What if I told you that, for $7,100, you could buy a car that can beat a Shelby GT350? What if I told you that it was designed, in part, by Pininfarina, the legendary design and coachbuilding firm responsible for so many Ferraris, Alfas, and Maseratis? What if I told you that this car has a back seat big enough for two kids, a trunk big enough for groceries, and a 1.8L inline-four pounding out 95 screaming horses for a top speed of 105 mph? Well, save your straitjackets and cancel the reservation for my padded room, because here it is: a 1971 MGB GT, located in Monroe, Georgia, and listed here on Facebook Marketplace.
This is, indeed, close kin to the car that Paddy Hopkirk and Andrew Hedges drove to an 11th-place finish at Sebring in 1967, beating out the closest GT350 by four laps– and humbling more than one Porsche to boot. The overall winners were some guys named McLaren and Andretti in a Ford Mk IV, but all things considered, not too shabby for a little I4– and this one has been treated to a rebuild in just the last year.
The owner reports that the car runs and drives, and that the rust is limited, mentioning a couple of places on the body that need attention. Assuming these are the two sanded spots on the back, this seems a fair assessment. There is some discoloration on the passenger side sill that warrants a closer look, though– it might be dirt, but it might not. Also, it would be a good idea to get a look under the car before making a pronouncement on rust. Still, by all appearances this is a nice example that only lacks a little attention in the paint department. As to the interior, it’s not perfect, but it’s certainly better-than-serviceable. For a driver, the inside of the car would need very little, maybe even nothing at all.
Speaking of drivers, these cars really should be driven. Given the racing pedigree and the low cost of entry, it’s small wonder the GTs are so popular on the vintage racing circuit. Aggressively driven, they can be extremely competitive. But even if you’re only racing to pick up some ice cream or to drop the kids off at school, the legendary handling of this British classic should serve to bring a grin to your face with limited damage to the wallet.
This is a great looking car. British racing green it is not. One of the best designed sports cars ever built and this is an excellent example.
“What if I told you that this car has back seat big enough for two kids” –
HAHAHAHA!! – that’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day.
If you put any kids in that back seat,CPS will be knocking on your door.
Most of us who have GTs leave the back seat down.
You got that right; a 4″ stuffed dummie could fit back there , but actually it was a token of a seat better left folded down -nice car though; the gts gave you an inch more head room at the windshield than the roadsters !
Beautiful car. I had a ’74 when I lived in NYC. It was always a bit intimidatidating looking UP at the hubcaps of passing taxi cabs while speeding along the B.Q.E
I am a triumph guy. Had a TD and a B but many more Triumphs. Always loved the look of the GT6. Went and test drove one, it was all stock and lovely. Was not as I expected. Rear was too light and was not that fun to drive.
Though the MGB-GT looks similar boy is it a much more pleasant car to drive. A buddy has one and a C-GT. Man are they nice to drive. Think marketing missed out by naming it an MGB-GT. Should have used a totally different name because it is a totally different driving experience.
A pretty reasonable price if the rust is indeed minimal. The buyer will need to make sure all the earth connections are good to avoid the Lucas curse.
I keep reading about this thing called the “Lucas curse” (or words to that effect) in these comments. But for guys like me – new to the Marque; I’ve only owned and driven MGBs for 37 years, can you indulge me a little and explain what this Lucas thing is all about? Is it bad? I mean, if I keep my B/GT a long time and drive it a lot, am I probably going to have electrical problems? Or should I quick sell it before I’ve had it 40 years; before it turns over 300,000 miles? So far, I like the car a lot. It’s been a good car over the last 35 years, but if it doesn’t hold up well in the long run, I don’t know if I should keep it…
My dad and I had a good laugh. He bought a new MGTD in ‘52 and I bought a ‘52 TD decades later. His new car and my vintage car had the same issues. The issues were solved the same way, do the maintance, check for loose connections, dielectric grease. Amazing how some people have problems and some don’t, must be witchcraft.
You are merely the exception that proves the rule. Those circuits were junk. Every time we got cars from Richmond KAT that came from England, the solder gun and prep was two days each. When selling to neighbors and friends, you need confidence. Memory is that warranty was negligible, and only at B-L. I will admit to falling hard for a Tiger, which was an apex predator in 1965, especially for the $$.
Me thinks the Lucas Curse / Prince of darkness stories are just that made up rubbish. I fully restored a 1972 MGB, and I have had one very bad experience after storing it for a winter. I drive it often – and the more I drive it, the less problems it gives me.
Lucas and Marelli were cousins. Short version: Along with unfixable leaks, Fiats, back when, has mystical Marelli electrics. We once fixed an otherwise-perfect 124, dead unexpectedly, middle of the night on the way to the Glen, by replacing a taillight bulb (actually a gum wrapper in the socket.) Yup, ignition was fused through the taillight! Made Lucas look like an amateur; you only needed a fire extinguisher to fix MG electrics.
Reminds me of some of the mopeds from 40 odd years ago. They also were wired so that a failed taillight bulb knocked out the ignition system. On the one hand it was a practical safety feature. On the other, it was another case of the road to hell being paved with good intentions.
The owners manual for my 1967 Gilera 124 has a note: ” If the engine stops when the brakes are applied, the brake light is burned out”! What were they thinking??
This car would be a nice candidate for a Buick/Rover V8 conversion.
Yes Lucas was junk. My brother had a MGB and MG midget. Both had electrical gremlins and these cars were in really nice shape too.
Had a couple MG’s, but never a GT. Looked at one to buy and the owner proudly explained that he fixed the electrical problems by scratch building a new harness with thicker wire and sturdy connectors. And that he did. Of course, he replaced every wire by cutting sections off a big roll of black wire so the harness was unicolor. But it was thicker. I often wonder who he suckered into buying the car.
I have been a British car owner since my first in 1947. For over thirty years I restored British cars as my business.
Most of the electrical problems were caused by poor connections that were fixed by cleaning and sealing with di-electric grease.
I had one breakdown with my 1937 MG-VA tourer. The condenser failed and I hung a replacement on the outside of the distributer to complete my trip of over 600 miles.
I always carry a replacement generator but have never used it on my cars. It has been loaned 2 times to others.
The greatest number of problems were caused by cheap Chinese replacement stop light switches. Some were failing on fist installation.
Clean and seal all connections and you will eliminate a huge lot of strange happenings.
That’s a heckuva lot of exceptions! I’m sorry, the “exception” theory doesn’t cut it. These are good cars. The whole Lucas thing is a myth from folks who have never owned an MGB. Grow up. I quit counting the number of MGs I’ve owned after 42. Yes, some of them were parts cars. Most of them were running, driving cars, over 30 years old that had met with some abuse at some point and priced accordingly. Forty-two cars does NOT add up to an exception. For the most part, I’d simply catch up on the maintenance, drive them for awhile and sell them. I’ve also owned and driven American cars from the worst periods in American car history. Great cars – all of them.
Any car can be abused, and the “cheap and cheerful” MGBs invited abuse. And given sufficient abuse, cars of the pre-electronic era will fail. But it’s amazing how much they tolerate. I can enjoy a good Lucas joke just as well as anybody, but double bullet connectors that disintegrate after 40 years are beyond reasonable design parameters for any car.
The metal bumpered versions of the MG are so attractive.
Wouldnt mind having a 1968.
The metal bumpers are nice. What gets me is the simple dash of that generation.
Had ’67 & ’69 MGBs, mostly rust buckets from Michigan. Drove them in blissful ignorance through a few winters and never had any electrical problems. Would buy another in a heartbeat if I didn’t already have a 2007 Corvette which is just a tad faster.