1973 MG B V8 Roadster

This very car had its own six-page feature in a 2002 edition of MG World magazine, which goes to great lengths to describe how, for an outlay of around £26,000, the reader could have one just like it built to order by HCR. This outlay resulted in effectively a new car, built on a Heritage shell with remanufactured engine and gearbox, and a revised interior, so this car’s original build date of 1973 should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Unlike the low-compression engines that MG installed in their GT V8s, this roadster has a very different iteration of Rover’s 3.5-litre V8. HCR installed a new Rover SD1 unit with Vitesse pistons, a balanced crankshaft, ported Vitesse heads and RC87 camshaft with a four-barrel downdraft Holley carburettor and electronic ignition. Power is transmitted via a lightened flywheel to a five-speed manual gearbox, also from a Rover SD1, and the rear diff is an MGB V8 item with a 3.07:1 drive ratio. Four-pot calipers plus lowered springs and revised dampers complete the package of engineering tweaks.

As you can imagine, the performance is wonderful. MG World had this to say: “The power and torque allow you choose whether to bother with the gearbox or not. You can just drift around at 20mph in top, listening to each cylinder firing, or you can spot a gap in the traffic and floor it in third or fourth. The cheery grumble from behind elevates to a distinctive snarl, and there’s a very decent surge of power taking you past the legal limit with plenty of grunt in reserve.”

Hardly any work has been required since its 2002 build, and it survives today in very lovely condition – testament to the quality of the work.

The present owner purchased it directly from HCR in 2003, and has maintained it as his ‘go-to’ drive for high days and holidays. He has appreciated the torquey flexibility of the V8, the ‘air of authority’ from its sonorous but not-too-shouty soundtrack, and its easy driving experience. ‘Almost too easy!’ he admits, after his more highly strung Caterham 7.

Aside from a longer (glitch-free) adventure to Spain a few years ago, the MG has averaged just a few hundred miles each year. It has never been SORNed, and we have every reason to believe the owner’s claim that the car has never let him down.

HCR would reportedly spend a week fettling each Heritage shell before building an MGB, so perhaps it’s no surprise that the shut lines are so good. This particular shell was apparently left over from RV8 production.

The current owner has kept it garaged all its life, and it has survived extremely well. That lustrous metallic paint is BMW Montreal Blue, and it is in lovely condition. Zoom in to our close-up shots of the panels’ seams, edges and corners and you’ll see how tidy they are. The paint is almost immaculate, untroubled by corrosion and smooth to the touch, even along the inside lips of the wheelarches.

That said, we must remember that this build is nearly 20 years old. Under the right light you’ll find one or two small imperfections in the application of the paint, and faint cracks in the paint near one of the headlights, for example. A close observer will also find a few small stone chips, and micro scratches from years of enthusiastic polishing (see photos). These are tiny faults though, and nothing worth worrying about.

The hood is blue mohair and in excellent condition, opening and shutting without issue. It’s clean on both sides, and neither the fabric nor the stitching show any signs of significant wear.

As for the chrome (of which there is plenty), it’s all simply beautiful.

The car sits on matching 185/65 Bridgestone tyres, fitted to tidy 8-spoke 15in KN alloys. They’re very smart and haven’t been curbed, although one or two are starting to bubble around their centres.

Interior flaws are few and far between. As you can see, this isn’t an original interior, nor does it pretend to be. Those plush seats were originally designed for the RV8, and their leather is in lovely condition, with only gentle creasing and no sagging or tears. The door trim is also tidy, with just a few rubbing marks, and a slightly worn area of piping caused by the driver’s window winder. Overall, a little elbow grease could brighten the leather further, but it’s generally very good.

The driver gets an unworn Momo gearknob and Moto-Lita wheel, with a crackle-finish dash in excellent condition, and light-coloured aftermarket dials which complement the tan leather nicely.

Around the cockpit, all the carpets and MG-branded rubber overmats are neat and presentable, and lifting them reveals solid paintwork underneath, untroubled by dampness or rust. That theme continues behind the seats and in the boot, where you’ll find an unused matching Bridgestone under its cover.

Very little has been done to this car since its build, so there’s not much to report about the mechanicals or structural issues, other than how well preserved everything is. There is minimal build-up of dirt or grime under the car and no significant corrosion whatsoever: sills, doors, wheelarches, A-posts and box sections are impressively clean. HCR would reportedly inject its shells with rustproofing, and it shows.

The fuel tank is stainless steel, as is the big-bore exhaust, and the leaf springs are in sound condition, showing no signs of splaying. They could benefit from a coat of oil to help prevent them seizing in future, but there’s nothing to worry about yet.

On the subject of oil, the car does not appear to be dripping anything, even from the differential. The engine bay is clean and tidy, and all its hoses, pipes and wires are neatly presented. The owner tells us the LT77 gearbox is a smooth operator, requiring no time to warm up.

Clearly the car has been used, but certainly not abused.

This MG is accompanied by a comprehensive stack of receipts and service sheets going back to its time at HCR. None of these bills is particularly severe; they’re characterised by small, regular maintenance costs, with no heavy recommissioning ever being required.

Most impressive of all is the MoT history. This car hasn’t received a single advisory since 2008.

The engine has been treated to plenty of oil changes, and was last serviced in June 2020. An advisory on the receipt draws attention to a ‘water leak on the nearside bank of engine, possibly core plug’; given the aluminium V8’s sensitivity to coolant issues, we advise that this is addressed before the car is driven in anger. As a result, the vendor has since had all core plugs replaced as well as the cylinder head gaskets, valley gaskets and the engine coolant changed. 

When minor issues like these stand out, it’s testament to the overall condition of the car. The owner drove it to our premises, and we can confirm that it starts on the button and is ready to go.

Obviously this one isn’t for the purists, but it’s a fabulous build that exudes quality, is respectful of the MG’s heritage, and is ready to go. The next owner should have nothing to worry about besides routine maintenance. It’s not far off immaculate, and offers the peace of mind of having been thoroughly run in over nearly two decades.

Then of course there’s the dreamy spec…

To appreciate what terrific value this car now represents, consider the £26,000 that its original owner paid to have it commissioned. That would be around £43,000 in today’s money. Factor in the significant rates of appreciation seen by chrome-bumper MGBs since around 2017, and you’ll see what hot property this is.

We think so anyway. We’re really rather fond of this MGB, and have great faith in its ability to deliver a huge amount of pleasure to its new owner and as a result, we estimate it to sell between £18,000 - £23,000.

Inspection is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near 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’.