1974 MG B Roadster

We bet you’ve never even heard of the MG Aston Martin, have you? A collaboration between British Leyland and Aston Martin, the rumour is that Aston Martin planned to take over BL, with grand plans to rejuvenate the brand. Obviously, this didn’t happen and the only proof that remains is the original show car. And this one.

And this could be considered, in our opinion, the better car of the two because it is how Trevor Broadbent, the well-known MG expert restorer, imagined it would have been finished and engineered had the car gone into production.

That’s a bold claim, but given that MG and Aston Martin cobbled together the original car in just six days to be used as a static display and Trevor did the job properly over a period of five or six years, it’s one we stand by.

Drawing on his many years’ experience working with the marque, in addition to advice given by his cousin who worked on the original show car, he has produced what we think may well be the definitive interpretation.

Trevor chose an MGB GT as the basis for his interpretation, arguing that its higher windscreen top rail would mean that taller drivers wouldn’t have to stoop, just like the original show car. It’s an inspired choice, even if it did mean he had to make a soft-top to fit this one-off vehicle, along with a bespoke piece of windscreen trim. Our vendor has acquired a new hood for the car, which is shown in the photographs. The high quality of both bespoke pieces means that most people won’t ever notice it’s anything other than a stock MGB. High praise indeed. The donor car had suffered damage to its rear, so its conversion to a roadster was not the big issue you might think – particularly to a man experienced in restoring MGs.

That the panels have a fit and finish to them that Abingdon would have been proud to achieve goes without saying.

Whereas the original MGB Aston Martin had (very crude) plastic steps/swage lines along its flanks, Trevor hand-fabricated his out of metal before welding them in place. He also redesigned the rear panel to ensure that the extra lights sit straight. He de-seamed the car too, giving it modern, sleek look that is entirely in keeping with the car’s spiritual ethos.

Interestingly, this might be the only MGB we’ve ever come across that started life with chrome bumpers and will end it with rubber ones. This was a far more convoluted job than you might think, but the result is an incredible evocation of the Aston Martin show car’s energy-absorbing jobbies. But done properly, obviously.

The show car was also sprayed in something of a hurry, so retained its brown door shuts and engine bay! This car, doesn’t. He also opted to finish it in the colour of lovely Champagne Gold rather than the Starlight Silver of the car that inspired it. (Interestingly, in a neat twist, after the original show car resurfaced it eventually ended up being resprayed in the same colour as this car. Compliment or Coincidence?)

The Minilite-style alloy wheels, shod with matching tyres, complement the car perfectly. They are in perfect condition, as is the chromework.

But it’s the hidden details that really impress: the gas struts fitted to both the boot and the bonnet; the hidden fuel filler cap; and the additional rear lamps that almost no-one will ever notice.

We really do advise, that you come and take a look at it in person. It’s with us here at The Market HQ in Abingdon, and we’d be very happy to pop the kettle on while you take a closer look to see just how well the job’s been done!

The tan leather interior is all-fabulous, as you’ll have come to expect by now. It’s also completely leather-trimmed, which is how Trevor imagined Aston Martin and MG would have done it had the car gone into production. The result is as aesthetically pleasing as it is impeccably finished.

Take a look at the quality of the work – it’s stunning, isn’t it? There are no shortage of people who will charge you good money to retrim your MGB for you, but we’re not sure we’ve ever seen anything done better.

From the butter-soft leather seats to the wooden Mota-Lita we can’t see anything in there we’d change, or anything that needs replacing or improving. But don’t just take our word for it; why not pop along to Abingdon and take a look at it for yourself?

Since our vendor bought that car from us in March 2019, he has also added, full wet weather gear, full & half tono covers and a wind deflector.

The plan set out in the press blurb for the MGB Aston Martin was that it was to be fitted with the O-Series 2.0 engine comes from a Rover SD1. You won’t be surprised to hear that that never actually happened with the prototype – nestled in a sea of Russett Brown inner wings can be found a bog-standard 1.8 B-series. However this is different and Trevor went gone one step further and sourced, adapted and fitted a proper 2.0 O-series. While other, more common, versions of the engine were available, Trevor wanted one with carburettors rather than fuel injection - and he was prepared to wait until he found one.

One eventually turned up, and he wasted no time in ‘topping and tailing’ it before fitting it with a new oil pump and new drive belts. A new clutch kit sits between the engine and the existing four-speed-plus-overdrive gearbox, and a pair of new 1¾” carbs help it breathe more freely. An oil cooler helps keep the temperature under control, no matter how spiritedly the car is driven.

And we have driven it and can’t help but think this should be a far more common conversion; the MGB drives delightfully, feeling much smoother and more ‘grown up’ with this under the bonnet rather than the venerable-but-aging B-Series unit. Combined with an overdrive-equipped gearbox, it also cruises beautifully.

This is also partly a function of the uprated brakes and suspension too. Oh, and a new wiring harness should have banished Lucas, the Prince of Darkness forever. Our vendor has also upgraded the shock absorbers, to adjustable ones, and changed the rear suspension bushes. The car has also been fitted with new rear brake pistons and a new alternator, along with two 12v batteries.

That the underbonnet is beautifully clean and very neatly detailed goes without saying. Our vendor has also fitted a custom stainless steel exhaust and kindly includes a new fuel pump with the car, should it ever need replacing.

The online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever and confirms the car’s mileage. The car comes without a current MOT certificate but it was checked in November 2020 and showed no signs that it would fail a test. This MGB is provided with a number of expired MOT certificates, a V5 registration document showing the engine change and the owner’s name, plus a number of magazine articles

It also comes with a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate plus, on a more practical level, a foot pump, a scissor jack and an extendible tyre wrench.

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 restored to the very highest standard.

This is a complete one-off – and to say that it is based on a show car is an over simplification; all Trevor had to go on was a series of press photographs, so some of it is guesswork, while the rest is his interpretation of how Aston Martin and MG would have done it had the car gone into production.

This is not a precious museum-piece, it can be fully enjoyed and shown-off as both British Leyland (and Trevor) intended. Life would be much more boring if we had to comply with standardisation and originality ALL the time, wouldn’t it? Hurrah to those with the skills, imagination and ambition to branch out of normality’s troughs.

As for price, we feel as though this car is worth between £8,000 - £10,000. Although obviously not original, it is, in many respects, a far more desirable car than the one that it’s based on, being better finished, more useable and incorporating some useful and desirable upgrades. And you’ll be very popular at the next Club get-together.

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