A lot has been said about the iconic MGB on Barn Finds.  While there is criticism here and there, these cars are widely acknowledged to be a solid choice for someone looking for an easy onramp to the British sports car experience.  The fact that over 500,000 of them were built is both a blessing and a curse.  A blessing in that parts and support are widely available, but a curse in that you will never stand out at a British car show if you own one.  Unless you own an example like this 1969 MGC GT for sale on Craigslist in Greenville, South Carolina.  This rare coupe with an inline six-cylinder engine, automatic transmission, and aftermarket air conditioning is definitely different from your average MGB.  Would you deal with rust and the negative effects of a twenty-year slumber to own one?  Would the experience be worth the cost of restoration plus the $5,000 asking price?  Thanks to Jamie P. for the tip!

The British automobile industry in the late sixties and early seventies was a jumbled mess of mergers, poor management, and government intervention.  In 1968, the British Motor Company merged with Leyland Motor Corporation Limited with the encouragement of the British Government.  This company, now called British Leyland, put the competing sportscar-producing companies MG and Triumph under one roof.  It also created a quandary as to what cars would be produced, as the companies each made models that occupied similar sections of the marketplace.  It didn’t help that both MG and Triumph each had legions of loyal fans that were now on the same team.  The task of consolidating the lineups to free up much-needed cash was considerable.

One of the rare moneymakers of that new corporation was MG’s MGB.  Introduced in 1962, the MGB was a modern sports car with unibody construction, good handling, and a well-proven drivetrain.  The car itself was good enough to be in production for many years with just reactionary improvements done to meet government mandates both at home and in North America.  In trying to meet market demands without having to retool for a whole new car, the folks in management wanted to market a car that could be considered a successor to the beloved Austin-Healey 3000 series.  The work began in earnest just before the jumbled merger took place.

To accomplish this difficult task, the MGB was chosen to be the host for an inline six-cylinder engine to emulate the long-legged smoothness of the 3000 series.  This was far easier said than done on the unibody MGB.  The car was designed for a four-cylinder engine, so just bolting up a six was not feasible.  To drop in the 145 horsepower six plucked from the Austin parts bin, modifications had to be made.  Changes to the engine bay, floor pan, brakes, and front suspension were extensive.  The problem was not only the size of the engine, but its additional 200-pound weight over the four-cylinder engine.  Despite so many changes, the only way you could tell it was a different car was that the hood now sported a bulge to accommodate the engine and the effect it had on the radiator’s position.

Called the MGC, the modified car came in both coupe and convertible form.  It was also offered with a manual gearbox with overdrive or an automatic transmission.  While the six proved to be a very good engine for long-distance running at speed, the extra 200 pounds up front and changes to the suspension left a bit to be desired in the eyes of customers and reviewers.  Add to that the fact that the four-cylinder car when equipped with overdrive was a good traveling car in its own right.  The additional expense and lack of distinguishing features contributed to the MGC being a dud in the marketplace.  Production lasted just two years.

The car you see here is a rather rough but complete example of that rare MGB variant.  Even more rare is that it is equipped with an optional automatic transmission.  To stack up an additional level of oddity, a prior owner who must have enjoyed living life on the edge added an aftermarket air conditioning system to the car.  We are told that the car has sat for 20 years, and that the seller has made no effort to get the car running again.  Photos reveal a car that must have lived outside for quite some time but with some weather protection.  Rust is evident and undeniable in all the usual MGB areas.  This pretty much necessitates extensive repairs to the body shell to ensure that the car is restored properly.

If you are an MGB fan and have a good relationship with the local lending institution, then this may be the car for you.  The seller claims that just 4,700 MGCs were imported.  How many of them were coupes?  How many of them were equipped with an automatic transmission?  While keeping the automatic transmission and the aftermarket air conditioning would be up to individual tastes and levels of tolerance for pain and anguish, this car could end up being quite the showpiece.  Just bring money. What would you do with this MGC?  Please let us know your thoughts in the comments.