MGB Roadster - SOLD

Think of brand 'MG' and most people will conjure a picture in their mind of the quintessential sports car of the 60/70's, the MGB. A two-door sports car manufactured by BMC (British Motor Corporation) and later BL (British Leyland), the MGB featured a four-cylinder, 1800cc derivative of the 'B' series engine, mated to a 4 speed manual gearbox with later cars featuring a Laycock overdrive, which engaged on 3rd / 4th gear (year of manufacture dependent) and came in two body styles, initially the open-top Roadster (from 1963) and the fixed-head Coupe 'GT' (built 1965 onwards) with both models staying in production until 1980. Making better use of space, the MGB offered its passengers more interior / luggage accommodation than the MGA (which it replaced) whilst also being 3 inches shorter and with its softer suspension, offering a smoother ride and larger engine (two other derivatives the MGC and MGB GT V8 would also feature a 3 litre straight six and 3.5 litre V8 respectively) the MGB proved hugely popular, the US export market especially, and over its 18 year production cycle, in excess of 500,000 cars were sold worldwide.

Sold on the 4th Nov 1980, through Wadham Stringer Ltd (Devon) this wonderful MGB Roadster is finished in her original Vermillion, with black cloth interior, black hood and is fitted with the venerable 1800cc 'B' series engine, mated to a 4 speed overdrive gearbox and having been owned by the same female keeper for the last 18 years its clear from the her history file and MOT records that this example has been well cared for as she's driven less than 10k miles in the last 20 years and shows a highly credible 87k recorded miles.

Walking around the car, we're delighted to say that the bodywork remains in very good condition, the panel gaps are all excellent and the Vermillion paintwork polishes to a beautiful shine, the original rubber bumpers are in excellent condition, free from any scuffs / fading and the lens / glass / rubbers all remain in great condition too. The eagle-eyed will have spotted that this 'B' no longer sits on her Rostyles as we've gone the extra mile in adding a brand new set of 15" Minilite style wheels, with diamond cut edges, new 'MG' crested centre caps plus Avon tyres and with her ride height also being lowered too this great looking MGB Roadster really stands out from the crowd.

The wonderfully original feel extends to the interior too. Open the door and you're meet with aluminium sill guards, a Moto-lita leather bound steering wheel, inertia-reel seatbelts, the original cloth seats are in fantastic condition (not a mark on them), she also sports a Kenwood Radio / CD player and to finish things off we've also fully trimmed the boot / cargo area with a bespoke carpet set, covering the spare wheel too. Should you need test the folding soft-top we're happy to say this remains in excellent condition too......though naturally we would rather enjoy top-down motoring.

Mechanically the car is in first class order. Well maintained and used sparingly this Roadster had her 1800cc engine rebuilt less than 10k miles ago and starting her up from cold she fires instantly, not a puff of smoke and settles into a smooth idle. We've 'totted up' receipts in excess of £6k and on taking her for an extended test drive we're happy to report that she drives fantastically well; she pulls cleanly in all gears, the Laycock Overdrive engages perfectly and she offers light positive steering, brakes well, corners nice and flat and as with all 'B's offers that distinctive exhaust note as the revs rise......who needs a stereo.

With the best, show, examples now commanding £15-20k+ and poorly maintained / resto examples being cost prohibitive to restore finding a a nice MGB isn't as straight forward as one might think. Well prepared and cherished (her history file also contains her original Supercover Handbook including the Passport to Service, Owners Manual, a sheath of invoices for work back to the mid-90's, MOTs back to '96, tax discs etc), this MGB Roadster is a lovely example, fabulously maintained and a well sorted (She's been fully serviced, carbs balanced, replaced suspension components etc and will come with a fresh 12 month MOT at time of sale) and priced competitively, she offers an enthusiast a great way into classic MG ownership, whether it's for shows / high-days / holidays or one that can be enjoyed on a daily basis too.