1994 MG RV8

That “reimport” journey is exactly the one this example undertook in 2008. Our car originally left the Cowley plant in July 1994 to become one of those 1,500 destined for the enthusiastic Japanese market. Little is known of our car’s life in Japan, but it is fair to generalise that the salt-free roads and diligent ownership practices tend to greatly benefit the condition of these cars.

By 2008 this example was back in its motherland, being registered with the DVLA in February of that year. At this stage the MGR V8 was believed to have covered around 31,000 kms (around 19,200 miles). Between its January 2008 and January 2009 MoT the MG appears to have been fitted with a MPH speedo head with subsequent MoTs recording miles, less the 19,200 covered in Japan.

By August 2008 the car was in the hands of its second UK owner who went on to retain the car until December 2011 at around 23,200 miles (4,000 plus 19,200 miles). The current owner then acquired the car in June 2012 to become the car’s third UK keeper. Our owner has covered around a further 16,000 miles in that time bringing the current odometer reading to 20,200 miles equating to a total of around 40,000 miles and, thus, pretty modest for a 29-year-old car.

Despite the beefier wings, Porsche 911 lights and bespoke rear clusters, the MGR V8 retains plenty of MGB DNA giving it an appealing restomod look and feel. This example is finished in Woodcote Green which appears to be deeply and evenly applied and exudes a deep shine throughout. A single, gold coach line runs front to back down each flank and helps to accentuate the curvier wings of the British Motor Heritage bodyshell - and on this car it is genuine gold leaf. The front and rear aspects wear large bumper covers with recesses housing fog lamps at the rear and indicators and brake ventilation ducts at the front. Both paintwork and bodywork look to be in fine order with panel gaps appearing tight and symmetrical throughout.

The black fabric hood looks to be in a great, original condition with no rips, tears or holes noted. The plexiglass rear window is in a fine condition with no fogging, cracking or heavy folds noted. This zips open, when required, to provide useful additional ventilation. Cabin glass and light lenses all appear clear, clean and original. A small crack was noted to the nearside rear light lens.

The MGR V8 rolls on the correct 30-stud, split rim, 15x6J cast alloy wheels. These feature a mock single spinner centre cap and appear to be in an excellent condition all round. A matching set of Firestone TZ300 radial type tyres are fitted. These are in the factory specified 205/65 configuration and appear to retain a good level of tread throughout.

Project Adder seemed to work hard to position the MGR V8 as an upmarket and significantly enhanced interpretation of the MGB. This is particularly evident in the cabin where upmarket materials were used including ruched Connolly leather and smart wooden veneers.

The cabin of our car is, certainly, no exception. The data plate lists the trim code as “SMJ” which equates to Stone Beige leather. The wood elements of the dash and door cappings are finished in Elm Burr veneer.

The condition of the seats and leather portions of the dashboard present very well with no major imperfections noted. Carpets also appear to be very good in terms of wear and overall condition. The door cards appear highly original and in fine fettle right down to the original, colour coded speaker covers and alloy skeleton window winders.

The VDO white on black gauge set is present and correct. The original three spoke leather steering wheel is fitted. The original MG radio cassette head unit is fitted to the veneered centre console. The only area of noticeable and overt wear is the leather-bound gear knob which could easily be replaced, retrimmed or recoloured.

The well-shaped boot is fully carpeted and home to a fifth MG alloy wheel as a spare, tools, and warning triangle. A CD changer is also housed here together with a zipped tonneau cover and various useful spares.

The MG RV8 is powered by the 3,947cc all alloy Rover V8 unit which was widely used both within the Rover Group and by others. In original trim the V8 was good for around 190bhp which endowed the MGR V8 with a six second 0-60 mph time and a 130+ mph top speed. Pretty healthy compared with the original MGB together with a significantly improved, burbling V8 soundtrack.

At its launch the rear drum brakes and rear leaf springs raised a few eyebrows, not appearing to have moved on too much from the original MGB specification. Remember that tiny development budget? Perhaps that’s where it wasn’t spent.

It is documented that our owner has diligently maintained and improved the MG in his ownership with much work shown to have been undertaken. Chief amongst these is the fitment of a Hoyle independent rear suspension kit in 2018. This is a significant upgrade with the requisite parts amounting to almost £5,000 and the fitting accounting for a further £1,000 +. This also does away with the rear drum brakes, replacing them with discs, and provides an altogether more sophisticated rear axle setup. The car has also been upgraded EZ Steer electric power steering, which is adjustable. All of these upgrades were fitted by MG specialists Fisher Services.

Our photographic package shows that the underside of the car is in good shape for its age with no areas of concern noted. The under-bonnet presentation is very good overall. Everything looks relatively standard under here, complete with 3.9 inscribed rocker covers and MG embossed intake header.

There is stacks of provenance providing paperwork included with the MG RV8. This includes the V5 registration document in the name of the owner. The current, advisory free MoT is present in hard copy and is valid until November 2023.

There are numerous previous MoTs included in hard copy providing a record of mileage progression. Additionally, many invoices are present which detail much of the work undertaken, mostly in its current tenure, as well as replacement parts procured for the car. Various owners’ manuals and repair manuals are included, too. Depending on the standard of your written Japanese, there is also some service history to translate from the car’s early life.

The MG RV8 has somewhat come of age latterly after being a very niche choice for the new sports car buyer of the early to mid-1990s. This is best evidenced by quite a number of the Japanese supplied cars being reimported to the UK in recent years to help satisfy the UK demand for well preserved and low mileage examples.

Ours is a great example and certainly worthy of your attention if you are in the market for an interesting, V8 powered open topped sports car. This example has covered only around 40,000 miles from new and appears to be in fine shape both inside and out. There’s also plenty of paperwork to digest at your leisure, helping to make this a very sensible ownership opportunity with both “head” and “heart” appeal. We think it will sell for between £18,000-£20,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.