REVIEW | Frontline MGA - Finally, a Restomod That Isn’t a 911

Restomods are ace. They make cars that were great when they were new even better. Panels fit properly, engines don’t (or shouldn’t) go pop, mod cons can be subtly slotted in, and subtle aesthetic tweaks are made to give them enhanced, but appropriate looks. Yes, they come with a pricetag, but if you can afford the original you can probably afford to fiddle with it to make it ‘just so.’ Abingdon’s Frontline Cars made its name by creating the perfect MGB, but a client request to spruce up the MGA has resulted in something rather wonderful. 

What does Frontline do?

Frontline’s recipe is, without thinking too hard about the actual engineering that goes into the cars, simple. Take an original car, swap out the springs, brakes, motor, gearbox, and other components hidden under the body, to make it look perfect. Its MGBs can be had wil four pot, V8, or even electric powertrains and they’re a joy to drive - you never worry they’re going to let go in a plume of smoke, and the interiors are as perfect as they come. The MGA Factory Edition… that’s something else. 

Perhaps it’s because the MGB is so prevalent that the A is such a breath of fresh air. Often seen as a starter classic, chances are you’ll see more than a handful at any local classic show, or even trundling around the countryside on sunny Sunday, a well sorted B is cool, but an A feels like something of an event. 

The MGA Factory Edition came about when a client saw what Frontline could do with an MGB but didn’t fancy the looks, but really rather liked its predecessor. The question was asked and Frontline was more than happy to indulge them. It’s not a one off, but is something you can get yourself into should the mood take you. 

Engine options

Frontline can fit it with either 2.0 or 2.5-litre Mazda-sourced (and heavily tweaked - ITBs..!!) four cylinder motor, hooked up to the five-speed manual you’ll find in the likes of the MX-5. The smaller motor comes with 225 horses and 178lb ft, while the bigger will net you 290 hp and 243lb ft. The first Factory Edition comes with the lower power setup, but because it weighs 815kgs, it takes just 4.8 seconds to get from 0-62mph and you’ll top out at 155mph. 

Stopping is taken care of by a set of four piston alloy front brakes, paired with two piston alloy discs at the back. The old springs have been swapped out for telescopic suspension at the front, and five link at the rear - both with adjustable dampers. The wooden floors that were surely charming back in the 50s are now steel, helping allay fears that woodworm will demolish the bit where your feet go, and add some stiffness to the structure. 

Interior & Exterior

Inside, you’ll find more leather than most dairy farms can muster, bluetooth audio, a hidden USB slot, a Motolita steering wheel, and dials driven by electrics that in the 50s may well have been viewed as some sort of magic. 

The exterior is wonderfully finished, with a ‘Frontline’ badge neatly placed on the bonnet. If you want a de-bumpered car with a perspex screen, you can have that too - a neat nod to the MGAs that went racing at Sebring in the period. Colour, trim, and anything else… sky’s the limit pretty much. They’ll do you a coupé or a convertible, so if you’re a shrinking violet, you can buzz around with a fixed roof.

Driving Experience

When it comes to driving, there are few greater things than a BRG open top MG on a sunny day. Luckily for Frontline, on the day the sun wasn’t just shining but pleasantly blazing, which is what cars like that are designed for. While getting in took a little bit of flesh origami (and repeated mutterings that I’m still young and nubile… honest), once properly seated the view was beguiling. Classic dials glinting in the sun, wood-rimmed ‘wheel smoothly slipping into my hands, and Frontline’s beautifully upholstered alloy bucket seats gently cradling my behind, the car was, before I’d even turned a key, onto a winner. If it refused to start I’d have happily sat there and stoked bits of it until I was turfed out. Luckily for the car, and for the people who’d otherwise have had to watch me caress things, it started on the nose. 

The Mazda ‘box meant there was no danger of stalling - the clutch is light, and the ‘box is phenomenal, so it just… goes. Putting pressure on the throttle creates a charming parp as you breeze along. Being a car from the 1950s, it’s rather small and quite narrow, so stumpy roads in town aren’t really a bother. Ok, the nose is quite long, which takes some getting used to, but otherwise you can bounce around the city with ease. And lots of glamour. People wave, take pictures, and seem to have a better day for having seen the car and heard its parps. 

Countryside driving has never felt better

In the countryside, on the sort of roads you’d read about in an Enid Blyton book, the MGA feels very fine indeed. Normally, you’d fly up to 4-5,000rpm, enjoy the ITBs’ song briefly, and change up. It revs higher than that. And you should definitely rev it higher than that, often as you can. It sounds so excellent that revving the knackers off it becomes a sport where everyone wins. The way it delivers its power is smooth, with a delicate urgency. With little weight to push around, the car feels agile in a way that few new cars do in 2025. It’s effortless. 

Frontline’s suspension setup means it never felt uneasy - it felt planted, sure, and, well, as capable as the MGA looks like it should. It’s not a car to pile into bends at a billion miles per hour with, but you can play with it and not expect to be bitten. The steering is power assisted (here - it’s adjustable) at lower speeds, but in the country, it’s as nature intended, and all the better for it. The brakes are strong, but don’t have any electronic interference. Don’t get too heavy with ‘em else you’ll lock up, but be sensible and they’re chunky as they come. 

It’s not a car for everyone, but as ‘A Thing That Exists’, it’s truly wonderful. It oozes style, but not oil, and is hilarious fun whether you’re in town or country. And, crucially, it’s great to see a restomod that isn’t a 911. More of this, please, Frontline.

words: Alex Goy
pictures: Frontline