The MG RV8 is one of those fascinating cars which could have been massively popular, but a concatenation of circumstances meant that it only ever existed in extremely low volumes. The story behind the model is an interesting one: with the classic MGB having gone out of production in 1980, British Motor Heritage had put the MGB bodyshell back into limited production in the late ’80s to serve the huge restoration market, and this development caused a spark of intrigue at MG Rover HQ.

Mazda had launched the retro-styled MX-5 in 1989, and MG Rover could see that the car-buying market was hungry for classically-styled roadsters with modern performance. And so the decision was made to develop the basic MGB silhouette into a new model for the 1990s: the RV8. The fundamental proportions were retained, but the styling updated with over 90% of the panels and details replaced.

The chassis still had leaf springs and drum brakes at the rear, but up front everything was upgraded with an independent double-wishbone setup with coil springs, telescopic shocks, and an anti-roll bar. The track was widened, there was an LSD out back, and the big news was the fuel-injected 3.9-litre V8 engine. The interior was fully redesigned, with Connolly hide and veneered burr elm trim. It all added up to the quintessential British soft-top for the nineties.

A few were sold in Nightfire Red or Oxford Blue, but the option of Woodcote Green paint summed up the classic car vibe for the vast majority of buyers. And, intriguingly, it was the MX-5’s domestic success that led to the bulk of RV8 sales; to British buyers, the exciting proposition was slightly hindered by the MG’s list price of over £26,000 (pushing it close to Jaguar money; by contrast, an MX-5 was around £15,000), but the Japanese market positively lapped it up.

Of the 1,983 MG RV8s that were built between 1992-95, 80% of them (1,579 cars) were shipped straight to Japan. Of course, it was inevitable that some of them would find their way back home over time, and the number of RV8s registered with the DVLA today is more than were ever officially sold here!

There’s a whole lot of history with this car, as befits a special edition of this nature. It’s important to remember that an RV8 is totally different to an MGB – these 1990s redux models were hand-built by the Rover Special Products division (which had, at most, eighteen members of staff), and the eagle-eyed can play ‘spot the borrowed part’; the headlights, for example, came from the Porsche 911, while the interior door handles can also be found in the Jaguar XJ40.

This particular example has a build date of December 1994/January 1995, and was a model built for export to Japan. Originally specced in the colour scheme you see here (pearlescent Woodcote Green paint, Stone Beige leather), it was first registered in Japan on March 15th 1995. It changed ownership in early 2007, when the mileage (or rather kilometrage) was around 5,000.

The car was put through an auction in March 2007, described as ‘fantastically highly graded at 4.5A’, then shipped to its new owner in the UK who registered it with the DVLA on August 31st 2007. Shortly afterwards it received the cherished registration you see today (which does come with the car); the door cappings were stripped and re-lacquered, and a new advance/retard unit set to UK spec and re-timed.

All of the servicing and maintenance for this period of its life is painstakingly itemised, along with the corresponding kilometrage; we can see, for example, that in early 2008 when the clock was showing 8,740km, the car received new shock absorbers along with clutch slave and master cylinders.

In February 2008 a miles-per-hour speedo was fitted; at this time the kilometrage was 9,617, which equates to 5,935 miles – so if we add that figure to the one showing on the gauge today, that gives us the true mileage. All of this is correctly documented in the history file.

What’s also interesting to note is that this car was (and is) so clean and original that it enjoyed some success on the show circuit. Its first UK keeper displayed it at the Lytham Hall Classic Car Show, where it took the runner-up prize in the Post-1980s category; it also won the ‘Grindley Shield’ award with the West Lancs MGOC – these trophies are with the paperwork and come with the car.

In more recent years, the current owner has had the RV8 looked after by New Generation Cars of Wimbledon, and it’s clear that it has been maintained with the meticulous level of care that an all-original rarity like this deserves.

There’s a large box full of documentation with this car, including all of the original manuals and MG literature. The V5 shows the car having been first registered in the UK in 2007, and all of the Japanese documentation is here from its early life – including specs and service info.

There’s careful documentation of the car’s service history, which parts have been acquired from where and when they were fitted, so there are no secrets here – the car’s whole past is laid bare in the file. In addition, there’s a sheaf of old MOTs, plus a large amount of receipts and invoices for servicing and maintenance. There’s also members’ club literature, club magazines, and the original factory-fit radio-cassette unit is in the box.

This is an impressively low-mileage example, and this is evident from the condition of the interior - which is all original-spec and in good condition. The seats are generously stuffed and comfortable, with very little wear to the Connolly hide and no marks, rips or damage. They tilt forward correctly to allow access to the rear storage cubby.

There’s no undue wear to the steering wheel or gear knob, and all of the gauges work well with no warning lights on the dash. The door cards are in good condition, the door cappings have been restored, and the windows raise and lower correctly. The MG is fitted with an aftermarket Pioneer radio/CD head unit, but is otherwise all standard (and the original MG radio-cassette unit comes with the car, should the new owner wish to refit it).

The dash-top is free from sun damage. The burr elm trim on the dash is unrestored and shows some surface cracking to the lacquer across its full width, but arguably this adds character to the cabin.

Inside the boot we find it all tidy and dry with the correct carpet. The MG tool roll is here with all the tools inside, as well as the jack in its own bag, and under the wheel cover we find a matching spare wheel.

The pearlescent Woodcote Green paint suits the RV8 so perfectly, its remarkable depth appearing to shapeshift in the sunlight, bringing out tones of gold and yellow within the green. The paint is very well presented overall, and the panel fit is good throughout the car with no visible evidence of corrosion to the body panels aside from a very minor area on the nearside rear arch. 

There are a few little paint scuffs to the rear bumper, but these should be easy enough to touch in. The light lenses and window glass are all good, and all of the correct trim and badging is in place. The 17” split-rim alloy wheels were replaced in 2008 and are in good overall condition, and the tyres have plenty of tread.

The MG has had its tonneau cover replaced, which is in very tidy order, and the soft-top is also very good: it raises and lowers easily, latches correctly, is tidy inside and out with no holes or marks, and the rear window has no cracks or milkiness. A very well presented car overall, and a highly attractive one.

 

The powertrain of the RV8 was made up of proven parts from across the group, with the 3.9-litre V8 having proven its worth in many a Range Rover. In this application, it wears Lucas multi-point fuel injection and is good for a robust 190bhp and 234lb.ft – enabling an effervescent 0-62mph sprint in under six seconds. 

The torque-rich delivery is key to the car’s character, making it as much a grand tourer as a sports car, and the Rover R380 5-speed manual ’box is a suitably sturdy unit with well-judged ratios.

With its low mileage and superb service history, all of this componentry seems to never have been over-stressed, and it’s reportedly a great runner with no notable issues concerning the engine, transmission, steering, brakes or suspension. Our test-drive showed it to be a thoroughly enjoyable machine, starting easily, idling evenly, pulling well through the revs, and riding beautifully. With the diminutive dimensions and low kerb weight, it really does feel properly quick too!

The idea of owning an MG RV8 is a supremely attractive one. After all, it’s entered into its second life now: at its inception, the model was conceived as a modern but retro-styled car to evoke the memories of a beloved classic. Nowadays, sufficient time has passed that this ‘modern’ car has become a bona fide classic in its own right… and the real clincher is that, while oodles of MGBs were built, the production figures for the RV8 were incredibly low. 

So it’s got that cachet of obscurity baked right in, and the spec makes it all the more attractive: a torquey V8 mated to an agile chassis, topped off with a sumptuously trimmed interior of superlative refinement. Why wouldn’t you want one? It ticks so many boxes. And once that decision’s been made, the example we have here makes a very strong case for itself: low mileage, huge history file, and in beautiful condition inside and out. Just the thing to make some memories in the glorious summer that’s hovering over the horizon.