This section covers the MGA interior trim and components, the seats and their fabric coverings, the carpets and underlay, the dashboard (facia panel) and instruments, the door cappings and trim, the steering wheel, the gearknob and gaiter, the soundproofing material, the coupé headlining, the map light, and the various trim tools and restoration items needed to refurbish the interior to factory or near-factory standard. The MGA interior is simpler and more spartan than later cars by modern standards but contains a number of period-correct details that distinguish a well-restored MGA from a generic restoration. Factory-original specification varies between roadster and coupé (different seat configurations, door arrangements, headlining and glazing) and between variants (1500 vs Twin Cam vs 1600 vs 1600 Mk II), with detail differences across the production run that affect what is correct for any given chassis number.
Roadster vs coupé interior
The MGA roadster and coupé share the basic seats, carpets, dashboard layout and steering wheel, but diverge significantly elsewhere. The roadster has an open cockpit with sidescreens (no fixed roof, no wind-down windows); door casings in hardboard with door pockets; pull-cord door latches; no headlining or rear quarter trim; and the battery hatch is left uncovered behind the seats. The coupé has a fixed steel roof with wind-down windows in the doors, swivelling quarterlights, and a wrap-around rear screen; door casings are completely different (no door pockets due to wind-down window mechanism; Bakelite handgrip door pulls instead of cord pulls); headlining is required across the fixed roof; rear quarter cappings and parcel shelf are added; the battery hatch is carpeted (unlike roadster's uncarpeted hatch).
Factory upholstery materials
The standard MGA upholstery specification is leather (Connolly's Vaumol) on the wearing surfaces of the seats, the parts the body contacts; Vynide leathercloth on the edges and backs of the seats, and on door pockets, casings and other interior panels; Crossley's Karvel carpet, normally black on roadsters (except possibly on very early 1500 models, which may have had carpet toned to the interior trim colour); and Hairlok rubberised hair padding under the leather, with Dunlopillo foam rubber seat construction. For concours restoration, sourcing factory-original materials (Connolly Vaumol, Vynide, Karvel) is essential to match the period feel and visual texture of the originals.
Steering wheel, Wilmot Breeden, optional Bluemels wood-rim
The standard MGA steering wheel is a Wilmot Breeden four-spoke design with triple-wire spokes set in a low X-formation. With the front wheels straight-ahead, the X should be horizontal. The wheel is 16½ inches (419mm) diameter, with black covering, chrome-plated centre ring, and an MG octagon badge with white background and chrome letters. A Bluemels wood-rim light alloy steering wheel was optional from December 1957, described as 'Italian-style', a three-spoke T-formation wheel with slotted spokes.
The Bluemels wheel is a common upgrade fitted by owners over the years and is also the basis for many subsequent classic Italian-style steering wheel designs.
Sub-categories
The Interior section is divided into sixteen sub-categories: Carpets, Cockpit Trim & Seals, Leather Armrest Kit, Dashboards & Fixings, Door Cappings, Gearknobs & Gaiters, Grommets, Soundproofing, Coupe Headlining & Sunvisors, Map Light, Interior & Wing Mirrors (cross-linked from the Mirrors section), Seats & Fixings, Seat Covers, Steering Wheels, Trim Tools, and Upgrades & Alternatives. Each is detailed under its respective node.
Restoration approach
A complete interior refurbishment typically follows this sequence: strip out all existing trim (seats, carpets, door cards, steering wheel, dashboard), assess the underlying structure (sills, floor, scuttle, dashboard panel) for repair, restore structural items first, then fit new trim from the floor upward (carpets, then door cards, then dashboard, then seats), with steering wheel, gearknob, and final detail items fitted last. For partial refurbishment (replacing only specific worn items such as carpets or seat covers), individual sub-categories provide the specific items needed.
Ordering considerations
Confirm roadster or coupé before ordering interior items, many components differ significantly between the two body styles (door casings, seat fitment, headlining, parcel shelf).