1974 MG B GT V8

In the same family since 1978, this delightful MGB GT V8 has the benefit of a factory fitted V8 engine. Built in December 1973, it was delivered to its first owner in March 1974. He was a former chairman of the Bentley Drivers’ Club and kept the MGB until 1978, when he sold it to a fellow club member. This (hopefully) means that it was a good ‘un. 

The second owner kept it until August 1989, when he passed it onto his son, who is the current owner and vendor. He ran it until the early 1990s, but by then it was clear serious restorative works would be required if the car was to survive. As is often the case, life gets in the way, but in 2016-17 he commissioned a full restoration in 2016-17 by Phoenix Classic Cars of Poole in Dorset. The work was extensive and fully documented, and what you’re looking at now is a car that has not even been run-in yet, having only covered approximately 1,400 miles since being completed.

Finished in an attractive modern metallic blue and featuring a mildly uprated interior, this lovely MGB GT V8 is ready to burble its way through the summer season with a new owner at the helm.

The first step in the restoration was stripping the MGB down to a bare bodyshell. A few small areas of corrosion were dealt with fabricated repair sections but the floors, outer front wings, door skins, bonnet, nearside rear lower wing, and the entire offside rear wing were all replaced with new panels. The owner tells us that it would have been much easier (and probably much cheaper…) to use a new bodyshell but he was keen to keep the car as original as possible, for which we salute him.

The car’s panels were carefully refitted before being finished in a modern Neon Blue metallic. The paint, and general fit and finish are both very good as you can see in the photos. The full-length Britax sunroof was refurbished at the same time, and all the original glass (with the exception of the windscreen) is original.

New chrome bumpers have been fitted, along with new over-riders and door mirrors. The rest of the chromework is good. The original Dunlop composite wheels were bead-blasted and powder-coated before being fitted with matching 185/70 x R14 tyres. 

The underside has been neatly and professionally undersealed, and should be good for the next four decades without further work.

It really is a top-quality restoration, and a delightful old thing and we’d encourage potential bidders to come and see us near Abingdon where we’ll be delighted to show the car off.

The interior was completely refurbished and replaced as necessary. The work included new or reconditioned gauges throughout, a cleaned and rebound wiring loom, a new wood-rimmed Mota-Lita steering wheel, a full set of new carpets, and new door cards.

The seats were stripped to their frames and then rebuilt before being finished in butter-soft black leather; the lady who did the work proudly told the owner that she’d found some of the good stuff on a shelf and used that in place of the standard leather he was expecting. The result is beautifully soft and smells amazing! It is, it’s fair to say, considerably more luxurious now than it was when it left the assembly line in 1973.

The door caps were trimmed in black leather too, as was the centre console. Interestingly, the original locks are still in place, and the car even comes with its spare key screwed to the engine bay bulkhead. 

The vendor’s father had had a couple of extra gauges tidily fitted to the centre console, and more recently a USB connector has been fitted as well.

The front cross member was stripped down, sand-blasted and then powder-coated before being reassembled with either new or refurbished components. The front lever-arm dampers were replaced with quality new units and polyurethane bushes were used throughout.

The steering rack was refurbished, as was the rear axle. A new propshaft plus rear springs and Spax dampers completed the work on the chassis.

The engine was fully stripped and carefully rebuilt. It now breathes through a stainless steel exhaust, which has had tubular manifolds routed inside the engine bay. A 123 electronic ignition system helps with starting and general running, as does the modern single 12-volt battery which replaces the twin 6-volt setup that it left the factory with. A battery isolation switch adds another layer of security.

A replacement correct factory V8 gearbox and over-drive was fitted, but only after it had been overhauled by guru Malcolm Beer.

The work was fully recorded and the photo album is accompanied by a certificate of completion as well as dozens of invoices for the parts used. We hesitate to calculate the final bill, but we can confidently say that the car’s new owner will only have to pay a fraction of the sum that has been lavished on it to bring it to the condition you see today.

The car has had no fewer than three engine oil changes since being restored, and the owner suggests that it would benefit from another when it reaches 2,000 miles. If this paragraph alone doesn’t convince you that we are dealing with a an unusually understanding and sympathetic owner who has treasured the MGB over the years his family has owned it then we don’t know what will. He has also delayed its arrival with us because there were a few small niggles that needing fixing; none were essential, but it’s all very reassuring.

Remaining stuff; well, the ‘V8’ grille badge is wrong – but a replacement is on order and should be supplied for the new owner to have the pleasure of fitting. 

For some mechanical reassurance, the owner drove this MG all the way from Somerset for us to auction. 

The online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever and confirms the car’s mileage. The MOT certificate runs out in November 2019, and the car comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a thick sheaf of invoices and bills to prove the work that has been done to it.

It also comes with a British Motor Industry Heritage certificate confirming its provenance, along with an MG Car Club V8 Register factory record. 

A photo album detailing its restoration and, wonderfully, it also comes with typewritten notes on starting and driving it since it has been restored. Now that’s love for you, eh?

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 and maintained to the very highest standard.

If you’re looking for a standard, concours-winning MGB GT V8 then this isn’t quite your car. This example has been built with the regular user in mind, and features a number of modest modifications designed to make the car nicer and easier to live with. 

It’s also been built with the aim of keeping as much of the original car there as possible; most people would have bought a new heritage bodyshell and saved themselves the time, trouble and expense of making localized repairs. But this car has a long history with the owner’s family and so has immense sentimental value to him; building a ‘brand new’ car would have destroyed its hard-won provenance, and he simply wasn’t prepared to do that.

So, if you’re looking for something that can convincingly fulfill a number of roles – and be much, much cheaper than a concours example – then you should make your way to the car’s spiritual home here in Abingdon and let us pop the kettle on while you take your time to give the old girl the once over.

Because it’s solid, beautifully restored, and looks wonderful. No, the colour isn’t original, but the car looks great, sounds brilliant, and drives even better; what else can you ask of your classic?

Pricing a car like this is hard; while it’s not to concours, original specification, it’s a very, very good and highly usable example of a much sought-after British sports car. 

With that in mind, we think it will sell for around £22,000 and £30,000, at which price point it offers good value and should see its new owner through many trouble-free years. And if you doubt us, sit down with a calculator and a stiff drink and tot up what it would cost you to commission one to this standard.

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.