1967 MG B Roadster

Finished in Old English White, ‘NLC 571E’ was the subject of a comprehensive restoration a little over a decade ago – but before you dismiss that as little more than ancient history, we should point out that every single MoT since then has been issued with no advisories… 

Fitted with a red interior and a set of wire wheels, the seller saw it at Abingdon Car Restorations back in 2013. He fell in love with the semi-finished project  and made the owner an offer, which was accepted. 

A good secondhand gearbox was fitted as part of the deal, and he went on to fit it out with a few goodies including the luggage rack, lights, and wire wheels and tyres when he got it home.

He's enjoyed using it for the past decade, albeit for only a handful of summer jaunts each year. Last serviced in June 2024 and said to be a “proper driver’s car” it is fully fettled and ready to thrill and delight its new owner this summer.

We don’t see many Old English White MGBs these days, which seems like a missed opportunity because this one looks terrific. It helps that this one sports better than average panel alignment and no dents or dings but that top coat is also holding up well. 

Very well, in fact. And that’s not just the exterior panels; take a look at the door shuts, the wheelarch lips, and the sills. All are very good.

The fact the chromework is clean doesn’t hurt any either, and this is set off by excellent lamp lenses, badges and glass.

Other lovely details include a discreet pair of spot lamps, a luggage rack on the boot, and black and silver numberplates – plus those chromed wire wheels that are fitted with very good 165/80R14 Falken Sincera SN-807 tyres.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The folding black roof is excellent, with no rips, tears or other damage. It furls and unfurls as it should too, and the plastic rear screen is still clear. The hood frame is in good shape, operating smoothly and looking nice and shiny.

Of course, there are a few flaws. The paint has cracked on the seam bead on the offside rear wing, and there are some microbubbles on a few of the panels. Nothing too serious, but it will need attention sooner rather than later if a bigger problem is to be avoided.

The seats, carpets and trim were all replaced in 2012 and given the MGB has only covered a little over 3,000 miles since then you’d have every right to expect them to still be in a good condition.

Which they are. With plump and firm seats, unsullied door cards, and almost unmarked carpets, it looks every bit as good now as it would have done when it was all first fitted.

It’s also lovely to see its owners over the years have resisted the temptation to swap the original steering wheel for a more modern one; we love the somewhat old-fashioned design and its continued presence is a real bonus in our eyes.

The red hub in its centre also picks up the colour of the rest of the cabin, which is unashamedly and riotously red. Bright red. Life-affirmingly so. It’s lovely. 

Piped in white too, and supported by excellent controls and switches, bright and clear instruments, and an overall air of careful curation following judicious selection, a selection that includes a very useful pop-up wind deflector.

Lifting the carpets shows nothing other than solid metal and soundproofing material between it and the carpet. The boot floor is also good.

And the basics provide for a very satisfying cockpit, too: The gearlever is cracked backwards a smidge to fall easily to hand; the steering wheel gives decent leverage while not compromising road feel; the pedals are ideally placed; and the instrumentation is easily visible. 

Storage is also decent with an elasticated pocket in either footwell backed up by a rigid pocket on the passenger’s side. The glovebox locks too, and there’s more space behind the seats for soft luggage.

Not that you’ll probably need the latter because the boot is as voluminous as it is well finished and contains, among other things, a full-size spare wire wheel and a matching Falken tyre.

All of which means we can’t find anything to fault in the cabin.

The engine starts well and quickly builds good oil pressure. It idles nicely too, and revs freely with a glorious induction rasp through the twin carburettors and a sublime rasp to the exhaust.

If you’ve been paying attention the high-quality engine bay won’t come as a surprise. As beautifully finished as everything else, its cleanliness is matched only by the quality of its components that include a safety-wired oil filler cap, braided HT leads, neatly run copper pipes and braided wiring looms, and a plethora of period-appropriate labels.

The underside is impressive. Finished in stonechip-resistant paint rather than underseal, it’s laid bare for the world to admire its condition. The Bell exhaust is a stainless-steel jobbie from 2012 and it is still in great shape.

However, there is the odd small area where rust is starting to break out, so a prudent owner would get that attended to sooner rather than later before what looks like a cosmetic issue at the moment has time to get any worse.

Further proof of the quality of the MGB’s curation comes with the news that despite not needing one, it has an MoT certificate that’s valid until August 2024. 

Even more impressive it the fact it was issued with no advisories, just like every single one on record. 

Every. Single. One.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for a change of colour from orange to Old English White at some point in its life. However, according to the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate that comes with the car, it left the factory in Old English White, so the change was merely restoring its original hue.

The history file also includes the driver’s handbook in addition to many invoices, including those for its restoration in 2012-13.

The range of cars we get offered here is vast, spanning barn-find basketcases all the way through to quarter-of-a-million-pound Ferraris – and everything in between.

And a significant percentage of the cars that pass through our hands are MGBs. A stalwart of the classic car scene for decades, few cars are as ubiquitous and for good reason; they’re a great place for any enthusiast to start while still being interesting enough to hold the attention of long-timers like us.

The MGB also spans a vast range from heavily modified cars through to restoration projects, which means that older restorations like this tend to fade into the background a little.

Which is a shame because it’s beautifully presented, utterly solid, has an impeccable MoT record, and runs and drives well, making it the ideal multipurpose summer convertible for show and road use.

Best of all, our estimate is somewhere between £14,000 and £16,000, which is a tiny fraction of what it would cost to bring one to this standard yourself.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am- 12pm or 2pm-4pm. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.