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MG MG Y Type - Sale craze?

Now does everybody want to get rid of their Y saloons? Gaydon auctioned off their YB, and now I find no less than four YAs advertised in this month's "Practical Classics" mag, one from a professional, three in the classifieds. I wonder why the market is suddenly flooded with Ys - usually one sees two or three cars a year for sale in there. Pure coincidence? Aging owners? I hope the cars will appear in our register (or be updated if already included) after finding their new home.
Remo Peter

Remo: I think you are right on with the Aging owners comment. It is the same thing that happen to the Ford model T and A as well as others. As time passes the people with a soft spot in their heart for one model or the other move on also. The market for the Fords and Chev's of the 20 and 30s faded over the last few years. The younger person of this day, when they decide to "restore" a motor car in the future, will turn to the car of their youth, Honda, Toyota, BMW, or other car of their time and place just as most of us did when we were looking for the MG's.
Rob R.

Oh lord, please never let me decide to restore a 1994 Toyota.

In other news, I'm one of those looking to purchase my first Y. I've owned MGs for many years but only recently educated myself about Ys. When you see one, you want one.
Steve Simmons

I'm glad about aging owners! I'm from 1965 and wanted an Y ever since I saw it racing at Silverstone when I was 6 years old.
I also gave up hope of ever buying a driveable Y, because they are not often advertised and enjoyed my 1973 MGB a lot.
Now I'm very happy to say that I bought Y5888 from the previous 70 years old owner, who was selling his collection! Maybe its finally time for the next generation.
(I don't care much about Honda's, Toyota's and BMW's but last week I saw an Austin Allegro 1500, just like my first car and I loved it again....)
Willem van der Veer

Willem: What year was the Austin Allegro?
Rob R.

This is an interesting thread. I agree that it is an age related thing - not only the age of the owner but also about collective memories of the car. My 1952 YB and I share a common birth date and when I bought it in 1980 we were both 28 - this year both of use will be 51. When I bought the car I was forever being stopped by poeople who remembered the car from their youth or new someone who owned one in the 50's . As the car was quite expensive in its day most owners were in the 35- 55 age bracket when the cars were made and now that generation who fought in WWII etc are passing on and there must be few owners left who owned a Y from new. The collective memory of these cars only exists in the over 50's by and large and as so few cars were made the numbers who recollect them will be smaller than for mass produced ones.
What happens is, as has been pointed, out younger people tend to restore cars of THEIR youth ie cars of the late 60s-80's now. The thing in favour of the Y is that they are still reasonably priced (unlike T series MG's) so we may yet get some younger enthusiasts.
David Mullen

There is a unwritten theory that goes something like this.


"The Rule of 20"

Go to any high school and find the most popular car, that car that is everyone has or would love to have.

Step forward 20 years and that car will start to become popular on the restoration scene and for the next 20 years will maintain a fair following. This being the time that most of us are starting to see a little free money , our job is more or less stable, we are in our life home, our familys are set and we are remembering that car from high school. It may have been the car we had or the car that we could not have.

The next 20 years period will see the slow decline in the popularity as this group of owners ages.

Our fathers restored model T's and model A's which his generation had a connection to, our generation look to the cars of the 50's and 60's which is where we are connected.

Yes there are exceptions and the number 20 is at times not all that firm, but for a general rule this one works rather well.



Rob R.

I don't know. I can't think of one car from my high school years in the 80's that I would ever want later in life. Come to think of it, I can't think of one car made in the 80's that was worth making!
Steve Simmons

Steve:
1986 Ferrari 288gto Berlinetta twin turbocharged 2.8L
Rob R. :)
Rob R.

But we're talking about affordable cars here, aren't we? Cars for the average man? Like an MG Y!
Steve Simmons

Sorry Steve I just had to do that, but you are correct the 80's were not big (in my mind) for the collector car.

Now that statement should get a score of replies!

ROB
Rob R.

Rob:

Y #1 is a 49, which matches my birth year, #2 @ 50 matches the wife, but don't tell her I told you. From the 80's, I miss my '85 Dodge pickup. Had lines, style and was a great tow vehicle for my TD to the races.
Safety Fast
Paul
Paul

Paul: our 47 YA was manufactored in May of 47 and my wife was born in July 47.
Rob R.

Austin Allegro for above...

1973-1982; about 450,000 made.

Neil.
neil cairns

Thanks Neil. I tried to look the Austin Allegro up in my Standard Catalog of imported cars for the American market and it is a no show. Would it have been known under a differant model?

Rob
Rob R.

to Rob R.

My allegro was '78-isch, faded light-blue metallic with darkblue vinyl-roof and interior. Its was an horrible car to look at (all allegro's are) but I did all the things in it that you should in your first car... Weren't they exported to the USA? Lucky bastards!
willem van der Veer

Willem

I am not sure if they were or not. They may have been imported under a differant Austin model name. I think that by the mid 70's most of the Austin and other cars along that same price line were not being imported because of the enviromental requirements. Also about that time British leyland was trying to push the sport car side of the house to the American buyer.

Rob R.

Going back to the original question; far from indicating a declining interest in the Y, I think the growing availability of these cars in the classifieds suggests a healthy interest in the Y Type, as does the popularity of this excellent website. I am one of an increasing number of owners who wasn't around during Y Type production, yet was instantly attracted to them when I saw one in the Practical Classics feature of 1984. Having finally acquired one earlier this year I am delighted with it and cannot imagine changing it for a 1970's car, especially not an Allegro! I wonder what percentage of those survive compared to the Y.
Andrew Adamson

This thread was discussed between 03/07/2003 and 08/07/2003

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