The MGB replaced the MGA with production starting in the latter part of 1962. Compared to the MGA, the MGB was a significant step forward, being a unibody car rather than being mounted on a frame. It was still fitted with much the same drivetrain and similar suspension as was on the MGA, except the BMC B-Series engine was bored out to 1.8 Liters giving it a small boost in horsepower but a larger boost in torque. It was also added options like an electrically operated overdrive as well as roll up windows, door locks, and external door handles. The MGB went on to become MG’s best selling sports car, with over half a million sold before it left production in 1980. Originally only available as a roadster, a GT Coupe version premiered in 1965. The car also evolved quite a bit over the course of production, largely due to American automobile safety and emissions standards. In 1964 a 5 main bearing engine was introduced and in 1968 a fully sunchronized gearbox replaced the previous version which had no synchro on first gear. Shortly after a range of interior changes came in with headrests on the seats, a couple of different dashboard changes replacing the original metal dash, The biggest change came in 1974 when the metal bumpers were completely replaced with rubber covered ones, reshaping the nose, as well as raising the car an inch in height to meet US headlight restrictions. By the end of production, the emissions regulations had taken their toll and the car that began with 95 horsepower had gained weight largely due to the heavier bumpers, lost its handling due to the increased height, and was down to around 62 horsepower. Being an early example, this MGB has much of the character that set the MGB apart in 1963. It has the metal dash, painted in a wrinkle finish, the pull door handles, the completely removable soft top that packs away in bags in the boot, and the low backed seats in leather, with contrasting white piping. Being an early car, it has the 3 main engine and gearbox with no synchro on first gear, but does have the optional overdrive, which was fitted to approximately 20 percent of the total production. The restoration was carried out to a very high level by Lee Eggers who has restored multiple British cars in the past and the car was completely disassembled, given a rotisserie paint job and every component on the car had been refreshed or replaced in the restoration process. The end result is that this car has shown very well at a number of car shows and after Lee had finished making the rounds of showing it, he put it for sale, at which point I bought it. When I bought the car, it had 118 miles on the restoration. In the first weekend after I had bought it, I had more than doubled that mileage. The MGB is probably the single best option for a first time owner of a classic British car. They drive incredibly well, are solid, versatile, and reliable, as long as they get used and maintained properly, and have incredibly good parts support, with excellent vendors both in the United States and in the UK. It is one of the few British classic sports cars of the era that could realistically serve as a daily driver in all circumstances.
