1964 MG B ROADSTER MKI

The subject of an older restoration some 19 years ago, this super little MGB was given to the seller by her husband 16 years ago as a birthday present. She was clearly delighted by it because she has spent the intervening period steadily improving it in addition to driving and maintaining it properly.

Always garaged, it now boasts a retrimmed black leather interior, new wire wheels, and some upgrades from later models. It is now fighting fit and ready to thrill and reward its new owner; having battled the 120 mile drive here via the M25 on its way to us, we can confirm that it starts on the button, ticks over beautifully, and drives like a dream. The car also comes with a fresh MOT until June 2020.

Always a good bet as a first, or an undemanding, classic car, this MGB is a fine example of the breed and should only need regular maintenance for the next few years at least, making it a painless and financially sensible introduction to classic sportscar ownership.

The Old English White coachwork looks fabulous; the restoration that was carried out in 2000 was clearly done to a very high standard as it looks like a car with fewer than half-a-dozen years under its belt rather than the best part of 20. Just as importantly, it still has the rare, and valuable, aluminium bonnet it left the factory with back in 1964, albeit resprayed.

The exterior chromework is similarly good, and needs nothing bar a bit of a polish to bring out the full depth of lustre. Although that of the front quarterlights is slightly pitted with age, the rest is in very good condition.

The car sits on new wire wheels and matching Uniroyal tyres. Regular readers might be fed up with reading this, but matching tyres are an infallible sign of a car that has been owned by a mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the money to keep the car in the very best condition; as such, we use them as something of a ‘shortcut’ when assessing a car’s likely overall mechanical condition – and they’ve never let us down.

The black folding hood fits a little awkwardly, possibly because it is from a later model. It fits okay, but a fussy owner might like to wrangle it into position better or fit a correct replacement. The tonneau cover is tan in colour and a little stained, but it does appear to be in a good condition.

The seats and door trims were retrimmed in black leather and finished with white piping as part of the car’s rolling refurbishment. The work was completed around 12 years ago and was obviously done to a high standard as they still look fabulous having matured with only the very gentlest of creasing. They are also as comfortable and supportive as ever.

The carpets are in fine fettle too, and lifting them reveals no worrisome rot, rust or others nasties lurking beneath.

A classically fashioned, twin-spindle radio sits in the wooden dashboard; while the wooden-veneer dashboard might not be completely authentic, it brings a welcome touch of modernity and class to the MGB’s interior. A voltmeter has also been fitted underneath the dashboard to monitor the battery condition.

The boot is clean and tidy, although it is missing its carpet. It holds the wire spare wheel and tool kit, including a brass hammer for removing and refitting the centre-lock, knock-on, knock-off wire wheels.

The eagle-eyed will notice that this early car has later exterior and interior door handles, this is probably a legacy of being restored 20 years ago when such details were not as important as they are now. (Potential buyers can either change them back, or sit safe in the knowledge that the later handles are less prone to opening by themselves during hard cornering....)  The same can be said of the ignition switch, which is now mounted on the steering column rather than on the dashboard.

The engine was rebuilt approximately 8,000 miles ago, and still starts, ticks over, and powers the MGB smoothly and powerfully across the full rev range. It was, of course, fitted with hardened valve seats at the same time so can run unleaded petrol with impunity.

The car also benefits from new Spax rear dampers fitted in 2008, as well as a fairly recent radiator and steering rack. The MOT tester commented on the need for new front brake pads a few days ago, but that’s an easy, cheap job that will provide a chance for the car’s new owner to start to bond with their new car.

The owner tells us that the synchromesh on third gear is a bit weak and can sometimes be a bit notchy as a result. We don’t think it needs repairing in the immediate future, but potential bidders should take it into account when setting their bids. Or, better still, why not pop along and try the car for yourself here at The Market HQ in the MGB’s spiritual home of Abingdon? On a more positive note, the correct three-speed-plus-overdrive gearbox was only fitted in 2007. We have also been told that the MGB still features its original early-style fuel tank.

The engine bay could do with a good clean and some tidying, as could the MGB’s underside which has some flaking underseal. This work will only need doing on aesthetic grounds rather than due to it being in a poor mechanical condition or being rusty underneath, though.

The online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever other than the aforementioned need for new front brake pads, at its recent MOT, and confirms the car’s low mileage. The car comes with a large number of expired MOT certificates plus a thick sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that the owner has commissioned to be carried out on it.

It also has some period photographs, including some of its restoration, and a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate that confirms its original build specification of Old English White coachwork with a black interior and wire wheels.

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 the very highest standard.

Despite being an older restoration, the MGB comes with a wealth of modern history, so anyone considering this car can do so safe in the knowledge that it’s a good ‘un. Sure, it’s been a couple of decades since the work was completed but it was beautifully done and the car looks to have been well looked after since then with a series of carefully judged upgrades being sympathetically installed.

Bearing all this in mind, our guide price for the car is a very reasonable £11,000 - £15,000, which we think is very reasonable for a car of this quality, yet still acknowledges the fact that it isn’t in the first flush of (post-restoration) youth.

Why not pop a cheeky bid in and see if you can walk away with a bargain? 

Remember; with interest rates as low as they are, a decent MGB is as good as money in the bank and cars like this one might even show you a bit of a profit in the long-term…

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’.

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 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.