After an eternity of being unfeasibly cheap, the MGF and the coil-sprung TF that replaced it have made a sudden jump. Enough to put them near the top of our Price Guide Movers On The Up this month.
A 12% gain places it at number 5, above all sorts of fast Fords, Porsches, Jaguars and more. But it’s too early for fear of missing out to concern you, because that move only takes entry level for project cars to £400, usable examples to double that, mint cars £2.1k and £3.5k for the best.
Compare that with its old sparring partner, the Mazda MX-5 MkI: £500, £1.2k, £2.65k and £4.75k in equivalent condition and it still looks great value for such an accomplished car. Values of MGFs have been held back by ubiquity and lack of macho appeal in much the same way as the Mazda, but on top of that are the concerns about cylinder head gasket failure and availability of the hydrolastic suspension displacers on the pre-TF cars.
Now that attrition is taking its toll on MGF survival numbers, any cared-for and sorted remaining examples are starting to look more appealing, not just because they offer a lot of fun for the money, but because they’re enjoyable to drive and a smart alternative to the default MX-5 choice in their class.