1966 Gilbern 1800GT

Finished in Damask Red, this factory built Gilbern 1800GT benefits from having been owned by an old school mechanic, which means it is fully fettled and ready to go to a new home.

Only being sold because he’s lost some of his storage space, the vendor tells us that this is a very reluctant sale and we can see why: the Damask Red coachwork gleams, and the interior is minty fresh and highly original. Best of all though are the underpinnings, which feel tight and demonstrate just how good these cars can be when they are set up properly. Mind you, it’s only had four previous owners, most of which are known to the owners’ club, something that always helps.

The vendor tells us that the chassis and underside is rock solid, and we can confirm that it starts on the button and drives beautifully. Sadly for him, the lack of storage space means that it simply has to go, which means it is being offered with no reserve.

That’s right, it’s going to sell from the very first bid, so his misfortune could be to your advantage…

The Damask Red paintwork suits the car’s lines to perfection, giving it a rakish look that never comes close to being vulgar. Thought to have had a professional respray in the nineties, the work has stood the test of time very well, still looking fresh and clean.

Of course, it has picked up the odd stonechip and minor scratch but that’s only to be expected, and the patina it wears in no way detracts from its appearance. Of slightly more concern are the imperfections in the paint; although the application of the paint was clearly professional, it appears that the preparation might have been a DIY job, and so the top coats show the odd minor blemish, bleb and crack. Not, you understand, that the underlying fibreglass is spider-webbed or cracked, it is just the final colour coat that has suffered, and even then you need to get close-up to notice it. Three areas to point out as examples; the top of the windscreen and under the passenger sill give the impression that in the ‘90s perfect preparation wasn’t hugely required for bits we ‘won’t’ see, plus there are some paint cracks around the bonnet scoop – something that is apparently common on the Gilbern.

We have tried to photograph examples of the problem, but if it were ours we’d leave well alone and just enjoy driving it as 99% of the paintwork is excellent, but perfectionists might want to come and take a look at it for themselves in order to make their own mind up as to what they would want to do with the car.

More importantly, the doors and bonnet, which bolt straight onto the chassis for extra strength, open and close easily, fit very well, and show no signs of drooping.

The painted spoked wheels with their chromed centre spinners look great and only add to the car’s mini-GT look. They appear to be straight and true, and are shod with matching Goodyear EfficientGrip tyres, all of which were new three years and under a hundred miles ago, which means they still have nearly all of their original tread depth and no damage to them whatsoever.

As we will never tyre of explaining, our 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 do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The chromework is generally very good – and the bumpers are excellent - but some of the minor bits and bobs are a little pitted, but not so bad that we think it needs re-chroming. A day with a large bottle of Autosol and the cricket on the radio would see it brought back to most of its former glory.

Neat touches like the gorgeous driving lights and black and silver number plates help the car stick out from the crowd; the whole thing really looks rather marvelous and we’re a bit jealous that one of you lot is going to end up owning it.

The six-dial, seven-switch dashboard looks utterly fit for purpose, evoking racing cars and fighter planes, which means it looks like a proper 60’s sportscar dashboard should. It’s in great condition too and all the gauges work, as does every single electrical item we’ve tested.

The seats are great, too. Still firm and supportive, they’ve clearly been retrimmed in the car’s recent past so look spectacular. The headlining is clean (bar a small mark near the base of the nearside ‘B’ pillar) and free of sags and damage, the door cards are in a great condition, and the carpet is free of damage and serious wear.

The three-spoke Mota-Lita steering wheel has a leather rim and polished spokes. The centre boss, wearing the Gilbern GT marking, is present and correct and while the leather on the rim does show some wear, it’s characterful rather than a problem.

The only jarring note is the gearknob, which is modern and should probably be subjected to the Royal Navy’s deep-water flotation test to see if it should be refitted. Sourcing and fitting a more appropriate item would not be an overly onerous task.

The boot carries a full-size spare wheel, and it’s a proper wire-rimmed jobbie like the rest of those fitted to the car.

As you might expect given the owner’s profession before he retired, the engine starts promptly, ticks over with 60lbs/ft of oil pressure, and runs like a dream. A retirement gift to himself, he went through the car from stem to stern when he first got it and made sure everything was working as it should. Importantly, it is fitted with fully-working overdrive.

It benefits from a Lucas distributor fitted with Magnetronic electronic ignition, a Facet fuel pump, a modern alternator to replace the tired old dynamo, and a stainless steel fuel tank. He’s the sort of chap who won’t tolerate a car that isn’t in ‘turn key’ condition and ready to be used at a moment’s notice, even if it’s been standing for a while. He also drove it 40 miles to us.

We’ve driven it and, to our delight, we discovered that it drives as well as the very best MGBs we’ve had pass through our hands. So well, in fact, that we’d jump into it and drive to the south of France without giving it a second thought.

The engine bay is neat-ish and decently clean, but given how good the rest of the car is we can see the new owner investing some time and only a little money to clean and detail it. That’s very much a nice-to-do job rather than something that is essential though.

The underside is in a good condition and the vendor believes the chassis has had new outriggers prior to his ownership – he certainly confirms they are strong now. However, the underseal could do with touching up in a few places where it has started to peel away.

Having been in largely in storage for the past two years and with only very occasional short runs to put a heat cycle through it, the Gilbern doesn’t have a current MOT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have the car re-MOT’d at the earliest.

The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

Having said all that, the online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever and the old girl has had a clean bill of health for the past few years with no advisories since 2010. The history also appears to confirm the car’s low mileage.

The car comes with a number of expired MOT certificates, old road tax discs, and a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it. Wonderfully, it has managed to hold on to its original service history cards which is a lovely touch and are important part of the car’s history and provenance.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please contact the owner to arrange an appointment.

A good Gilbern 1800GT is a thing of rare beauty, and this a very good one indeed. Beautifully finished in an unusual and attractive colour, the interior is nigh-on immaculate and it runs beautifully: “it’s very genuine”, the owner told us. “And it hasn’t been messed about with. It’s been kept in turn-key condition, and the owners’ club knows it history, so we are fairly certain that the mileage is genuine.”

We concur. It’s a lovely example of a very special car and an interesting alternative to the ubiquitous MGB GT; that it shares that car’s mechanical components means that there is a ready source of low-cost replacement parts, and the owners’ club has recommissioned almost everything that is bespoke to the model, so even the Gilbern-specific bits shouldn’t be a problem to purchase.

Which brings us to the thorny question of its value; being conservative, we think the dust will settle somewhere between £6,000 and £10,000 but as we said at the beginning, it’s being offered with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at The Market HQ in Steventon; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.