My first car was an MGA. Boy did I have fun with that car!
Never owned an automatic, probably never will. The kind of cars I like will always be offered with a stick, unless our friends in DC outlaw them.
As it stands now, a stick might very well be a theft deterrent, as so few people can drive them any more.
Had a college girlfriend who owned a MG Midget. The car you wore. I think they came in sizes, like 38R and 42L.