1973 MG B GT V8

Thanks to the accompanying Heritage Certificate we know a good deal about the origins of this impressive MGB GT V8. The car’s chassis number suffix of 527 confirms it as the 526th iteration of this model to leave Abington. It was produced between the 8th and 13th August 1973. It was dispatched from Abingdon on the 15th August heading to dealers Henleys of Northampton. The car was factory finished in Teal Blue paintwork with a cloth trimmed interior in an Autumn Leaf hue. Factory options included Dunlop cast alloy wheels and Laycock overdrive.

Between August 1973 and March 1999, the V8 would be enjoyed by eight registered keepers. In 1999 the MG was acquired by current keeper, Kim. At that stage the BGT V8 arrived with Kim having previously enjoyed both a full Oselli engine rebuild (in 1986) and a full body restoration and respray (in 1989). Kim reports that a further body restoration and rebuild was undertaken in 2021 with accompanying receipts within the paperwork archive. Kim’s long ownership reflects the pleasure it has given, especially on numerous continental tours and road trips.

This Teal Blue example of the esteemed V8 MGB GT presents very well indeed. That blue livery exhibits a fine and lustrous shine throughout, and the colour suits this handsome sports car very well. Indeed Pininfarina collaborated with MG on the design of the coupe and that peerless aesthetic pedigree is still doing the business over 50 years later. The paintwork appears thickly and smoothly applied and the underlying bodywork looks very much its equal. There are a couple of sub-standard areas, but they are small and quite hard to casually spot.

Respray aside, this V8’s faithful originality that stands out, too. The light lenses and cabin glass all appear to be in fine order. That originality extends to the charming, period appropriate, black vinyl Tudor Webasto sunroof complete with chromed aperture surround and hinged Perspex wind deflector. The shapely body exhibits the full compliment of four V8 badges together with wing mounted British Leyland badges.

The car sits on its original set of distinctive Dunlop light alloy wheels. These are 14-inch items which are composite wheels consisting of cast alloy centres, with chrome plated steel rims rivetted to them. The centres are adorned with 10 oblong cutouts which are edged with polished alloy. They appear to be in a good overall condition and set off the look of the MG perfectly. The wheels are fitted with a matching set of Roadstone tyres in a 185/70 configuration which appear to date from 2021.

Speaking of originality, the V8’s cabin is an absolute paradigm of it. The fabric upholstery is thought to be original, and its Autumn Leaf hue remains bright and clean with it exhibiting the signature needle cord finish. Seat sides and generous headrests are finished in a complementary coloured vinyl. The rear folding bench is identically upholstered but is very much of a token item and is best suited to additional luggage storage if and when needed.

The dashboard presents in the familiar crackle finished black paint. Within this, and directly ahead of the driver, is a moustache shaped vinyl dressed panel housing the white on black Smiths speedometer and tachometer. The original three spoke alloy fitted MG steering wheel is present and the deployment of the overdrive is courtesy of the column mounted stork just behind it. 

In the boot the Autumn hued, edge bound carpet mat matches the main cabin’s flooring. The underlying panel lifts to reveal a fifth Dunlop alloy wheel as a spare and the original jack and tools. The diminutive rear bench folds forward to further extend the boot space as required. The spare wheel aperture seems to be in a fine condition, too.

The 3.5L V8 as adopted by Rover really needs no introduction and, in this application, is particularly unstressed with its lower compression ratio. It’s all about the torque really, making the V8 a relaxed cruiser with more than sufficient urge to render it transformed over lesser engined MGB GTs. Power is fed to the rear wheels via a four speed, full synchromesh manual gearbox. A switch operated, Laycock overdrive is fitted for use with third and fourth gears. Brakes are discs up front and drums at the rear. As already mentioned this particular unit enjoyed an Oselli upgrade in 1986 and no known mechanical issues have been reported.

The under-bonnet presentation helps underscore the charming originality of this car. The twin SU carburettors are present and correct and the original, distinctive slimline air intake system remains unmolested. The expected data plates are also present. The condition under here is good indeed and an uprated cooling fan set up is also noted. The underside of the car looks very well undersealed and finished. A stainless steel exhaust system is noted, and this is reported to include a stainless steel manifold also.

The paperwork archive features the current V5 is present in Kim’s name. This classifies the car as a Historic Vehicle, and it is hence MoT and VED exempt in the UK. The car was last MoT’d in 2009. An informative Heritage Certificate is also on hand detailing the car’s factory record.

Other paperwork includes reams of invoices from all periods of the car’s history. There is also an original V8 owner’s manual and an MG Owners Club valuation certificate from 2022. There are also numerous photographs included which document the restoration work from both the 1980’s and from 2021.

The MGB GT was a handsome and modern car complete with a monocoque construction and even engineered in crumple zones, when it was launched in 1965. What it wasn’t, however, was a particularly inspiring drive mostly due to the less than thrilling 1.8-litre B-series engine and its modest 95 bhp. The V8 iteration of 1973, however, did what the 3-litre MGC failed to do – give the car impressive urge whilst still retaining its light weight and resulting poise. This, combined with a very un-MG-like production run of just a couple of thousand, makes this the undisputed king of the MGB GTs.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £15,000 - £18,000.

This example is a charmer. Its bright blue colourway and faithful originality really help endear it to those in the know. It has clearly benefitted from plenty of restorative attention but not at the cost of desirable originality. An earlier Oselli engine upgrade is sure to please the purists, too. No surprise, perhaps, that this example is offered from a 25-year period of enthusiast ownership. The lucky new owner should be able to enjoy an increasingly rare and sought after British V8 sports car without having to address any pressing issues. Surely an ownership prospect too enticing to miss?

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