1981 MG B LE Roadster

MG announced in 1981 that the final version of the MGB would be called the LE, or Limited Edition. With only 1,000 ever built, the MGB LE achieved iconic status from day one, which ensured that more than a few were tucked away by owners who kept a keen eye on their future investment potential.

This appears to be one of those cars. With only 41,000 miles on the odometer, it has never been restored and is offered in original condition with the standard metallic Pewter Bronze paintwork still in fine fettle. With the chassis number 522773, the owner has identified it as being the 228th from last car built, which means MG had got its eye in by the time it came to build this one…

And, as if that didn’t make it rare enough, this is one a Roadster, the rarer of the two variants with only 420 examples ever having been offered. Even better, it has wire wheels complete with eared knock-off spinners.

Its first owner kept the car for 16 years, after which its pace of life slowed down even further; remarkably, it has covered fewer than 2,000 miles in the last ten years. Yet, despite this, the owner took it on a golfing holiday last year, during which he tells us that it performed faultlessly.

Ziebart rust-proofed from new, the bodywork of this MGB LE is remarkably well preserved. It looks to be utterly original, with the sort of tight, even shut lines and ripple-free flanks that are enough to convince us that this has never even been titivated to take advantage of a rising market, much less involved in a shunt.

The inside of the door shuts are looking fabulous, as are the rubber bumpers, body length chrome trim pieces, and factory MGB decals along the flanks: that most unscientific of tests, that it just sits right too, applies in this case, too doesn’t it?

Even the underside is looking sharp, and the professionally applied underseal is still intact and appears in need of nothing by way of touching up.

The chromed spoked wheels, complete with eared spinners, are in great condition, and are shod with matching Uniroyal tyres, all of which have good tread. We think that matching tyres are, as regular readers will know by now, an infallible indicator of a sympathetic and discerning owner. The sort of chap, in other words, that you want you buy a car like this from.

Problems appear to be limited to slightly worn front and rear MGB badges, in which an enthusiastic previous owner has managed to polish away some of the backing colour. Truly a #FirstWorldProblem, eh?

The orange striped seats were seen as being a bit bright even in-period, which means many owners did what’s been done here and fitted black replacements. They’re in fine shape and completely free of anything as vulgar as rips and tears.

The door cards are in very good shape but have been fitted with aftermarket speakers. This won’t bother the non-enthusiast, but originality buffs will be pleased to hear that replacements are both cheap to buy and easy to fit.

The carpets look to be very good, as does the wood-rimmed steering wheel and crackle-finish dashboard. It all looks, in fact, exactly as you might expect a pampered car with such a low mileage to look.

The roof and tonneau cover are both said to be in very good condition, as is the boot area, which has clean carpets and rust-free metal. Honestly, it’s well worth the slog up to Perth to go and see it before bidding but if you really can’t face it, then we think you can probably bid in confidence – and we’d be happy to arrange transport for you so you needn’t lift a finger…

As you can see and hear in the videos The MGB starts and runs very cleanly indeed. The running gear appears to be free of the leaks that can plague older British cars, and the underbonnet area itself is very clean and neatly presented.

Problems appear to be limited to a section of underbonnet soundproofing that has come adrift and will need replacing. That’s not bad, is it?

The online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever and confirms the car’s low mileage. The car also comes with a number of expired MOT certificates from prior to DVLA computer records and the current MOT runs until December of this year.

Supplied with a V5 registration document and a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust build certificate, this car’s provenance is beyond reproach, something that both the enthusiast and keen investor will appreciate.

The biggest problem we can see with this lovely old MGB is that, if you live in the south, you’re going to have to slog your way all the way up to Scotland to see it. Other than that, it is a delightful old bus and exactly the sort of car that will double up as both a usable classic sportscar as well as a rock-solid investment.

Cheap too, because we think this one will sell for between £7,000 to £10,000, which is astonishing value, especially given that the market values low-mileage originals cars above all else.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen in Perth, Scotland; the seller has offered to collect potential bidders from/return to Edinburgh or Glasgow airports. 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, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings of any auction, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles we have for sale. While we use our trade experience to assess every car that comes through our hands (and between us we have bought hundreds of classic cars over the years for our personal use…) we are fallible, and our assessment of a car may contrast with that you might form yourself.

This is why we offer a far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange a professional inspection on their behalf of, each vehicle prior to bidding than any traditional car auction, and we will never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this by coming to see it in person.

That said, 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 those formed as a 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.