Traditionally a manufacturer of small, lightweight sports cars, the 1936 SA represented a significant step upmarket for MG.

As the largest car the firm had produced until that point, the sharp saloon with its low, long bonnet, sweeping wings and rakish four-door cabin marked a fascinating departure for the Abingdon company.

Powered by an enlarged version of the inline-six found in the Wolseley Super Six—enlarged again to 2,322 cubic centimeters in 1937—and fitted with a four-speed manual transmission, semi-elliptic rear springs, and four-wheel Lockheed hydraulic brakes, the new car offered a level of luxury and refinement unseen on an Octagon-badged car.

The range was complemented by a smart Tickford-designed Three-Position Drophead Coupe and Charleswoth Open Tourer, while a small number of chassis were imported to Switzerland by J.H.

Keller’s Sportcar of Zurich, to be bodied in a scintillating drophead coupe style by Reinbolt and Christé of Basel.

According to factory records, ch...