1981 MG B LE

In 1981 MG announced that the final version of the MGB would be called the LE, or Limited Edition. With only 1,000 built, the MGB LE achieved iconic status from day one, which ensured that more than a few have been carefully curated over the years by owners with a keen eye on their future investment potential.

‘LCX 634W’ may well be one of those cars because it’s been in the same family since 2005 and had just two owners prior to that.

Still finished in Metallic Bronze paintwork, it sits on the same wheels it left the factory wearing, is powered by its original engine, shows just 66,000 miles on the odometer, and is still fitted with the hugely desirable ‘deckchair’ seats that were fitted in Abingdon all those years ago.

The past six years have seen it kept in an air-conditioned garage – and yet despite it seeing little use, the owner happily jumped into it and drove down to our HQ from his home in Yorkshire. Mind you, the fact it holds an advisory-free MoT must have helped his confidence, but then it has been racking up clear passes since its last advisory in 2011.
 

The MGB was refurbished in 2001, at which point repairs were made to the sills and lower front panel. New front wings and door skins were also fitted before it was resprayed in the same Metallic Bronze (paint code BMC, a three-letter code that was used only on 1980-MY, RHD cars) the factory used.

We also note there’s a receipt for a repair to the nearside rear of the MGB but given this is for just £192, we can’t imagine the work was too involved or intrusive.  

This investment, along with twenty years of loving care, has resulted in a very well presented MGB that could be taken anywhere without disgrace: The panel fit is excellent, the Metallic Bronze paint shines nicely, and the decals along the lower panels mark this as one of the much-loved LE versions, even to the uninitiated.

The rubber bumpers, much derided when the car was new but a feature discerning customers are actively looking for as so many have been replaced with chrome ones, are in fine fettle. Impact-resistant in name rather than provenance, all four corners are unmarked.

As we mentioned earlier, the MGB sits on its original equipment wire wheels and it’s nice to see these are painted rather than chromed. Their overall condition is good, with good chrome spinners. Oh, and the boot contains not one but two mallets for their removal and refitting.

They are also fitted with a full set (including the spare) of 165/80R14 Falken Sincera tyres. These were purchased in 2021 and still have a good depth of tread left on them thanks to the car’s limited use since then.

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.

The hood was fitted only a thousand miles ago, so it is obviously still in a mint condition, albeit with a slightly creased and rumpled rear screen. It rises and falls nicely too, and the owner’s fitted a wind deflector to minimize buffeting in the cabin when it’s lowered.  

Speaking of which, if you don’t mind a bit of weather then a very good tonneau cover forms part of the listing. Very useful for keeping the cabin dry when the car’s parked, hardy souls use ‘em in the winter to keep their lower halves snug and warm while poking their upper bodies out into the bracing air. Dress like a motorcyclist and you can enjoy the ultimate in open-air driving – and if you remove the hood and frame, less weight, too.  

Overall, it really is a lovely old thing and, as the owner points out, “genuine and unmolested cars in this condition are getting very rare.”

Faults are few. The windscreen is starting to delaminate on the offside lower corner and there’s a small stonechip on the lower section too, but both of these are minor.

The front and rear numberplates are also slightly skewwhiff, there are some chips to the edge of both doors, and a crack in the paint where the nearside front wing joins the scuttle. 
 

The interior is as wonderfully original as the coachwork.

Still boasting the Orange and Brown (trim code AMH) deckchair seats it left Abingdon with, they have been re-padded with new squabs. This is a neat compromise between keeping them comfortable and supportive without destroying their originality.

The carpets are new though, but then you wouldn’t know as they fit so well.

The dashboard is in great shape too, with all the controls and switches still having bright, white lettering. The instrumentation is comprehensive, and the (very good) door cards have been fitted with upgraded Kenwood speakers.  

Even the central armrest, which is almost always damaged and cracked, is intact.

It’s the same story inside the boot. Lifting everything out – and the contents include a bottle of lead substitute, jump leads for starting other folks’ cars, a spare wire wheel and matching Falken tyre, the cover for the furled roof and another for the spare wheel, copper and aluminium mallets, and the jack – reveals nothing but a solid and well-painted metal floor.

As for flaws, the gear knob and handbrake are patinated, but we think this just adds to the cabin’s charm, especially give the handbrake features a period combination lock.

This just leaves a few minor issues for the new owner to sort out: the radio has lost it’s flip-out panel; one switch surround is cracked; there’s some untidiness on the far right of the dashboard; and the clock doesn’t work.
 

With refurbished carburettors and a new starter motor fitted four years ago, plus a new exhaust two years after that, we are told that “all the mechanicals work well, including the overdrive” but then this is less of a surprise when you realise the last advisory it had was back in 2011 for a “poor horn”. (Stop giggling at the back.)

The seller tells us that “the overdrive works well on 3rd and 4th gears, the engine starts first time, gear changing is smooth, and the running gear in good order.”

It’s original and standard too, with not only the factory-fitted engine but also the rotor arm ignition. The video demonstrates that it starts and idles well, and moves up and down the rev range smoothly.

The engine’s cosmetic condition is very good indeed but having come this far, you could have guessed that, couldn’t you? Sure, you could pretty it up if you enjoy that sort of thing, but we suspect most of us would be happy to leave it just as it is.

More urgent is the rust that’s started on the bulkhead and on the rear of the inner wings, which will need addressing sooner rather than later before it becomes more expensive and complicated.

As for underneath, there is a good coat of well-established underseal there, albeit starting to peel off in places. More work to be done there then, but it’s a job that could be done to your timescale, not its.

The jacking points still look good and there is, of course, that recent exhaust to admire.
 

Built at Abingdon on the 2nd and 3rd of October 1980 and registered on the 10th of March 1981, this is one of the last of the LE models.

The seller tells us that they bought it for their son's 30th birthday in 2005. He then moved to Switzerland, so they’ve been storing it in their air-conditioned garage for him ever since. Now in their eighties, they’ve started having some difficulty getting in and out, so have bought a Lea Francis saloon as their “usable classic”, which means the MGB is now surplus to requirements.

The MGB’s MoT certificate, which is valid until December 2025, was issued with no advisories, just like every single one after 2011.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the MG comes with two sets of keys, a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate, some old tax discs and expired MoT certificates, plenty of invoices for servicing and repairs, an Inventory of Contents, and the Driver’s Handbook. 
 

The seller puts it very well when he says: “This is not a perfect concours car, rather an excellent driving car which will shine at classic car shows. At 66,263 miles it is probably one of the best original low miles / low owner MGB LEs available today.”

Quite. We’d also add that it is likely to prove to be cheap to run, too. Apart from the lack of depreciation you’d find with a new car, as an historic vehicle the annual road tax is zero.

It is also ULEZ compliant, and the seller has been paying £140 per year for classic car insurance with a 3,000 mile limit.

All of which makes out estimate of between £7,000 and £10,000 feel like a bit of a bargain – and if that wasn’t enough, the owner’s got enough faith in his MGB to offer it with no reserve, so it’s going to sell from the very first bid.

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 ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.