The MGA tonneau cover was a factory optional extra on all roadsters, supplied in the same material and colour as the hood. The original specification went through significant changes between the early 1500-type cover (with its sewn-in steering wheel bag and four door-top fasteners) and the revised late-1958/1959 pattern. Reproduction tonneau covers are now offered in two convenient lengths, Long and Short, and in a range of materials and colours to suit both period-correct and practical road use. This page covers the complete tonneau range and the full set of fixings used to anchor it.
Long vs Short Tonneau Covers
Reproduction tonneau covers are produced in two lengths. The
Long
tonneau covers the entire cockpit including the steering wheel area, providing full coverage when the car is parked or stored unattended. The
Short
tonneau covers only the passenger side and the rear of the cockpit, leaving the steering wheel and driver's seat accessible, used when the driver is in the car or about to be, providing weather protection for the passenger seat and luggage area without requiring removal of the cover before driving. Both lengths are widely fitted to MGAs in modern use.
Drive-Side Variants
Long-pattern tonneaux are offered in both right-hand drive and left-hand drive variants, reflecting the differing positions of the steering wheel and the consequent shape of the cover at the driver's side. RHD covers are the default for UK-market cars; LHD covers are produced for cars supplied to or now resident in left-hand-drive markets. Short tonneaux do not require this distinction since the cover ends short of the driver's area.
Material Options
Tonneau covers are produced in four material grades.
Superior Vinyl
is the practical hard-wearing weather-resistant choice, available in red, beige, tan, navy and black.
Mohair
offers a higher-grade fabric finish in red, grey, navy and black.
Heavy Duty Vinyl
in black is the most robust option for cars used or stored regularly.
Double Duck
in black (and black with red piping on selected variants) is the heavy double-textured cotton/synthetic fabric finish, the closest to a period high-quality canvas. Each material grade and colour is available across both Long and Short patterns where applicable, and across both RHD and LHD on the Long pattern.
Original Tonneau Specification
The original 1500-type tonneau cover had a sewn-in steering wheel bag, was fixed to four lift-the-dot fasteners on each door top, plus fasteners on the rear tonneau panel and the scuttle, and featured a zip fastener offset to the passenger side. In late 1958 or early 1959 the cover was revised: the steering wheel bag was deleted, the door-top fasteners were removed, and the scuttle fasteners were repositioned, giving the front corner a much more pronounced ear shape. From chassis 60637 (LHD 1500), 64332 (RHD 1500) and Twin Cam 994, the tonneau zip was lengthened and the scuttle lift-the-dots were relocated to one each side of the mirror and one each side of each grab handle.
From the start of 1600 production, colours changed to match the new Wardle's Everflex hood specification (grey, blue or beige).
Tonneau Fixings
A complete tonneau renewal involves a range of fixings: lift-the-dot sockets (sets of various counts), wood-screw-thread sockets, lift-the-dot posts and nuts, plates, wood-screw-thread plates, eyelets, turn buckles, turn buckle eyelets and the recessed countersunk-head and self-tapping screws used to retain them. The clinch-plate fixings and stud pegs that anchor lift-the-dot sockets to the bodyshell are also stocked individually. Renewing the tonneau alone without renewing the fasteners often results in a cover that no longer clips down evenly, so ordering the fixings as a complete set alongside a new cover is normally the most cost-effective approach.
Ordering Considerations
Three points should be confirmed before ordering. First, length, Long (full coverage) or Short (passenger and rear only). Second, drive-side, RHD or LHD, for Long-pattern covers only. Third, material grade and colour to match the surrounding hood and interior scheme.
For the fasteners, the production-change point at chassis 60637/64332/Twin Cam 994 affects which scuttle lift-the-dot positions on the bodyshell are relevant, early-pattern cars have one fixing arrangement, later cars another.