Lot details Registration No: 499 UAF Chassis No: GAN322690 Mot Expiry: April 2011
By the 1960s, MG was established as one of Britain's pre-eminent sportscar makers. The factory at Abingdon (near Oxford) had concentrated on the building of two-seater sportscars for decades, and sold the majority of its products overseas, particularly to North America. Owned by the Nuffield Organisation since the 1930s, and therefore a part of BMC (the British Motor Corporation) from 1952, MG was able to draw on the stock of components being developed in that empire. The MGA of 1955-1962 had really been the first 'BMC corporate' MG, and the MGB which replaced it was intended to be even more popular. Although the engineering of the new car was evolutionary - the B-Series engine, transmission, rear axle and independent front suspension were all improved versions of those used in the previous MGA, the MGB enjoyed a very sturdy monocoque bodyshell, wind-up window glass, and had an extremely elegant, many said 'timeless', style. For the first three seasons, all MGBs were two-seater roadsters, while an extremely elegant coupe GT (which also featured a hatchback) would be added from 1965. The MGB would go on to be the best-selling MG of all time, with more than 500,000 such cars built before assembly finally ended in 1980. Although the Abingdon factory was simply-equipped, the cars were assembled by a dedicated workforce who were obviously proud of their company's heritage. The first iteration of the MGB built from 1962 to 1964 featured distinctive pull-type door handles and a 95bhp / 1798cc engine with three-main-bearing crankshaft and while overdrive was an optional extra, the model's top speed was more than 100mph.
Finished in Iris Blue with blue / black leather upholstery, this particular example is variously described by the vendor as being in "very good" (bodywork, paintwork, interior trim), "good" (electrical equipment) or "excellent" (engine, four-speed manual plus overdrive gearbox) condition. Said to have had "just three previous keepers" and to come with an extensive history file showing that "more £15,000 has been spent on it over the years", the past six months have reportedly seen the Roadster benefit from "a new clutch, starter motor and distributor".
PLEASE NOTE: This vehicle has an MOT until April 2011.
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