1971 MG TF Roadster

Built over a two-year period between 1995 and 1997 by a Mr. Alan Gillett using a 1971 MGB GT as a donor vehicle, this delightful NG TF Roadster was in the care of its first owner and builder until 2000, when it was sold to a Mr. Richard Harris.

Mr. Harris used the car on a regular basis, including making some choice upgrades, until 2002 and 8,000 miles when it moved onto its third owner, a Mr. Neil Underwood, who proceeded to rebuild the car from the chassis up.

Again.

He also rewired it and drew up schematics to ensure that future owners could easily troubleshoot any problems, and also went to the trouble of documenting the process in a comprehensive photo album. This work cost around £8,000 in parts alone, plus a nigh-on £2,200 respray.

The vendor bought the NG TF in 2015 and has spent his time titivating it, getting every little detail to his satisfaction. Like so many of us, he derives as much pleasure from the fettling as the driving, and the result is one of the most impeccably finished cars we’ve seen in a long time.

And nor was his work purely cosmetic, because he’s also spent £1,200 on parts to rebuild the engine after it developed a rattle. With fewer than 100 miles on the clock since being finished, the engine is still tight and in need of fine-tuning when it has had a chance to bed in.

That that is the extent of the work needed on this remarkable machine is the very definition of a #firstworldproblem.

Finished in Marine Blue, the NG TF’s £2,145 paint job still looks magnificent even nine years later. Not concours of course but very good with only a very few minor marks and stonechips that in no way detract from its appearance.

The panel fit is good too, and someone has clearly gone to a lot of trouble to get it all lining up properly; the inherent quality of the panels will have helped but it’s clear the car has been built by someone who knew what they were doing and took their time to make sure it was as good as it could possibly be.

Everyone loves a centre-hinged bonnet, don’t they? And it, along with the car’s deep running boards and front wings, huge headlamps, and imposing radiator grille go straight to the heart of the NG TF’s appeal; we all like a bit of vintage action, and the Roadster delivers that aesthetic in full.

The chromework is very good too, and the wonderful front spotlights and badge bar – complete with period-style badges, including one from the NG Owners Club – set off the car’s front end beautifully.

The new 15-inch chromed wire wheels are in great shape, and are retained by eared spinners on new splined hubs. Shod with matching Uniroyal RainExpert tyres, all four still look almost new and so have plenty of tread on them.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The NG TF comes complete with a full set of wet weather equipment, including a full hood, side-screens, and a tonneau cover. As you can see from the photos, they’re all in fabulous condition and still close to new condition.

And the car’s practicality is further enhanced by a boot-mounted spare wheel that is set beneath a useful chromed luggage rack.

The low-back front seats are trimmed in grey leather and are in great shape, showing almost no wear at all. The rear seat is even better, and looks almost as good now as it did the day it was installed – but then it’s not the most usable…

The grey leather theme extends to the top of the doors and the dashboard too, as well as the gearlever and handbrake gaiters.

The dark blue carpet, which is bound in leather and was new in 2011, is very good, as is the vast walnut dashboard that spans the full width of the car. It’s bright and shiny and free of cracks, lifting lacquer and all the other problems that can beset a wood veneer finish.

The Smiths’ gauges and switches are glorious and there’s a lovely mix of the old and the new, the traditional being taken care of via that huge wooden steering wheel, while the modern is represented by the lovely alloy indicator stalk and a series of contemporary warning lights.

A huge part of the appeal of a car like this is the tactility involved in driving it, and this car in no way disappoints. It’s also no hardship looking at it either, and that is, if we’re being honest, almost as important as the way it drives, isn’t it?

A power socket has been discreetly fitted underneath the dashboard to provide that all-important power for phones, sat-nav devices and the rest of the power-hungry electronic devices that we’d struggle without, and the vendor believes there’s a power supply under there too, should the new owner need even more power.

Speaking of power, there’s a battery master switch, along with a fuel pump cut-off switch.

Problems? Well, it’s a shame the glovebox hinges appear to have been sourced from B&Q but a half-decent DIYer could probably replace them easily enough. Or even just file them into a rectangle and then get them powdercoated black.

Oh, and the recorded mileage is correct, and reflects the ground covered since the car was first built in 1995-97.

The engine was rebuilt in August 2019 at a cost of approximately £1,200 in parts alone. Still tight and being run in after covering only approximately 100 miles, it will need setting up at 1,000 miles or so but that it very much a case of fine tuning it as it runs very well as it is.

The gearbox, overdrive and rear axle were all rebuilt when it was rebuilt by Neil Underwood, and the suspension was reassembled with Spax adjustable gas dampers and then polybushed.

The steering rack is new too, as is the braking system, splined hubs and wire wheels, and Smiths’ dials. He even made a bespoke wiring loom and accompanying wiring diagram; he worked as an electronics tutor, so the work is done to a very high standard.

We’ve driven it and can confirm that it drives every bit as well as you’d expect of a car with fewer than 1,500 under its belt since being finished.

The engine bay is very well presented, being clean, neatly arranged and beautifully detailed; just take a look at the polished copper pipes, for example; aren’t they magnificent? And, the centre-hinged bonnet really comes into its own, giving a high degree of access, making continued cleaning and fettling a joy.

The underside is, incredibly, just as clean as the rest of the car. Wonderfully detailed and preserved, it’s in need of nothing other than admiration.

Despite being exempt by virtue of its age, the Roadster’s MOT certificate expires in May 2021. And, as might be expected given its singular build quality and low mileage, every single one of its MOTs bar one has been gained without a single advisory point. And the exception? Slightly juddering rear brakes. In 2012…

This means that the online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever and confirms the car’s low mileage. The car comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a thick wad of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it in its lifetime, along with a photo album documenting its second build. It also comes with two keys, the original assembly manual, and a schematic showing the wiring.

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 built (twice!) and maintained to the very highest standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

NB. We know that many of you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so if you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please give us a call and we can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like us to concentrate on.

Or, even better, why not contact us with your mobile number and we can set up a WhatsApp video call? You get to direct us in real-time, giving you a virtual personal viewing experience while maintaining the lockdown. We like to call it ‘The Market’s 2020 Vision’…

Yes, it’s a kit car but, just like the Austin Healey/Sebring MX this is a kit car that is possibly even better than the original, blending retro looks with more modern running gear. Squint, and you could say it’s a bargain-basement Singer Porsche 911 maybe, or an Icon Toyota FJ40; a car that seamlessly blends vintage looks with a much nicer overall driving and ownership experience.

And, with a guide price of just £7,000 to £12,000, this will be an inexpensive way of getting behind the wheel of an extraordinarily well-built example of a classic car that benefits from vintage looks and the cheap and reliable underpinnings of an MGB. No Reserve of course….

Viewing is always encouraged, 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

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.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.