1995 MG RV8

Built in February 1995, this MG RV8 was, like 80% of them, exported to Japan. It remained there until June 1998, when it re-entered the UK after being bought and imported by MG specialists Brown and Gammons.

The car received a new MPH speedometer at the same time, so we are unable to confirm whether the recorded mileage of 6,700 miles is accurate, or reflects only the ground covered since its repatriation.

The current owner bought the car in 2015 from a chap that had owned it for twelve years and hardly used it. The new owner has hardly driven it since then either thanks to the competing demands of a burgeoning classic car collection, which explains the stunning condition and ultra-low mileage.

The vehicle also comes with the personalized and highly appropriate personalized registration number ‘C8 MGR’, which has been valued at £800.

Finished in Woodcote Green, the bodywork is in stunning condition and is every bit as good as the day it left the factory.

The headlights, taken wholesale from the Porsche 964, are unblemished and as sparkly as the day they were unpacked, as is the folding fabric roof and even the rubber windscreen seal. In fact, the whole car is pristine with none of the rot or rust that usually plagues the model.

If pale, ruched leather is your thing then you are going to love this car! While it isn’t to everyone’s taste, it has two things in its favour: it’s original, and of the period; and it’s in great condition, being free of rips, tears, and the sort of other damage that is all too common with classic car interiors.

The Connolly leather seats are showing some gentle signs of use and would benefit from a thorough clean and feed, but then that’s exactly the sort of job your first Sunday with the car is designed for, isn’t it?

The burr elm veneer trim on the dashboard and door cappings is in excellent condition and looks just as awesomely period as the seats. Chrome door handles and a console-mounted ashtray (remember those?) complete this modern take on the classic British sports car interior.

Cars as good as this are hard to describe, simply because there is so little to say. The engine runs sweetly and pulls strongly, the five-speed manual gearbox is as good as the day it was new, and the suspension and brakes still fulfill the factory specification to a tee.

This car is as close to a new MG RV8 as you’re likely to find and we’d welcome you here at Patina HQ in Abingdon to view it for yourself. Just contact us by clicking the button and we’ll get back to you to make an appointment to show you just how good the old girl is.

The previous owner did very little with the car but had it checked over every year by his local garage prior to the MOT, having any items put right.

More recently the car has just undergone a full service (all fluids etc changed) by leading MG specialists, Frontline Develoments.

The only advisory shown on the UK government’s online MOT history record are for four aged perished and cracked tyres, casualties of the car’s infrequent use. However, all four will be replaced by us before any new owner collects, ensuring that they won’t have any excuse to delay jumping in and using this delightful car for the purpose for which it was intended!

In terms of paperwork the car has the original Japanese export documentation (including an English translation) as well as copies of the following MOTs:

• 1999 - 2089 Miles
• 2000 - 3029 Miles
• 2001 - 3666 Miles
• 2002 - 5762 Miles
• 2003 - 6178 Miles
• 2011 - 6258 Miles
• 2012 - 6258 Miles
• 2013 - 6299 Miles
• 2014 - 6324 Miles
• 2015 - 6417 Miles
• 2016 - 6535 Miles

Between 2004 and 2011 the car was stored and not used. There are also numerous service receipts from all periods (except when it was in storage).

The price of good MG RV8s stalled over the past few years but the value of good examples has started to rise in recent months, making this the perfect time to buy one of your own.

And yes, we know that genuine UK-market, non-Woodcote Green cars are the ones everyone wants but that’s such palpable nonsense that we’re convinced the market will correct itself in time, if only because the Japanese-export cars tend to feature such low mileages as to make them a far, far better bet than a thrashed, rusty UK car…

You needn’t take our word for it, either. The current owner asked Frontline Developments to give it the once-over while it being serviced recently. Their engineer’s verdict? Of all the many examples that have crossed his path over the years, this is “the best I’ve ever seen”, closely followed by the unprompted comment “this is the one I’d buy.”

Such a great car, supported by such a strong endorsement, is not going to be cheap. Yet, we still think the guide price of £17,000 represents very good value for money in today’s market and should, with careful use and a following wind, prove to be a decent long-term financial investment too.

The car can be viewed at our premises in South Oxfordshire, to arrange please contact us or use the 'Contact Seller' button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments or view our frequently asked questions was answers to the most common queires.