1964 MG B Roadster

The 18th of June 1964 marked the first telephone call between the American president and the Japanese prime minister. Groundbreaking though this moment was, it must have paled into insignificance compared to the excitement this MGB Roadster’s first owner felt as they collected it from Windmill & Lewis Limited of Bristol, the town that also gave it the ‘668 XHT’ registration number it still wears today.

Finished in black, the first owner also splashed out on wire wheels, a Packaway hood and tonneau cover, a grey hardtop, and even a heater.

Yup, in the mid-sixties a car with a heater and an international telephone call were noteworthy.

Freshly restored, it comes with a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust factory record certificate and, perhaps of more interest to interested parties, an Ivor Searle engine.

The seller’s husband bought it in 2017; as a former employee of the company, he’d restored a few MGs in his time, including an MGA that was already in his garage. He sadly passed away before the car could be completed, so a few jobs remain like fitting new tyres and sorting out a couple of minor issues in the cabin.

But, he did an incredible job of everything else, so sit back and be prepared to be impressed by one man’s quiet devotion to his favourite marque.

Black might be a terrific colour but it highlights the sort of flaws and imperfections that would usually go unnoticed – and yet, when the panels are as straight and well-aligned as these, there aren’t many colours to beat its understated menace.

Especially if, like here, the hue is backed up by silver wire wheels and a smattering of very good brightwork.

The result, as you can see, is sublime; the restoration might have been carried out eight years ago but it hasn’t been exposed to either weather or use since, so still looks minty-fresh.

The Redditch Shotblasting Company powdercoated the wheels in silver at the end of 2018, and they’re still bright and unsullied. Tyres are matching 165R14s from Nankang, and while all still have legal tread left on them, they were made in 2007 so are well past their ‘best before’ date.

The roof is now red rather than the black it left the factory with but we think the change of colour suits the car very well – and if you’ve made it this far then the fact it rise and falls easily will come as no surprise, nor will its condition, which is free of rips, tears, and other damage. The hood frame is in great shape too, and the three plastic windows are still nice and clear.

The chromework is straight and has an excellent shine. Pitting has started in a few areas such as the bumpers, and some of the wheel spinners have lost their finish too, but this all presents more like a emerging patina than anything you’ll actually want to put right.

The rest is equally impressive: The lamp lenses are free of chips and cracks; the badges are bright and shiny; and the silver and black pressed aluminium numberplates are a lovely touch.

Signs of wear and tear are restricted to a few stonechips, a couple of small chips on the trailing edge of the driver’s door, and light scuffing to the driver’s door shut.

The black seats, which are piped in red, are joined by matching door cards and a colour-coded dashboard. Restored by a local trimmer, they benefit from new foam, back boards, and covers and the resulting seats are firm and comfortable and look absolutely splendid.

It helps that, apart from having been done by an expert, the MG has only covered around 300 miles between 2016 and the most recent MoT test.

The fabulous red dashboard is supported by a Moto-Lita wooden steering wheel and a Speedwell accelerator pedal, which isn’t something you come across every day. The white-on-black Smiths instruments are in good order too, as are the clearly labelled switches and controls, including the one for an overdrive.

A tonneau cover is provided, which would be our preferred mode of protection; thus equipped, you will cut quite a dash as you hustle through the countryside with the four-cylinder engine singing and the wind blowing through your hair.

The boot has been left untrimmed, but the underlying metalwork is well painted and solid, and it plays host to a full-size and matching spare wire wheel, so #swingsandroundabouts. (Besides, getting hold of a complete set of carpets for the boot would be the work of moments and about £250.)

Everything we tested worked as it should, which left the only faults as being a slipping nearside window winder mechanism and a loose driver’s door handle.

As you can see, the Ivor Searle engine starts and runs very well, with a solid idle and strong performance. Our test drive went “very well”, which is about as high as praise comes from Our Man on a wet Tuesday afternoon.

It will need a service but only because it hasn’t really been driven in eight years. A long drive wouldn’t do it any harm either, to get fluids circulating properly and rubber seals loosened up, and there might even be some teething issues because this is a car that hasn’t even been run-in since being finished.

The 1800cc lump is finished in the distinctive red that Ivor Searle uses for its classic engines, and a plate on the side of the block confirms who built it.

The rest of the engine bay is clean and well presented.

The same can be said of the underside, which has been painted rather than undersealed, thereby leaving it open for inspection while simultaneously giving a high level of protection against rust and corrosion.

There’s more good news in the shape of a clean and uncorroded exhaust system, rust-free wheelarch lips, and an unscuffed front valence.

The MGB’s MoT certificate expires in August 2027. Better yet, the only advisory was for a missing bumpstop, which would be cheap and easy to replace.

The recent Vehicle History Check shows the MGB as being finished in green, a change from the white it thinks it should be. This might not bother you, but as the V5C also says it is green the winning bidder should really tell the DVLA what its current colour is.

The history file includes a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust factory record certificate, a V5C Registration Certificate, a valid MoT certificate, and invoices and a handwritten parts summary of its restoration.

In all, the invoices, which are for parts alone, come to almost £4,000 with the bulk of them being from marque experts Moss Europe Limited.

But even this tells only part of the story because the seller told us her husband wasn’t interested in keeping the paperwork and what she has managed to gather represents only a fraction of what he actually bought and fitted: This is a car you should judge on its condition rather than the thickness of its history file.

If you’re in the market for one, there is absolutely no reason not to buy this MGB Roadster – and if you think that’s damning with faint praise then you couldn’t be more wrong because buying a secondhand car, any car not just a classic, means you should be looking for reasons not to buy it rather than the other way around.

And this one ticks all the boxes: Low mileage since a high-quality restoration; a good colour scheme; unimpeachable presentation; and no serious faults bar the need for new tyres, and spending money on good tyres is never a hardship.

Despite all this, our estimate is a lowly £15,000 at the top end – and we wouldn’t be surprised if it went for £3,000 less than that.

That modest valuation acknowledges we’re going into the winter, which invariably had an effect on the price of a convertible sportscar, rather than anything untoward.

Buy now, pocket the saving, and you’ll be all set for the start of next year’s show season!

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £12,000 - £15,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.