The MGA's gearlever runs up through the centre of the transmission tunnel, finished with a gaiter around the base where it passes through the carpet and a knob at the top. Original-pattern components were straightforward but distinctive: a chrome-plated lever topped by a black pear-shaped Bakelite knob with the shift pattern engraved in white, and a simple rubber gaiter at the carpet line.
Replacement knobs, gaiters and the small MG octagon badges that finish the knob face are all available for renewal.
Original Specification
On all MGAs the gearlever itself was chrome-plated. The knob was a black pear-shaped Bakelite item with the shift pattern, the normal H, with reverse to the left and back, engraved in white into the top face. A rubber gaiter was fitted around the gearlever at the point where the lever passed through the carpet, sealing against dust, draughts and the minor oil mist that inevitably finds its way up from the gearbox.
MG Enamel Badges for Gearknobs
Modern replacement gearknobs commonly feature a recessed face into which a small MG octagon enamel badge clips, restoring the period-correct MG detail without requiring the original black Bakelite pattern. The badges are offered in the two original MG octagon colour schemes, cream on black and red on black, both of which are period-correct liveries used across classic MG road cars. Replacing a damaged or missing badge in an existing gearknob is the simplest way to finish off the installation.
Gear Lever Gaiters
Replacement gear lever gaiters are a straightforward rubber or leather component fitted over the base of the gearlever at the carpet line. They are worth renewing whenever the carpet is being lifted, since a perished original gaiter allows draughts and dust into the cabin and detracts from the finished appearance of the gearlever area.
Ordering Considerations
For an MG octagon badge, the choice is simply between the cream-and-black and red-and-black liveries, neither is incorrect on an MGA. For a gaiter, the correct profile is straightforward; matching the existing carpet colour (typically black) gives the tidiest finished result.
The original chrome-plated lever with black Bakelite pear-shaped knob is the correct specification for an original-restoration car; modern aftermarket gearknobs with the MG octagon badge finish provide a sympathetic alternative where the original Bakelite pattern has been lost or damaged.