Your classic: MGB roadster

| 21 Jul 2026

13 July 1985 was a memorable day.

Live Aid was being broadcast to the world, and it was also the day I collected my first sports car: an immaculate white Jensen-Healey.

Driving home from Earls Court, I could hear the show in full swing as I passed Wembley Stadium, but I was distracted by the car pulling severely to the left when braking.

A visit to my mechanic revealed the Jensen in its true light – it was a wreck.

This MGB roadster’s customised interior, with a new Moto-Lita steering wheel

Not only was it a danger to drive, but two-week-old copies of the Daily Mirror were in the sills, with lumps of filler dropping to the floor.

As a naïve 22-year-old, I’d been seduced by the paintwork and had not checked the car fully.

Just one year later it was sold as a ‘project’ for half of what I had paid… Lesson learned, I started the search for a replacement.

In 1986, MGBs were still a fairly common sight on the road.

Keen to find something a little different, I viewed everything from an Alfa Romeo Spider to a Peugeot 504 Cabriolet, but nothing matched the condition or budget I had in mind.

The MGB has been a faithful companion on many European road trips

Eventually I gave in when a friend was selling her two-owner 1974 MGB roadster.

Originally Harvest Gold, it had been repainted in Porsche Guards Red, which was in need of some attention.

I decided to repaint the car (this time in VW Tornado Red), also replacing many panels, and all the chromework and trim.

For 35 years, my wife Francine and I enjoyed many tours in the MG, including in France and the UK.

Eventually, the car started showing its age, though.

This MGB roadster’s embossed seats

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I’d always admired the Wood & Pickett and Radford conversions to make Minis more luxurious – plus, more recently, the bespoke MG offerings from Frontline Cars.

Taking a lead from these and the best restorations I could find on Pinterest, I decided to refurbish the MGB for the second time.

My intention was to keep it close to original, but with some subtle improvements where possible.

This MGB roadster is now painted Tartan Red

After a thorough mechanical inspection, the MG spent the first COVID-19 lockdown with Bowron Motorcare in Hertfordshire.

It soon became apparent that the basic structure of the car was as sound as I had hoped.

With a bare-metal respray (in MG Tartan Red) and some minor bodywork repairs under way, I took the opportunity to replace the cracked ‘top-tint’ windscreen fitted by the previous owner.

Keen to retain this feature, I also decided to upgrade all of the glass to a Sundym green tint.

This MGB roadster’s subtle upgrades include a Bluetooth stereo

With rechromed bumpers and grille, the exterior was complete.

Researching various suppliers of leather and carpets, I found Mirror Trim in Bedfordshire.

Its premium leather has more patina than the usual embossed grain, which has a uniform finish.

We also added heating elements to the refurbished seats and MG logos in the backrests.

A particularly nice upgrade is the centre console in hide with twin French stitching.

The MGB roadster’s leather dash top completes the cabin

The dashboard crash-pad had seen better days, so I decided to have this, the dash top, the rear cockpit rail and the door cappings finished in the same leather.

Along with new chrome bezels, I upgraded the poor instrument lighting and interior illumination, including for the footwells, with LED bulbs.

As well as having new carpets fitted throughout, I also created my own custom, carpeted panels for the footwells and the under-dash areas. I even flock-lined the glovebox!

With a new Moto-Lita steering wheel and boss, with a matching turned-aluminium gearknob, and a modern DAB/Bluetooth stereo that has a period look but is still iPhone compatible, the car is now complete and really does have the luxurious style of a bespoke, coachbuilt car that I was after.

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