Classic Sports Car Classifieds

It's a bold statement but this may just be the most original MGB I have ever seen. Having studied in carefully in the company of a highly regarded marque expert, we have concluded that it has changed very little since the day it rolled out of the Abingdon factory. It was one of the last to do so, because it is one of the final Limited Edition cars produced before MGB production ended. A total of 1000 cars were built in 1979/80: 580 GTs in Pewter and 420 Roadsters in Metallic Bronze. All had front spoilers and side graphics. The GTs had alloy wheels while the Roadsters had wire wheels as an option - as here - with 208 of the 420 so equipped. Many, like ours, were not registered until some time later; in this case May 1982.

There are two reasons for our car's remarkable state of preservation. The first is the faded Unipart Anti-Corrosion sticker on the windscreen, showing that the car was rust-proofed from new. The rubber grommets are visible throughout where box sections were drilled to inject the wax. The second is the very low mileage; it is showing just under 25,000 miles on the clock and the old MOTs in the file suggest that this is probably correct. The first owner was a lady of mature years who did under 5,000 miles in 14 years, while the third did under 1,000 miles from 1999-2012, including five years when it was not used at all.

Everywhere you look you see details that are usually lost on restored MGs. The saying is that a car is only original once and here is the proof. Factory perfect panel gaps and original finishes are visible throughout. The hood is original and in good condition, as is the interior which shows remarkably little wear after 30 years. There are some marks and blemishes in the paint as you would expect, but very few, and the wheels are in excellent condition. It comes with a hood cover and full tonneau.

Happily the B drives just as its condition suggests it would. It sits perfectly on the road and feels as tight as a three year old car. My driver, who brought it back to base, declared it the best MGB he has ever driven (and there have been a few). In short then this is a connoisseur's MGB; a chance to own and enjoy one just as they used to be.