On 8/25/2010, Chester McCallum in Denver, Colorado, USA wrote:
"We are restoring my 1959 MGA that we have had from 1965 for the third time. I would like to match the original type of wood that was originally used for this year. Do you have any idea what that might be"?

Actually I do have a good idea (but not proven yet). I'm sure I have heard or read somewhere that it was Ash, and there is good reason to believe it. There are more than 50 species of Ash around the world. European Ash in particular is very prominent in England, large trees, easy to harvest and process, and a good material for structural parts of a car body (and sometimes car frames in earlier years). To this day most Morgan cars still have structural parts of their body framing made from wood (except the Aero 8).

In a few articles in the Body section of this web site dealing with bonnet and boot lid wood reinforcement blocks, the contributor once commented "Appears to be Oak", but I still think it was Ash. Appearances can be deceptive and/or subjective as the grain patterns may be similar.

Ash -- Oak

Original applications of wood in the MGA include, stiffener blocks for the latch end of the bonnet and boot lid, cockpit trim rails, plywood floorboards, thin plywood for kick panels and door panels (not door pockets), wedge shape spacer behind top of door panels, bottom board assemblies in seat cushions (plywood sheet and solid blocks).