Rare 1955 Arnolt-MG coupé to be offered at auction for just £13,000 to £20,000
Just 65 MG coupés and 35 convertibles were built by the Chicago based industrialist Stanley “Wacky” Arnolt and of them only 36 Arnolt-MGs “of all stripes” are believed to survive today. One, requiring restoration, is set to be sold by Bonhams in Philadelphia in October with a guide of just £13,000 to £20,000 ($20,000 to $30,000). It represents a chance to acquire an unusual piece of automotive history and a low price entry opportunity into classic car ownership.
The car on offer, a 1955 Arnolt-MG coupé with coachwork by Nuccio Bertone is described as featuring “Italian coachwork, English mechanicals and American flair” and is built on an MG TD rolling chassis. It cost some $3,145 (the equivalent of £18,000 or $28,000 today) new – just $500 shy of the price of the more powerful Jaguar XK120 and 30% higher in price than a standard MG – and though Stanley Arnolt struck a deal to make 200 Bertone bodied, MG TD based cars, MG’s demand for their own cars led to only 100 chassis being supplied. Arnolt subsequently moved into modifying Aston Martins, Bentleys and Bristols and made around 150 such cars before business ceased in 1968.
Bonhams will offer the Arnolt-MG without reserve at their Preserving the Automobile sale at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum on 5th October 2015.
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This is a real young gentleman’s car with what looks like a knock – off hand brake, but wind up windows
1955….we hear Elvis Presley, The Lady Killers is released, EOKA starts their terror campaign, Hugh Gaitskell leads Labour and Princess Margaret will not marry Group Captain Townsend
The image of a small later Bristol, it is an interesting low cost charmer
Looks a bit like an Alvis TD21