The British answer to Carrol Shelby. Ken Costello is a name which deserved to be better known in automotive circles. A multiple race winning racing driver who developed his own V8 version of the popular British roadster, leading to a genuinely fast MG B that could overtake the likes of a Porsche 911 and a Jaguar E-Type on the straights. Approximately 225 Costello MG B’s were created, with an estimated 60 of these excellent machines still remaining to this day.
Early Costello models are quickly recognisable with their bulging fibreglass bonnets, however the later versions such as this would wear a standard MG bonnet due to low profile inlet manifolds enabling the Weber 40 to be mounted in a rearward-facing configuration, giving better bonnet clearance. Wearing a bespoke V8 Costello badge on the rear panel and an egg box front grill, these are the only real indications that this isn’t your run of the mill BL factory model, but in fact something with outstanding provenance and performance.
This particular example underwent a handsome full nut and bolt restoration back in 2006 under the ownership of a renowned classic car restorer, Ricky Cooper, including a complete colour change from white to red. Most recently during lockdown in 2021, the current keeper of the vehicle spent most of its days in an engineering workshop where it underwent a massive recommissioning, with a plethora of mechanical maintenance as well as some welcome upgrades. A true delight to the senses.
The History and Paperwork
Originally purchased by a Doctor in the south of England as an export model in 1973
The vehicle was immediately delivered to Ken Costello for upgrades after purchase
The vehicle was exported to South Africa some time in the 90’s and was sold on to a Cape Town-based lawyer, where the vehicle was rarely used and sat in storage for some time until the owner unfortunately passed away, leaving the car to his son
The son showed no interest in the vehicle, eventually sold it on to the renowned classic car restorer, Ricky Cooper in Knysna, where the car underwent a full nut and bolt restoration in 2006
Following the Costellos restoration, it was sold on in early 2007 where the owner would take great interest in the cars history, and sold it on in 2014
The vehicle was proudly presented at car events near to the owners home in Sedgefield, even allowing a serial Costello restorer loose behind the wheel for a blast in 2019
The next sale of the vehicle would be to the current owner who brought the vehicle home from South Africa to England in 2020, who states the process of importing the car was prolonged due to the country entering into lockdown
A thorough recommissioning of the vehicle has been undertaken with a vast amount of mechanical work as well as some welcome upgrades
V5C is present and in the current owners name, showing him as the first owner of the vehicle due to it recently being imported home from South Africa
Costello MG V8 certificate of authenticity present with the vehicle stating the vehicle is genuine after a thorough provenance check
MG Owners valuation certificate from the 18th of July 2022 showing the vehicle had an agreed value of £30,000
Booklet of restoration images are present with the vehicle showing the car at different stages of its restoration while in Knysna
MOT exempt, however the car underwent an MOT in 2020 to ensure proper roadworthiness after being imported and it passed with no advisories
The Interior
Black leather upholstery
Handsome three-spoke Moto-Lita steering wheel
MG rubber floor mats
Wooden-look dashboard and panels all handsomely kept
All gauges and switchgear remain functional
There is something exceptional about classic British sports cars, simplistic yet beautiful, with just enough class to keep you happy no matter how many years pass by. It’s a shame they don’t make them like this anymore.
Starting by opening the driver side door, we’re welcomed with the black leather upholstery on the driver seat being very well maintained with only very gentle signs of use and no damage present throughout with defined stitching. The passenger seat remains much the same, with very little use apparent! Directly ahead of the driver seat, the three-spoke Moto-Lita steering wheel is beautifully kept with seemingly no damage on the wooden rim and the polished spokes remaining excellent with just a light hint of age thanks to the gently patinated screw heads, and the MG centre cover presented handsomely with no damage present. Behind the steering wheel, the gauges function properly as they should and remain easy to read with no tarnishing present, and the surrounding brightwork is in lovely condition as is the surrounding wooden-look dash.
The centre console remains in lovely condition with functional gauges and switchgear, and all of the surrounding wood-look finish appears to be very well maintained with no signs of any damage or delamination present. The upper dash panel is free from any cracks or damage also which is great to see! Travelling down the centre console to the transmission tunnel, the manual shifter is presented nicely with a black leather shift boot and the wooden MG shift knob which presents no signs of damage and very little use.
Both front door cards are well presented with no apparent damage or shoe scuffs, the stitching lines all remain well defined and the window winding mechanism works as you would expect. Perforated headlining shows some very gentle signs of age, a little hint of patina for an otherwise flawless interior is a lovely thing to see - a welcome bit of character!
Moving into the rear of the MG B, the bench seat appears almost unused which would not be surprising given the severe lack of legroom back here, it may make for a better storage space rather than be used for ferrying people around. Overall then, this Costello is gorgeously kept and remains in show-stopping condition in here, a proper time machine that whisks you back to a time where these lovely MG’s were commonplace on the roads!
The Exterior
Bright red paintwork
15” minilite alloys
Excellent brightwork
V8 Costello badges present
Factory-fitting panel gaps
No corrosion visible throughout
Few are sympathetic when it comes to restorations, however this lovely little MG has been done masterfully, taking away none of the little hints that this is, in fact, a GT that isn’t to be toyed with. Finished in a striking red paintwork with excellent brightwork throughout, it’s guaranteed to turn heads as it grumbles down the road past the locals.
Starting at the front of the MG, the paintwork remains excellent with no signs of any damage present. The headlights are damage free and remain functional, with excellent surrounding brightwork. The brightwork front bumper remains in undamaged condition with an excellent shine and no tarnishing present, with an ‘egg box’ grill just above in great shape - a small telltale sign this isn’t a regular factory model, especially shod with its V8 badge.
Moving around to the side of the handsome sportster, the paintwork remains the same as the front, in excellent condition with no signs of blemishes, only one very small rust bubble can be noticed on the passenger side door at the bottom corner - easily overlooked and just as easily missed. The 15-inch Minilites are very nicely presented with no damage that we can spot, and shod in tyres which were only fitted last year with loads of meat left on them. The brightwork stripe which runs front to rear is well maintained with no blemishing, and the brightwork surrounding all of the windows remains as handsome as one would expect! Body panels throughout appear to be straight and true, and the panel gaps are exceptionally placed and appear just like factory fitment.
Towards the rear of the MG B, much of the story remains the same, lovely paintwork from top to bottom with excellent panel gaps and clear brightwork with no tarnishing present, and the rubber window seals appear free from any degradation thanks to the careful ownership after the restoration. All of the badges remain present at the rear of the vehicle including the all-important V8 Costello one mounted to the right-hand side of the registration plate. Those in the know will have to pick their jaw up off the ground if they spy that! Rear lights remain free from any damage or crack and are fully functional, no problems to report here.
The Mechanics
3.5 litre Rover P6 V8, high compression engine
Rover 5-speed manual transmission
Extensive recommissioning during COVID
Rear-facing DCOE-40 Weber on a 90-degree inlet manifold
Frontline front steering wedges
Rear-wheel drive configuration
Outstanding mechanical condition
In the late 1960’s, Ken Costello spied a Rover V8 on the floor of a workshop called the Pipers Garage in England - marvelling at the size of the 3.5 litre and its low weight thanks to its aluminium block and heads, he realised it could probably be made to fit into the engine bay of the MGB. Funnily enough, what Ken didn’t know was that the engineers at British Leyland had been tasked with seeing if they could fit Rovers new V8 into the MGB bay, and ty as they might they weren’t able to manage it without noting that the chassis would need widened at least 3.5-inches to make it fit.
It took Costello less than six months to figure out the packaging of the Rover V8 in the MGB engine bay, working alone with minimal modifications and using a borrowed roadster from an Insurance Assessor friend. Upon completion, the car was vastly quicker than the stock MGB, and stunningly it was 30 lbs lighter than the standard four-banger engine resulting in the same fabulous handling characteristics that the little MG was well known for.
During the year 2021, when the world was in lockdown, the current custodian of the MG took it to a friend's engineering workshop where it would claim a corner and call it home for a while. New slotted and drilled discs were installed with brand new pads and calipers, a new master cylinder, braided brake lines and new rear wheel cylinders would also be fitted. The electrical system was converted to be able to run on two twelve volt batteries run in parallel to assist in turning over those eight cylinders up front.
An engine oil leak was spotted and traced back to the rear rope seal, so the engine was lifted out and a rebuild was on the cards. New bearings, duplex timing gears and chain, high capacity oil pump, a FellPro rope seal and Mocal pump cover, along with whatever else the owner thought needed replacing. A complete new clutch and slave cylinder were also fitted, the steering shaft was rebuilt with new universal joints fitted and extended 20mm to ensure it missed making a connection with the starter motor. Electronic ignition was fitted with new leads and a new coil, too!
This little Costello didn’t have any heater fitted, as it probably didn’t need it being in South Africa for so many years, so a complete functional heating system has been fitted to the vehicle to better suit the typical UK weather we’re all used to, and while doing this an entre require of under the dash as well as under the bonnet was completed. An updated tachometer was installed to fit the old housing, and a new induction system was fitted to improve engine breathing. A new remote oil filter, oil cooler and new oil lines were fitted to the vehicle, and a waterless coolant added with a new header tank.
As you can probably tell by now, this little Costello is properly well mechanically sorted and is reported to be an absolute pleasure to drive, with an abundance of power paired with light and agile handling, what more could you want? And let's not forget that outstanding V8 soundtrack to keep all of your senses occupied, of course.
Summary
This is no ordinary MG B, far from it, in fact. The Costello is a very rare breed with some fascinating history, and a very tight knit group of enthusiast owners. With fewer and fewer of these examples appearing in the wild, this makes for an excellent opportunity to get your paws on something that is likely to never really lose its value, and at the same time add an outstanding example to your collection.
This 50 year old Costello shows patina of a 20 year old restoration and it is a pleasure to see and drive. It has recently been converted back to its original specification ignition system now waiting for a new owner to continue its story.
BEFORE YOU BUY
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