1963 MGB Roadster “Pull-Handle”

Highlights

Genuine pull-handle B Roadster
Older restoration, recently returned to show standard
Lots of historic invoices
Really smart example of the seminal early MGB

The Appeal

The earliest MGBs, known as the ‘pull-handle’ models among enthusiasts of the model, are arguably the most sought-after of the lot.

Pure in style and identifiable by their unique door handles – hence the name – they represent the B as it was first envisaged in 1962.

Back when it debuted, who would have guessed that the MGB would go on to become the UK’s most popular sports car and today is the most prevalent classic car in the world, with over 20,000 known survivors in the UK alone, multiple owners’ clubs and an entire industry built up around its ongoing survival.

In model and specification terms, this one is as collectable as an MGB gets. An early car with ‘pull-handle’ doors and a pack-away removable roof frame, its from the first full year of production having been assembled in September 1963, 11 months after the MGB’s debut.

It’s a lovely car that was subject to a fully documented restoration in 1990 and has since been recommissioned further, with a more recent repaint in the original Iris Blue and a complete interior overhaul. It’s now a lovely, show-standard example that has been in enthusiast ownership for over three decades, and is a fabulous example well worthy of exhibiting.

The History and Paperwork

UK V5C
MOT, tax and ULEZ exempt
Folder of bills and invoices going back to 1990 when the car was first restored by the Welsh MG Centre
Selection of more recent invoices documenting work carried out to return the car to show standard
Old MOTs and tax discs
Several parts invoices from MG specialists
Heritage Certificate showing that the MGB was a home market car manufactured in September 1963 and supplied to its first owner the following month
Original tool kit
Owners’ handbook
UK-wide delivery available

The Condition

Gorgeous Iris Blue
Lovely paint finish – no visible dents or damage
Very good chrome and trim
Knock-on wire wheels with two-spoke spinners
Quality Firestone tyres all-round
Appears structurally sound in all areas
Removable hood frame with new hood
Original-specification ‘pull-handle’ door handles
Correct crackle-finish dash
Piped black leather seats retrimmed and in excellent order
Very good door cards and carpets
Full zip-up tonneau cover
Lovely wooden wooden Mota-Lita steering wheel
Original speaker grille and rotary heater knobs, with MG radio blank

The Mechanics

1,798cc B-Series engine
Four-speed manual gearbox
Starts and runs well
Steady and even idle and holds a steady temperature
Lovely, well-detailed show-worthy engine bay
Period-correct positive earth electrics
Reported by the vendor to be in fine running order with no known faults

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