The original MGA steering wheel is a distinctive and unique design supplied to the factory by Wilmot Breeden. It features four triple-wire spokes set in a low X-formation, with the X sitting horizontal when the front wheels are in the straight-ahead position. The wheel is 16½ inches in diameter, with a black covering to both the rim and the hub, and the hub carries a plastic cover with a chrome-plated ring and an MG badge at the centre, the badge surround chrome with a white background inside the octagon and chrome letters.
Standard Wheel
The standard wheel fits all MGA variants, 1500, 1600, 1600 Mk II, Twin Cam, and De Luxe, as the factory specification from the start of production to the end. The four-spoke design in low X-formation is a deliberate styling choice of the period and is one of the cabin features that distinguishes the MGA's interior at a glance.
Replacement original-pattern wheels are available as service items, along with the hub-centre badge and its associated fittings.
Optional Wood-Rim Wheel
A wood-rim light-alloy steering wheel was available as an optional extra from December 1957 onwards. Described by the factory as Italian-style, it was supplied by Bluemels under their type reference SW/544 and carried BMC part number AHH5800-Y, useful identification points for confirming originality on a restored car. The wheel has three spokes in T-formation, with long slots machined into each spoke for reduced weight and a distinctive appearance, and the hub is rivetted in construction, incorporating the same standard steering wheel centre, the chrome-ringed plastic cover with the MG badge, as the standard wheel, so the visible hub detail remains consistent between the two options. The wood-rim wheel is the period-correct optional alternative for MGAs specified with the option at ordering or for restoration work where the wood-rim appearance is wanted.
Ordering Considerations
The steering wheel is an optional-extra-or-standard item rather than a variant-dependent specification, as both the standard and the optional wood-rim wheels were available across all MGA variants from the relevant introduction dates. For restoration work, the appropriate choice depends on whether the original specification of the car included the wood-rim option at build. The hub-centre badge is common to both wheels, and replacement badges and badge surrounds are available as individual items for refreshing the appearance of a sound wheel.