1965 MGB Roadster Ex-Sir Stirling Moss – Auction Car of the Week

Following yesterday’s mag feature as well as our latest The Time Is Now article we think it’s safe to say that we’re currently having a bit of an MGB love-in here at Car & Classic, and rightly so. Who wouldn’t want to cut about in a stylish, inherently drive-able British classic like the MGB Roadster? We’re sure every man, woman and even their dogs would be glad to be behind the wheel of this most quintessential of classics and one such person who had a bit of a soft spot for the old girl was none other than motoring legend and all round top bloke Sir Stirling Moss, and if it’s good enough for him, well…

In addition to being a truly great little sports car, this particular MGB Roadster was used, very much in anger, by Sir Stirling in the 1989 Pirelli Classic Marathon. A beautiful celebration of a golden era of British rallying, the Classic Marathon not only brought together a fantastic collection of classic cars but it was also a who’s who of vintage motorsport, with the likes of Paddy Hopkirk, Roger Clarke and Timo Makinen, all rubbing shoulders and trading paint in a bid to be the fastest over an epic journey across six European countries.

The car in question, a 1965 MGB Roadster, was imported from the USA as a dry state shell and rebuilt to FIA Appendix K regulations by renowned MG specialists Brown & Gammons in order for Sir Stirling to very much give it a flaming baptism. With a 1st in class finish at the aforementioned ’89 Classic Marathon, as well as achieving 3rd position overall, the car’s scalded cat credentials were well assured. We hasten to add, however, that Sir Stirling’s were never up for debate.

Since its glorious run in ’89 it has since been used as a fast road/rally car, competing in a whole host of vintage and classic events, including the Coppa D’Italia in the early ’90s and the Tour Auto between ’93 and 2004, picking up a plethora of wins along the way. Treated to another rebuild between 2020 and 2023, having been recently finished this year, this prestigious MGB has seen little use since and now presents as a wonderful opportunity for anyone wanting to get into historic motorsport.

The restoration work was carried out by Chequered Flag Classics and JS Motorsport to the tune of over £20K. Featuring a brand new balanced and modified 2.1-litre engine which has only been run for tuning purposes on the dyno, and a rebuilt gearbox with overdrive, along with rebuilt axle, suspension and brakes, this historic MGB is currently in the best shape of its life.

Make no mistake, this isn’t a serene old delicate classic for you to bimble to the shops in. Far from it. This is a bona fide racer complete with roll cage, bucket seats and all the usual competition accoutrements so head on over to the listing for the full rundown of specs – it’s certainly a long and distinguished list.

With all of its competition boxes ticked then, this Roadster is hungry for its next set of silverware having developed a taste for trophies at the hands of one of the greatest to ever don a pair of driving gloves all those years ago. Steeped in motorsport history and provenance and with an official stamp of approval by Sir Stirling himself this is an opportunity not to be missed for any MG fan, any motorsport fan, or indeed any classic car fan in general. Get bidding!