The cigar lighter was a standard or popular optional fitment on most classic-MG dashboards during production, a chromed-bezel unit mounted in the dashboard near the instrument cluster with a heating element warmed by current from the electrical system when the central plunger is pressed. On modern classic MGs many owners find the cigar lighter invaluable for its 12-volt power supply, handy for charging the modern driving aids, sat-nav, dashcam, phone, that have become everyday equipment in any car, with the unit accepting all standard 12-volt plugs and USB adaptors and making it the most practical power source for modern electronic devices in a classic cockpit. The lighter was originally designed to heat a smoker's tobacco product, but it remains a useful piece of period-correct dashboard brightware whether or not the modern owner uses it for that original function.
Construction
The standard Lucas-pattern cigar lighter consists of three principal components, a body that fits through a circular hole in the dashboard with a chromed bezel facing forward and the heating-element circuit mounted at the rear, a plunger that is the central removable element with a chromed cap and a heating coil at its base which the user presses into the body to engage the heating cycle, and an internal latching mechanism that holds the plunger in the pressed position while the element warms and releases it automatically when working temperature is reached. The chromed bezel and plunger cap are the visible elements on the dashboard face, with the visual character matching the dashboard switches and instrument bezels on the specific car. The K128 12-volt illuminated lighter is the established classic-period pattern, with the heating element popping out when ready to use and an illuminated surround that lights up when the panel lights are on, fitting into a standard cigar-lighter aperture and supplied complete with body and electrical specification.
Finish Options & Production History
Two finishes are stocked, chrome knob for a polished finish that complements a well-detailed interior or a car with chrome interior trim, and black knob in the same illuminated 12-volt unit with a plainer finish that matches the dashboard switches on later cars, both options sharing the same body, illumination, and operating specification with the choice of finish driven by the surrounding dashboard scheme. The MGB left the factory without a cigar lighter as standard for most of its production, the cigar lighter first introduced as standard on North American specification cars from the 1968 model year as part of the padded safety dashboard package, standardised on the GT during the 1972 model year and on the roadster from 1973 on home and export markets, becoming standard across all remaining markets from February 1975, and on the post-1976 RHD dashboard sitting between the choke knob and the fresh-air intake regulating handle flanked by an electric clock and a round interior lamp. The MGA carried the cigar lighter as a factory optional extra supplied by Casco Tex, and for owners restoring an MGA to original specification a Casco Tex unit should be sought for concours work while the K128 is the appropriate working alternative for road-driven cars.
Installation, Polarity & Wiring
Installation is straightforward, the unit fitting into the existing dashboard hole, typically around 29mm or 7/8-inch diameter depending on the specific application, with the body secured by a retaining nut on the rear face of the dashboard, the two electrical connections being a positive feed from the ignition switch typically through a dedicated fuse and an earth connection through the body to the dashboard structure. When drilling a new mounting hole on cars not originally fitted with a lighter, the area behind the panel should be checked for instrument wiring, as a hole drilled through a loom creates a short-circuit fire risk, with a torch or inspection camera confirming the area is clear. Once installed the unit operates with the ignition switched on, the plunger pressed in to engage the heating cycle. The 12-volt unit itself is electrically symmetrical in operation, but the panel illumination bulb is normally polarity-correct for a negative-earth installation, so on positive-earth cars including the MGA in original factory specification, the wiring should be checked to ensure correct illumination function, usually meaning the live and earth connections are swapped at the lighter to suit the car's polarity, while cars converted to negative earth take the lighter as supplied without modification.
For owners restoring dashboards where the original lighter is missing or non-functional, the renewal is a 30-minute task that meaningfully completes the period-correct visual finish.