• Stunning colour from full respray 

• Immaculate interior

• Freshly refurbed wheels

• Solid mechanicals

The year is 1993, it’s the Tokyo motor show and there is a buzz about the place with potential customers looking for their new purchases, manufacturers checking out the competition and journalists and photographers all scrambling to get a glimpse of a newly unveiled product. This is the setting in which MG will be showing their newly developed sports car, however for the history of its conception we have to go back to 1988, 5 years earlier. 

In 1988, MG, then owned by the Rover Group, were seeing British Motor Heritage offering newly produced MGB bodies to fantastic reception as well as seeing the booming success of the MX5. Rover needed to get in on the market for an affordable sports car and owning to the huge popularity of the MGB roadster, they recruited a team of MG veterans out of retirement for one last hurrah.

Revising existing MGB body parts gave the car a distinctive departure from the popular two-seater, although the original proportions and lineage could still be clearly seen. These pumped-up body panels were due to the extra space needed for the wider axle width and the large 3.9L V8 engine. 

The MG RV8 was the car that MG had conceived on a shoestring budget with a small team, aiming to produce the car not at volume but rather to put MG very much back at the forefront of people’s minds when considering a two-seater convertible sports car.

Cutting back to 1993 then, MG had its competitor to the market and during its debut at the Tokyo motor show, the response was not quite as overwhelmingly positive as MG had hoped. Luckily the debut was in Japan, whose market was crying out for a retro-look modern classic, 1300 orders were placed there and then and approximately 75-80% (around 1500 out of the 1983 built) of the cars were shipped to buyers in Japan.

The example up for auction here is one of those shipped over to Japan after its manufacture in 1995. Imported back into the UK by a company in Hampshire in 2004, it was later purchased by the current owner and a partner, who are both MG enthusiasts, as a passion project to bring the car back to its best. 

Since its return to UK soil, it has been sympathetically refreshed to better than original condition with the car wanting for nothing during its time with the current owner. 

Having been around MGs for some time and even having another RV8, the owners are now looking to reduce their collection after doing so well on this example. 

The car comes with an extensive record of work completed and parts purchased during its refresh. Since its return to the UK, the owner has done a great job of keeping track of everything done to the car, from servicing, new and refurbished parts the car enjoys and maintenance. 

There is not much record of the car’s time in Japan, however the car does come with some documentation from its time overseas, whilst also coming with the original owner’s manual and service logbook, in Japanese of course, in its original leather wallet.

The UK V5 from its first registration in the UK is present as well as lots of previous MOT certificates, including the most recent, which runs out on the 8th June 2022. It also comes with the certificate of conformity which was needed for the car to be legal to run on the UK roads. 

The car also comes with two set of keys. 

The interior if this car is in very good condition, the leather seats and trim pieces show very little signs of wear as you can see in the pictures, the bolsters as well are in good condition, providing the comfort expected for a car like this. 

Carpets are in great condition also with very little wear due to the owner using a set of MG over mats to keep them looking good. In the interest of honesty, the owner did point out one section that occasionally comes away when caught by the driver’s feet, located by the driver’s side door hinge. 

Despite being glued properly, the owner reports that this is down to a design fault from factory and should not be of any concern. The rear carpet on the parcel shelf is in fantastic shape with the owner being proud of its originality and condition. The roof and tonneau cover were replaced since its return to the UK, and they are both in immaculate condition with smooth operation of the roof and easy fitting of the tonneau cover. 

The steering wheel is like new with no signs of wear and tear, the gear knob shows small signs of wear, being a main touch point in the car, it can be put down to general usage over the car’s life. Saying that however, it has fared very well during its 25 years. The owner reports all dials, gauges and electrics work throughout the car with just the boot light being non-responsive which the owner suspects is a blown bulb. 

All the wood throughout the cabin has been replaced and is in fantastic condition, really adding to the British heritage this car enjoys. The audio system has been replaced with an aftermarket European unit as so many of them are when these cars are imported back into the UK due to the Japanese units not picking up any stations. 

The condition of the boot is excellent with the owner taking pleasure in the originality, with black carpet, including black carpet covering the spare wheel (which was refurbed with the road set), which houses the original tool kit and jack. 

The exterior is where this car boasts it party piece, the paintwork, where it was professionally resprayed in the original colour of Woodcote Green pearlescent metallic. It is an amazing job, and it is even better in person, shining in the sun and adding massively to the appeal of this car. 

As a result of the new paint job, there are no marks or stone chips visible on the body, the car is stored under cover most of the time as well. All shut lines on the car suggest that it has not been subjected to any major damage in its life and all panel gaps are tight and consistent around the car. 

The wheels as previously mentioned have been refurbed professionally which leaves them in immaculate condition. The brightwork around the exterior is all in good condition and even the badges look new, showing no signs of UV deterioration. As mentioned as well, the hood and tonneau cover are brand new, and the owner has also taken great care not to mark the paintwork where the clips for the tonneau cover secure around the rear of the hood storage area. 

The front fog lights, present on UK spec models are replaced by vents for the cooling system as was the spec for the Japanese market. The front headlights have no cracks or chips in them, and the rear lights are in excellent condition also. 

The engine and drivetrain in this car are well looked after having had no expense spared during the time in the current owner’s care. Being meticulously serviced and maintained, often before time due to this car’s low annual mileage since being in the UK, the engine sounded and performed admirably during the test drive. The big V8 started and idled smoothly and without issue, whilst driving the engine pulled healthily with a consistent power delivery in addition to a fantastic soundtrack. 

This car has the later R380 five-speed manual gearbox which was the one to have as some of the earlier cars had the LT55 gearbox which some owners reported graunching issues with. The gearbox in this car performed well with no crunching, going into and out of gear easily with no whining to be heard either. 

Even the ride which is known to be a bit harsh in these cars, was eased significantly owing to the SPAX adjustable dampers, replaced around 5000 miles ago. No knocks, rattles or other noises came from the suspension during the test drive and the car sits level all round. 

The exhaust box was replaced along with one of the two catalytic converters, along the length of the system with twin pipes out the back. Along with the replacement exhaust, the steering rack was also replaced, along with the mounts, which are known to crack. 

These new replacements should give considerable peace of mind for prospective buyers. 

Despite its reception on launch the RV8 is widely seen as the ultimate derivative of the MGB model line. Its strong performance figures relaxed long distance cruising ability and good looks are making a significant comeback on the classic car community especially with the loyal MG fans. This example has been lovingly refreshed back to a reported ‘better than standard’ condition. 

This car is ready to hit the road, taking the new owner on many an adventure through the blissful English countryside. It’s also certain to turn heads due to the immaculate and stunning paintwork which is definitely one of the highlights of this car. 

When weighed up then, the 3.9L Rover V8 soundtrack, plush interior, drop top, immaculate exterior presentation, lovingly refreshed drivetrain and 59 years of heritage from the MGB, this RV8 is an enticing prospect for a usable classic. It could even possibly be an investment opportunity due to the few left on the road from its 1983 number built. 

This car can be seen as an example of the what the British sports car industry could produce in its heyday and it’s not hard to see that this car will continue to bring joy and value to its owners for many years to come.