Our views on the MGB and it’s different evolutions

MGB Roadsters: In my opinion the B roadster is certainly one of the nicest classic open top cars you could own. Its simplicity and availability of parts really make it easier to maintain than other roadsters of the same vintage. There are many sports cars in its 3000-10000 £ price range, but the MG Midget and Triumph Spitfire are rather cramped. Triumph TR4s seem to be less reliable and are more expensive. Sunbeam Alpines are rather slow. Italian cars rust more and as finding parts for them go, well…… But you see MGBs at every other corner you tell me, and the car is so typically a British roadster that it’s practically a caricature of the genre. I say that even though the B does lack some exclusivity, compared to other roadsters (especially in England), it is THE British roadster to own, if you don’t want to spend your time and money finding and buying parts and fixing the bloody things, that is.

• Our little opinion on the B GT:

OK, now that I’ve got you excited (slightly…) about the B, I’ll talk about the GT. A different car altogether, and only because it wears a bit more tin. GTs cost quite a bit less than Bs these days (although they were always more expensive when new) because you can’t get the roof down in the summer, But they have their own merits as classic cars. I have always thought that GTs in general are prettier (Yup, I own a GT, and Alex the second writer does too…told you this was going to be biased). Look at a Jaguar E-type for example. Without a roof, it is a very (very) nice car. But it doesn’t have the purity of line or the class of the FHC (coupe). The same goes for Aston Martin DB4s and DB5s. And in my opinion, the B GT does the same for the B family, even if it was developed after the B. I have found people who own B GTs to be generally more knowledgeable about classic cars, because some roadster owners (and I must emphasize SOME) just have a B because they want to show off with the hood down, whilst if you own a GT, it’s ‘just’ a classic car. It comes down to this: An MGB GT is a classic car. An MGB is a classic car and a convertible. If you’re trying to live with one of these cars every day, a GT is probably a better bet too.

• Our little opinion on the different evolutions:

Some classic car buffs who are always ranting about originality say that a Mk I MGB is better than the others because they were the first and have the nicest styling. Well, a MkII has the same styling but is a better car, I say. You get all synchromesh gears and a longer lasting engine for a better price.

Recessed grille cars don’t have leather seats or that classic chrome grille and a lot of owners revert back to the earlier grille. Well I say: ‘STOP’, don’t do it ! That grille is the redeeming feature of the ‘69-’72 model, it gives the cars an aggressive stance lacking in other Bs. About the other changes in these cars, well, they’re crap. Rostyle wheels are OK. British Leyland badges, Yuck ! Vinyl seats…..Urgh.

Honeycomb grille cars have an amount of changes that make them even less classic. The dashboards are a mish-mash of old and new bits and the grilles are bland. Nope, I wouldn’t go for one of these.

Rubber bumper cars are the ones the purists love to hate. I think they’re rather handsome, even if they lack some of the ‘old’ feel the earlier cars have. The early black bumpered cars do have bad handling, but any enterprising enthusiast could get that right. And if you live in a city and want to use your car without having a to worry every time you park it, these bumpers are heaven sent. Alex has tested them for you, he has mowed down traffic posts and run into Japanese cars with no damage whatsoever ( that tells you a lot about him as a driver, doesn’t it ?). The interior of the later GTs is horrific, the seat facings are in a striped fabric which sings all glory of the 70’s. These are certainly the most practical of all the Bs and probably of all classic sports cars even if they aren’t the most desirable.

All in all, any of these cars are nice and pretty, they all have their little advantages and are fun to own.