A simple calculus has a long guided assessment of the MGB: chrome bumpers equals British classic; rubber bumpers equals British Leyland mediocrity. Yet this prejudice unfairly maligns thousands of cars and shortchanges the improbable 18 year run of the MGB. No one disputes the greatness of the early MGB, which debuted in 1962 as a replacement for the MGA. Handsomely styled, fun to drive, and relatively affordable, it quickly gained a wide following. Participation in racing burnished the car’s reputation, and the introduction of the closed roof MGB GT in 1965 buoyed sales.
For consignment, a gleaming ’71 GT with 45,696 title verified actual miles and a matching numbers powerplant. Well documented, it comes with its British Heritage Trust certificate, 10 years worth of repair/restoration receipts, and a shop manual. It has some minor modifications for ride and reliability and is a cheeky little car that’s more practical than the roadster and just as fun to drive!
Exterior
Bronze Yellow is the hue of the day and it’s an uncommon factory color offered on MGBs from ’70 to ’73. It looks great on this car, like wet butterscotch frosting. The car is straight and clean and most of the metal work is in good condition. MGB 14-inch steel wheels look immaculate and are accompanied by dog dish hub caps and wrapped in 175/70/14’s with an early 2021 date code. The car also comes with wire wheels and Vredestein tires. The profile of the car shows the dramatic, swooping rear window and hatch along with the smaller wheel openings in the rear. Imperfections include some dings in the grille surround metalwork and on the side molding as well. There’s also a few paint drips in where the spray gun stayed a bit too long.
Interior
Very clean and tight door panels greet us with black vinyl sections. The same material covers the bucket seats which look great save for some wear on the driver’s side ingress point. The rear bench, better suited for luggage and groceries than adult passengers, is in excellent condition. An MG padded steering wheel with three spokes directs the little Brit, and the wonderful gauge cluster consists of circles, rectangles, indicator lights, and proper toggle switches. There is no radio under the courtesy light and a well padded dash in front of the passenger completes the dash overview. A stout shifter is floor mounted in front of an armrest and cupholder. Black loop style carpet covers the floor and the consignor notes the driver’s side floor pan was replaced ten years ago. The light colored vinyl headliner and visors are in great shape and the way back has a nice, high shelf with black loop style carpet, all very clean.
Drivetrain
The original 1798cc inline four cylinder is in place and was factory rated at 92 horsepower. Two SU HS4 carburetors fuel the engine and a 4-speed manual transmission provides the forward momentum via the 3.909 gears in the rear axle. Pertronix ignition and wires are present along with a Miata AGM battery. Disc brakes are found up front with updated rotors and we note drums in the back.
Undercarriage
Some surface rust throughout but nothing invasive is seen. The oil pan has some residual oil, but the rest of the underside is clean and dry. A beautiful Moss Sport stainless steel single exhaust starts at the header and flows back to the muffler and exits on the left side of the rear valance. The front modified spindles have been lowered 1” and the front shocks were rebuilt. The back was lowered using blocks and there was also a tube shock conversion.
Drive-Ability
This is a solid little car that performs well. British sports cars were in a class unto themselves back in the day and this little GT is an enjoyable ride that’s been well maintained and as a result, everything functions in the car, including all of the LED backlit gauges and rebuilt heater system. Modern tires help it stick and the wonderful 4-speed rows through the RPM’s with ease.
We mostly had muscle cars in high school, but one kid drove a MG MGT just like this one. We thought it was a weird little car, but years and maturity have taught us that classic British sports cars are something to be admired, respected, and experienced! And well maintained examples are getting harder to find. Here’s your turnkey ride to Abbey Road!
GHD5UB229940G
G-MG
H-BMC B-Series 1.8 Liter I4
D-MGB GT Coupe
5-MKIII
U-Left Hand Drive, USA
B-1971
229940G-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that’s more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
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