Large history file going back to the car’s early days
Tax and MOT exempt
Solid, very useable example of the popular BGT but with scope to improve
One of the last MGBs built before production ended
Regular, limited use of around 1000 miles per year recently
Very easy classic to own with superb parts and club support
The Appeal
Looking at the pretty lines of this late model BGT it is hard to believe that the GT model was very much an after-thought, a Pininfarina design proposal that only entered production three years after the Roadster.
Over half a million BGTs left the factory during the car’s remarkable 15 year production run, making this ‘mini E Type’ one of the British motor industry’s enduring successes. The hard top car plays well to the MGB’s strengths, offering very comfortable, practical long distance cruising prowess. Those characteristics make it a perennial of the classic motoring scene, a very useable, extremely easy to own classic with great styling. Like all Bs it comes with the reassurance of an unrivalled network of specialists and parts supply and an enthusiastic social scene.
This BGT is unusual in that it is a 1980 car, from the final few months of production, but was only UK registered in 1983 because the first owner was in the army posted overseas. It is MOT and tax exempt. It looks good in popular Carmine Red and is accompanied by a history file going back to its first days. It is very solid and useable, but could be the basis for what looks like relatively easy improvement.
The History And Paperwork
Left the factory on 9th April 1980
First registered in UK on 6th January 1983
First owner in the army and posted overseas
Stamped service book to 22,278 miles in 1987
Extensive history file with huge number of old invoices and receipts back to the 1980s
Although odometer reading shows 42000, the MOT history shows this is 142000
Limited use since evidenced by MOT history
14 owners from new
Current owner since 2014
Genuine reason for sale
MOT expired in September 2021, 2,000 miles covered since
Last serviced by owner in 2020
The Interior
Black leather front seats and rear bench
Moto Lita leather steering wheel
Aftermarket glass ‘pop up’ sunroof
80s Blaupunkt radio cassette
Fuel cut off switch
High level brake light fitted
The MGB GT is a proper GT with decent headroom and big soft seats making this a comfortable place to munch up some miles. The final post-1975 cars got a revised interior, as featured in this car, which modernised the dashboard but retained the same overall aesthetics. This set up also provided better heating and ventilation, a longstanding bugbear of MGB owners.
The interior of this car appears to be original except for the good condition black leather seats and rear bench. The Heritage Certificate indicates that the car left the factory with silver/grey cloth seats. They were never the most hardwearing so these seats look like a later addition. They are unmarked and very presentable.
The carpets, headlining, trim and other switchgear look original, with the usual signs of age and patina that implies. It looks presentable in a very useable, driveable way. There are a few slight scuffs on the dashboard but the BGT is a car to enjoy and the condition of this one makes that possible without worrying.
An attractive Motolita leather wheel is fitted and there is a period-correct 1980s Blaupunkt rado/cassette. A ‘pop up’ glass sunroof, a popular aftermarket fitment in the 1980s, lightens the interior and will help cool this car in the summer.
The Seller has fitted various useful items, including a high level brake light, fuel cut off switch and fan override switch under the dashboard.
The Exterior
Carmine Red paintwork appears original
Original RoStyle wheels with chrome rim embellishers
Generally very solid condition with a few areas the new owner may wish to attend to
Original rubber bumper car with factory correct ride height
The success of the BGT shape is proven by how enduring it was, lasting 15 years and still looking sharp in 1980 when the last cars left the factory. From 1975 MGBs got rubber bumpers and an increase in height to meet USA legislation. Enthusiasts are increasingly turning to these later cars as the visual impact of those bumpers decreases and the improved quality and comfort of these later cars shines through.
Those bumpers were much-derided in period because they broke with tradition. Shorn of that association they look well resolved and integrated against the attractive Carmine Red paintwork of this 1980 BGT.
When buying a MGB the crucial test is the condition of the structural as mechanically these are very robust, relatively simple cars. Where there are issues owners have the benefit of a vast army of specialist workshops and parts suppliers, all relatively inexpensive. The extensive owners clubs and forums are also endlessly useful for advice and tips.
The extensive history file doesn’t appear to record that this car has ever had a full respray and the general condition and quality of the paintwork indicates that it is as it left the factory. There are a few areas where paint chips have been touched in, particularly around the boot lid and the nearside headlight, but these are not visible from a short distance. The driver’s door has some light scuffs on the edge.
Elsewhere there are the first signs of rust bubbles that the new owner may wish to attend to before they catch hold. These are all in the usual MGB places, such as the scuttle-to-wing seam on the offside and the offside wing seam below the rear window. The nearside base of the windscreen is also beginning to deteriorate and there is a small bubble of rust on the offside rear arch.
The bumpers are generally in very good condition except for an area of damage below the front nearside headlight and two small marks on the rear bumper below the fuel filler.
The chrome is generally very good, just a small shallow dent in the passenger door trim detracting. The attractive optional RoStyle wheels, with chrome rim embellishers, are in very good condition.
The underside of the car looks very solid, the crucial sills and castle rail appearing to be very good and liberally undersealed.
Overall this is a solid, useable BGT that can be enjoyed ‘as is’ while benefitting from ongoing investment.
The Mechanics
Matching numbers 1.8litre 4cylinder engine
4spd gearbox with overdrive
New clutch and fuel tank during Seller’s ownership
Front suspension rebuilt in 2010
Last serviced in 2020 by Seller
The 4cylinder MGB engine may not be the most powerful – it generates about 95bhp – but it is very durable and reliable. Parts are plentiful, generally available next day and cheap by classic car standards.
The extensive history file with this car supports the mileage of 142,346 miles. There has clearly been ongoing mechanical work and investment by the 14 owners, including a new clutch during the Seller’s tenure and a new fuel tank. The Seller has home serviced the car, most recently in 2020. It has covered very few miles since but the buyer may wish to factor in a service and general check over. It is MOT exempt – based on the build date – but the MOT expired in September 2021.
The car has the benefit of the overdrive gearbox. This much improves the long-distance cruising capability of the BGT, a type of driving to which it is particularly suited.
Summary
The MGB GT is arguably one of the most useable classic cars. Simple, reliable and robust it is backed by the sort of parts, servicing and owner support usually reserved for new cars. Owning a B puts you right in the middle of that social scene and keeping it on the road is generally cheap and easy.
This BGT had an unusual start in life, making it likely one of the last MGBs registered for UK roads. It is in solid, very original condition and has clearly been cared for by its longstanding owner. There is scope for some improvement but it looks ready to really enjoy, which is what these great GT cars are all about.
Notice to bidders
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