One of my favorite MGs is the 1980 Limited Edition MGB, probably because my father’s last car was a beautiful example of one. This example has been stored since new (the original owner bought two new 1980 MGBs and drove one while storing this car. It’s listed for sale here on eBay and located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The car has been bid up to $7,700 but has not met the reserve yet.
As you can see from the car’s surroundings, the car is being sold by a classic car dealer. Their eBay feedback is pretty good although most recent sales have been classic or exotic car parts rather than entire vehicles. Those of you who read my recent Triumph Stag post will recognize the wheels.
The Limited Edition was a cosmetic package designed to boost sales of the last MGBs sold in the USA. It included black paint, special striping, a front spoiler, upgraded steering wheel and a dash plaque. Many of the cars also received dealer air conditioning which both my father’s car and this one have. It’s a nice system (I used to drive it with the top down and the air on — pure decadence) but I hope someone has produced a better tiny v-belt to drive the compressor with than the “rated for 8 horsepower” lawn mower belts we used to go through about every 6 months — we always kept a spare in the trunk!
I actually believe the mileage shown, although I’m not sure about the quality of the storage! It also bothers me a little that the dash plaque is missing. Considering you can get a new one right here for less than $15, I would have thought someone would have at least replaced it if not preserved the original.
By the way, the brown seats and interior are correct. I don’t know if the oft-rumored excess of brown interior parts and black carpet are true, but more than half of the Limited Editions I’ve seen have this combination. I actually prefer the black interior that Dad’s had, but then again I’m pretty sure I’m biased.
The level of oxidation on underhood components has me wondering what kind of storage in Cape Cod this car received. I’m also suprised to see a few non-original hose clamps as the original ones are readily available from a number of sources. I’m sure, however, that this survivor will sell for considerably more than the current bid. My real question for you, however, is would you drive it or store it for shows? I would be a driver myself, although I’d keep it to a reasonable amount.
I wonder why there would be the need for non-original hose clamps on a 10-mile car. That doesn’t make sense. Even if the owner, after, say, 10 years, decided to replace a radiator or heater hose, you’d think the original clamps would still be good enough to use.
Anyhow, there are plenty of these out there in nice condition for a lot less than 8 grand, and I doubt you’d notice the difference.
So the gulp valve still works. These are fun, but I can’t imagine giving up already limited power to run A/C.
I bet the tires ride like the Canadian cars do that we see on the TV show Southpark! Oil leaks, frozen this-and-that, best check everything. Its unused, not new; there is a big difference. Still, it is amazing to see this in such visually nice original condition.
I had a chance to buy one new for dealer cost back in the day. I could not spare the $3500 or so and I didn’t want to take a loan. Besides I reasoned, I already had a convertible I loved driving.
By 1980 they were over $8000.
You never has a chance to buy a1980 for $3500 in 1980
Ah, but that I did. My sister married into the family that owned Continental Cars, dealerships and distributorship for the mid-west. It represented his cost for the car. He was a true gentleman who offered my sister’s family, his family’s ‘family’ price for any of the products he sold. So as I recall, the price was $3500 or so, it may have been a few hundred dollars higher. Certainly not at a retail value of about $8000. Besides wanting to build outgoing model sales numbers, at that point, British Leyland was preparing to buy back the distributorships and it was a way to reduce inventory that may not have been purchased.
I notice the odometer numbers don’t line up, is that normal? That engine bay looks pretty rough for 10 miles…
David – Yes, it’s normal for the numbers not to be perfectly lined up, I used to sell NOS TR & MG parts and the speedometers were all roughly what you see on this car. The slight differences can be due to the play in the individual gear sets in the little wheels, along with poor registration ‘line-up” when they printed the white numbers on the individual wheels.
Lined up? David, mine will reverse direction and begin subtracting miles as it slowly spins backwards. There is no “normal” with an MGB.
So because the car has only 10 miles, I would guess it has never left anybody stranded.
Or it did and that is why it only has 10 miles and the wrong hose clamps…..
There’s only a billion MGB’s at British cars shows – red, blue, green, yellow, and black. You may as well trailer the thing for the rest of its life, because if you actually drive it you’ll have a Haz-Mat truck following you everywhere you go cleaning up leaks.
Hmmm, that doesn’t look like all oxidation under the hood, especially the top of the radiator. The dark side of me says the owner, thinking of future collectability disconnected the speedo cable and drove the car occasionally.
Someone should check the date markings on the tyres to confirm the claim. I am suspect on it myself.
Note to self, when buying a car not drive but to park for 38 years, get the custom car cover to go with it. Looks liked Charlie Browns buddy Pig Pen owned this car.
In the text of the Ebay listing it gives the price as 26.5K. I don’t know the market of these cars so….
Either way, it’s not my type of car.
My least favourite car of all time … more so as rubber bumpers yuk
I don’t buy the “10 miles” for a second. I loved my MGB, and like this one too, but I’m sure the original owner knew this would be the last MGB and removed the speedo cable, and drove it. Not rocket science. I don’t think it has a lot of miles, but come on, who are they trying to hook with a claim like that, looking like this. Price is ok, and the working air pump insures low mileage, but be honest for heaven sake. We all see it’s bogus. And I didn’t think that poor motor could get any more strangled, but A/C?? On a roadster? Good heavens, and no O/D.
I think Howard is right.
10 miles?
Give us a break.
And he says that it has an automatic transmission…in TWO places. Is he right? Check out that 4-speed MANUAL transmission shfter stick in the pictures.
The car looks like 1000s of miles, especially under the hood. And the ODO numbers don’t even line up like they should at 10 miles.
I calculate this deal using my usual metric:
That 10 mile claim plus 5 bucks will get me a nice coffee at a high end drink joint.
The wheels on a Stag and those on the Limited Edition MGB are NOT the same and are not interchangeable. One visual give away is the center of the wheel. The MG version sticks out further than the Stag version.
Allen, I’ve owned both (at the same time). You are correct about the centers, but the emblems are removable. Without the emblem in place they were identical (I even interchanged some). There *were* some color differences between the painted parts of the wheels.
I stand corrected. It did appear that the center of the MG wheel stood out further than the Stag. I will have to check my car later to compare. Thank you.
I have LE Wheels and Stag wheels. The Stag wheels will fit on the back of the MGB, but not the front. The center of the wheel, not the emblem, but the aluminum cone that sticks out is shorter on the Stag rims.
Ok, Allen and Miranda, I will stand corrected; I’m sure I used MGB ones on the Stag but maybe not vice-versa. Jolly good show to both of you!
There is no way in hell that is a 10 mile car. The 94 Jeep Cherokee with 19K miles I purchased had a cleaner engine bay than this car… and I purchased it right out of storage from the family of the owner so I know the engine bay had not been steam cleaned.
While it is a clean car…its not that clean! Too many red flags such as the incorrect hose clamps, soiled engine compartment, etc. 10 miles does not make sense!
The posting says automatic transmission. It bothers me when someone posts incorrect information.
One of my pet peeves in advertising a vehicle for sale is the use of the 2 words “Original miles”, to describe the current mileage shown on the odometer.
TECHNICALLY & LEGALLY, the original mileage was 00000.0
The proper term is “Actual miles” if it is known to be correct, or “Odometer shows xxxxxx miles.”
Federal DOT rules back this up, as do the original National Automobile Dealer’s Association [N.A.D.A] organization guidelines [not the NADA price guides, that’s a separate group]. Plus it’s the generally accepted wording for the SAH and SAE.
I just had to mention this, not that it’ll make any difference in what car ads say!
Duly noted, Bill — I’ll try to remember that in the future (this is not sarcastic, I’m serious). Thanks!
Even if the odometer is correct at 10 miles, this is an MG, every piece of 38 year-old rubber in the suspension will be dry rotted and brittle. The stromberg diaphragms will turn to dust or some sort of gooey mess, the first time fuel enters the carbs. On closer examination of the drivers seat ,did the original owner leave a magnum of Champagne or maybe a fire extingisher on the in-board part of the seat cushion? There is phantom wear in the shape of a large cylinder in the upholstery.
Looks like a rat took ownership in the passenger side floor. Might be a rat trying to sell it.
Man this is a lot of gab over such a crappy car. Ya’ll are crackin’ me up. 🤷♀️
You can’t BS this group,,,
I’d hope that the seller of this fine looking automobile might come on and clarify some of the concerns mentioned… A world of knowledge in the commenters is appreciated and enjoyed as I follow this site daily. Thanx