1981 MG MGB GT

With just five former keepers, this 1981 MGB GT is quite simply one of the nicest, most usable and best-presented examples we’ve seen in a very long time.

Having been sympathetically restored and subtly retro-modded, it combines the very best of classic car motoring with some of the reliability and usability of a modern car. That beautifully balanced compromise extends to the interior, which has been subtly improved in almost every single area while still retaining the Old School charm we’ve all come to know and love.

Stand by for the description, which is going to be as fulsome and gushing as any you’ve seen, with good reason; we hope the car attracts some strong bids from committed buyers because if it doesn’t, it might just find a home with one of us here…

The MGB’s restoration included a professional respray in a very attractive shade of green. Undertaken by Kennington Motors, the same guys that do the bodywork for the UK’s premier MGB specialists Frontline Developments, we can confirm that this is another example of just what a stunning job they do there: the panel gaps are impeccable; the flanks are utterly free of even the merest hint of a ripple; and the paint is even, glossy and looking pretty much as good now as the day they finished it.

To finish it all off, new seals were fitted to the front and rear screens, the quarterlights, doors and bootlid, as well as to the door handles and headlights. But then you’d guessed that, hadn’t you?

The chrome bumper conversion has been done to a very high standard and the bumpers, along with all of the external chromework, are in very good condition indeed.

A Webasto folding sunroof has been fitted, offering all the rigidity of the GT with the fresh air experience of the roadster. The fabric roof itself seals tightly, is taut and so doesn’t flap at speed, and opens and closes exactly as it should.

The 15-inch Minilite-style alloy wheels are in excellent condition, and are shod with matching, high-quality Avon tyres. We know we keep banging on about the importance of seeing matching tyres on a car, but having them, as in this case, is an excellent predictor of the care and time and money that has gone into a vehicle’s restoration.

The underside of the MGB is very nearly as good as the bodywork. It’s super-clean and protected by an evenly applied coat of underseal. (Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that underseal can be a very good thing rather than a mask to hide a world of pain and hurt and backstreet bodgery…)

In short, the bodywork and underside are as good anything you are going to see on the usable end of the concours circuit.

Work to do is limited to attending to a tiny area of light surface rust around the offside front indicator and, perhaps, fitting period number plates. That’s it. If you doubt us - and you’ve every right to be skeptical - please contact us and make an appointment to come and see it for yourself. We promise you won’t be disappointed.

We believe the walnut (style) dashboard is a new, upgraded item, it looks fabulous and far more upmarket than anything that was fitted in period. All the gauges look like new, and a three-spoke steering wheel and a five-speed Mazda gearknob replace the factory items. We note that teh revcounter appears inytermittent.

Black rubber overmats protect the new carpets, and the door cards (new in 2016, along with the sun visors, treadplates, and windscreen) and headlining are in the same condition as the rest of the interior, which is to say they’re flawless.

A modern, high-power, high-quality head unit has been fitted, which powers through a pair of speakers fitted behind what we believe are Mazda MX-5 front seats. This is an elegant solution and the loss of the (barely usable in reality) rear seats is a small price to pay for vastly improved sound quality.

It goes without saying that the Mazda front seats are also a huge improvement over the originals, providing much more lumbar and side support while still being in keeping with the rest of the interior. The whole thing looks stunning and we’d strongly encourage you to come and take a look - and sit in it - for yourself.

The 1800cc engine has been recently rebuilt and starts and runs extraordinarily smoothly, delivering its power across the entire rev range with a willingness that is a joy to experience. It also feeds its power to the rear wheels via a Mazda MX-5 five-speed gearbox, which is an acknowledged conversion - and an expensive one, at that; the result looks like a factory gearbox, except the ratios work far, far better than the period ones, giving sprightly acceleration and a more relaxed cruising speed. The usual Mazda rifle-bolt change quality is a welcome bonus.

The engine exhales through a stainless steel exhaust system, and the whole ensemble is brought smartly to a halt by an uprated Frontline Developments braking system. Frontline also contributed the uprated Gaz suspension system, which gives beautifully balanced handling allied to a comfortable ride and a perfect stance. It also had a new rear axle, CSI Optimised 45D4 distributor, and a battery in 2016.

The attention to detail extends to the underside, where extra soundproofing in the form of Dynamat Xtreme sound deadening pads have been attached to the floor to damp vibration and drumming. They, along with the interior sound-proofing, contribute to this car’s remarkably refined demeanour.

The car comes with an old stamped service history booklet, two sets of keys and a few of the invoices and bills to support its recent works. The online MOT history check shows nothing of concern bar two recent failures; in 2017 (‘Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid’) and in 2015 (‘Offside rear fog lamp not working’). That’s not a bad record, is it?

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find these documents on view.

MGBs often fall into one of two camps: they’re either concours queens destined for a life in a dehumidified, temperature-controlled garage or being shuttled around on the back of a covered trailer; or, they’re solid, usable examples that are a bit rough around the edges but much-loved, nonetheless.

This car is neither. It is, instead, one of the most beautifully presented examples we’ve seen in a long time, and one where the previous owners have spent vast amounts of money ensuring that it drives as well as it looks. One of the guys at Frontline Developments drove it for us and said of it: “it’s one of the best I’ve driven” which, given the firm’s reputation, is high praise indeed.

We’re no strangers to the breed either, and we concur; this is one of the most drool-worthy MGB GTs we’ve ever come across and the more we look, the more we appreciate just what a great example it is. It could even genuinely be used everyday, and then cleaned up and shown at your local classic car show where it would be sure to sweep the board.

So, it won’t be cheap. We think it will sell for between £8000 and £9500 which we think is still something of a bargain; as the old saying goes “Quality remains long after the price is forgotten”. The reserve is, as always, set at a lower point.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at Patina 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’.

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