The MGB GT is one of the world’s best-loved and most nostalgic classic cars. The car was in production from 1962 to 1980, and over half a million MGBs rolled off the BMC production line in Abingdon and was exported across Europe and the US. BMC was later British Leyland.
The team have absolutely loved working on this 1971 yellow MGB GT which has been in the same family since new. It has been lovingly looked after and is one of the rare automatic MGBs.
When the customer had an accident and damaged the driver rear and side of the car, it was brought in for some major repairs.
We replaced the front wing and the driver’s door, including hinges and the glass along with some of the chrome trims and door interior trims. We then cut off the old rear quarter panel to replace.
Once the rear panel was off, we found some previous repairs that needed some attention, so we carried these out before refitting the panel.
Once we were happy with all the panel fit, we then had the repairs painted, and the paintwork blended to match the original – no easy task on a colour such as this one.
Once the car was returned from the paint shop, we then refitted all the necessary trims ready for an MOT.
The images show how the project unfolded and the MGB GT in all her glory. She is now roadworthy again, back with her owners and has been lovingly tucked up for the winter.
History of the MGB GT
It’s predecessor, the MGA, was the most successful sports car of its day with over 100,000 produced by 1962. The basic mechanics of the MGB was fairly similar, but the structure was completely refreshed.
When the car was launched, at the 1962 Motor Show, marketing was concentrated on the US market. Still, when Motor Magazine described it as a “delightful modern sports car with a marked bias towards the ‘grand touring’ character – a pleasure to drive,” it became the sports car for many an Englishman.
Its appearance changed little throughout the long production run but if benefited from a development programme which kept it saleable and competitive.
In 1965, the five-bearing crank bottom end was added for better driveability, and the stylish coupe arrived the same year with the elegant Pininfarina-designed roofline.
The MGB GT continued to be very, and it was described, again by Motor Magazine, as a car which could “cruise effortlessly around the 100 mph mark”. Yes, there were days when there were no speed restrictions on the M1.
The GT version was a top of the range model with its sleek styling, excellent ride and handling abilities and continued to hold its own over the years until Japanese producers started offered new sports cars like the Datsun 240Z which became the fastest-selling sports car in the history of the US.
We still love the charm of the MGBs and hopefully, will see a few more come in for restoration in the years to come.