2000 MG MGF VVC 1.8

This delightful and honest little 1.8-litre MGF VVC is our latest No Reserve auction. Bought on a whim from the chap who maintains his collection of classic MGs, it’s only for sale because he has, like so many of us, too many cars and he’s decided that now is the time rationalise his collection.

Finished in a non-metallic red with a black leather interior, it is one of those cars that rewards close inspection, slowly revealing itself until you come to realise that it is actually a lovely old thing. It’s nothing special, and certainly not a concours winner, but it is a straight, solid and (almost certainly) reliable example of the breed that appears to have led a good life.

With just 56,000 miles on the clock, the cambelt was changed 6,000 miles ago along with the head gasket. The bill – from a main dealer, no less - came to more than £2,000 but it was worth every penny as it’s left the car fighting fit and ready to meet its new owner. 

C’mon, it’s a two-decade-old MG, so there’s going to be some rust, right? Er, actually no. Sure, there is the odd stonechip and scuff here and there, along with a tiny amount of rust at the base of one wing, but it really is in rather good overall condition. The flanks are straight and true, and the panel gaps are pretty good. 

The alloy wheels are a bit scuffed, and they don’t have matching tyres. But, the fronts are Goodyear Eagle F1s, so it wouldn’t break the bank if you treated it to a matching pair for the rear axle. As for the alloys, we’d leave them as they are for the time being; it’s going to be a cheap car, so why complicate things unnecessarily?

The folding black hood looks to be in very good condition, both inside and out. Its taut and free of rips, and seems to be weather-tight. It furls and unfurls cleanly, and can be stowed underneath what is a decent soft cover.

It also comes with a black hard-top, which helps turn the convertible MG into a rather cosy all-weather coupe. Ideal for use in the winter, it even has a heated glass rear screen for easy demisting on those frosty winter mornings. It does have the odd mark but we think most of those will buff out – and anyway, you’re only going to be using it when the weather if foul, so does the odd mark really matter? 

The black leather seats have started to develop a patina, but that is the extent of the wear. There’re no rips, tears or other significant damage, just light creasing and a slight softening of the driver’s side bolster – and we think that even the small amount of creasing there is could probably be minimised with a couple of hours of elbow grease and some leather cream.

The carpets are in a good condition, as are the door cards. The dashboard hasn’t suffered any sun damage, and the gauges all work, as do the electric windows. It’s fitted with a wind deflector too, which makes for unruffled top-down motoring.

The rear boot is very clean, and offers enough space for a long weekend away or maybe even a couple of sets of golf clubs? There’s also a boot-mounted metal-and-wood luggage rack that would take another large suitcase or bag, meaning the little MGF could usefully be used for a fortnight’s holiday touring somewhere hot. (Like our office today, for example…)

The MGF had a new cambelt and head gasket 6,000 miles ago. And, even better, the work was carried out by the vendor’s local main dealer at a cost of more than £2,000. It’s also been fitted with a stainless steel exhaust - how’s that for faith in your aging MG?

It’s running well, and the worst we can say about it is that the engine bay is dominated by a rusty metal cover. But a couple of hours with some wet-and-dry paper and a rattle can of satin black paint would sort that out very easily and at negligible cost.

The front ‘boot’, which is home to the spare wheel, battery, horns and fluid reservoirs, is very neat and tidy too. The tyre on the spare wheel looks to be fairly new and has good tread.

The online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever and the MOT certificate itself runs out in April 2020.

The car comes with its original owner’s wallet with an owner’s handbook, a stamped service history book, and various other bits of documentation and miscellaneous guidebooks. It also comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus some invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it in recent times.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork.

This MGF is going to provide someone with an awful lot of fun; being offered with No Reserve, we aren’t even going to bother giving you a guide price because it’s going to sell from the very first bid, and being an MGF, no-one is going to - unjustly, in this case - value it very highly, largely because it’s not a Mazda MX5. That is, frankly, bonkers because how else can you get your hands on a mid-engined sportscar for what is essentially pocket money?

So, if you can overcome your prejudices you really should bid on what is really a rather genuine and honest little sportscar. Part of a larger collection that includes some very nice classic cars indeed, previous owners have clearly taken the time and trouble to maintain it properly. This is rare when it comes to MGFs, so when the chance comes to buy one from a bloke like this, you should jump at it…

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