few small sporting sedans and some very elegant four-seat and four-door saloons were also assembled at Abingdon.

Our featured car here, the MG Y Type, referred to as YA after the introduction of its successor, the YB, is one of those. While not as sporting as the Mini-based MG 1100 or 1300, or as elegant as the prewar SA, VA or WA, this compact Y type saloon incorporates features of both its ancestors and its successors.

Referred to as the “one and a quarter liter saloon” for its 1250cc engine, the Y Type, to quote the original factory announcement, …”is proudly offered to discriminating motorists, built to the high MG standard…it Maintains the Breed.”

The design of the Y type shares input from two well-know individuals in the British Car Industry. The chassis, with its independent front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering, was designed by Alec Issigonis, who would go on to even greater fame with the development of the Mini.

This independent front suspension would be used, with some slight modifications, in all MG rear-wheel-drive cars right through the MGB. The body styling, although based on the Morris 8, was brought up to a traditional MG look by Gerald Palmer, designer of the Jowet Jupiter and the mid-’50s MG Magnette. Palmer added a more flowing rear fender and boot, as well as incorporating a classic narrow upright MG grille.

The Y type is unique in the fact that it may well be the only British car in which both Issigonis and Palmer added their collective talents to a single design. The Y was the first all steel car from the parent Nuffield corporation, replacing the traditional wooden coachwork type of construction. The engine was a detuned version of the recently developed XPAG engine from the MG TB, a fairly advanced engine for the times as many of the Y types contemporaries were still using side valve engines.

Designed in the late 1930s, the Y type was built to the somewhat archaic R.A.C tax category of a “Ten”. This class of cars of roughly 1100 to 1300cc, with four seat, four-door saloon bodies, were rapidly becoming a popular choice for the British motorist.

The ”Ten” class had an entry from most major and some minor manufacturers. Austin, Riley, Morris, Ford, Standard, Hillman, and Vauxhall offered their own “Ten”. The original basic “Ten” market gradually began to move upmarket during the 1930s, resulting in a variety of better quality 10-horsepower cars available. This was the market Nuffield was aiming at when it began development on what would become the Y-type. Intended to go into production in 1939 as a new model for 1940, the model was unfortunately on hold for another 8 years as the conflict swept through Europe and the world.

Introduced in 1947, the Y type’s classic exterior was complemented by its traditional British interior styling. MG retained the elegant interior touches of its big prewar saloons, with beautiful wood dash and door trim. Leather seating surfaces on well padded bucket seats in front and armchair-like rear seating complete with folding armrest–all upholstered in traditional subtly refined British taste.

Finely detailed door and window handles, interior knobs, door pockets and rear seat grab handles added to the upmarket interior feel. A full complement of gauges arrayed in classic MG octagonal bezels relayed important information to the driver who was seated behind a telescoping steering wheel.

Additional touches included a crank-out windshield, sliding sunroof and semaphores or trafficators on both B-pillars. The rear window employs a rather rare device, the anti-dazzle shade, which can be pulled up by a cord above the driver’s door to block the headlights of those following too closely.

One unique system retained from the prewar SA, VA and WA is the Jackall system, a built-in, self-contained hydraulic jacking system that can lift the front, the rear, or the entire car off the ground for tire changing and minor service. It was a system shared with more expensive contemporaries such as Bentley and Lagonda. The four-speed, three-synchro gearbox and hydraulic drum brakes provided a traditional driving experience for the Y type owner.

Launched in 1947, the Y-type was well received by the motoring press, who gave it positive reviews for its acceleration, handling, and general refinement for its class. The reviews also made clear that this was a not a sports car in the traditional MG mold, rather a civilized touring saloon, capability of brisk acceleration and relaxed high speed (relatively) cruising capabilities. As was the case with most British auto manufacturers immediately postwar, most of the first year of production was destined for export, most to Europe and Britain’s colonies.

In 1948 a left-hand-drive model was produced (requiring modification to the bulkhead, making the Y type the first MG ever produced in left-hand drive). While the Y saloon was not heavily promoted in the U.S., MG developed the YT, an open four-seat tourer, for the American market. Unfortunately, the YT tourer was never the success in the States that MG had hoped, and production of the YT ended in 1950 with only 877 models produced.

The Y-type was improved as production continued, and in 1952 the YB was introduced, incorporating a number of mechanical improvements, most visible the change from 16-inch wheels to 15-inch, requiring a small change to the rear fenders. An anti-roll bar was also fitted at the front.

The Y in its new YB configuration soldiered on through 1953, eventually becoming more of an anachronism as more modern saloons made their appearance. MG moved on to the somewhat more modern design of the Magnette as their sporting saloon offering. In all, more than 8000 Y-type were constructed from 1947 through 1953: 6149 Y saloon, 877 YT tourers, and 1299 YB saloons. Various coach-built specials were also produced by several carrossiers as well.

This particular Y Type was imported to the U.S. and is said to have been sold new in Santa Barbara, California. It was later purchased by the well known British Car entrepreneur Al Moss of Moss Motors in the 1970s. Moss restored and modified the Y type to his liking, using it as a daily driver for many years. Moss added TF front brakes, rear axle and brakes, and chrome 15-inch wire wheels. He also swapped the XPAG 1250cc engine to a 1500cc XPEG engine and added a Shorrock supercharger. The car was quite a capable 70 mph cruiser in his ownership.

After purchasing the Y, the we at Abingdon Spares have replaced the supercharger with the twin carburetor setup from a TD. The blower had been installed with no provision for an air cleaner, and the single carburetor choke linkage bound on the steering column. The properly tuned twin-carburetor setup provides comfortable cruising power for relaxed touring. We also switched the chrome wire wheels for more subdued black-painted wheels.

Despite these substantial mechanical modifications to the YA, the compact saloon still retains all of its period charm. Being a larger, heavier car than the TC and TD, the Y has a quieter, more solid feeling ride. The independent front suspension and rack and pinion steering provides confidence-inspiring handling and road holding. The Y is quite capable of keeping up with modern traffic.

The all-steel construction, with wind-up windows and a comfortable, spacious interior, truly separate the Y from the more spartan sports models. The upright seating position, the large, thin-rimmed steering wheel, and classic wood dash with its octagonal white-on-black gauges, recall an earlier driving experience.

Rolling along, the view over the long narrow bonnet, with the large, chromed headlamps nestled between the by then, somewhat dated separate fenders, evokes a time when driving really was more properly called, shall we say, motoring.

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