Lot Ended
Description
Interesting special based on a 1968 MGB GT; rebodied in the style of a
vintage sportscar in the 1980s and regularly used since; pre-war looks with
post-war performance; be different!
First registered
in January 1968, this interesting Special started out in life as a regular MGB
GT and is still recorded as such on the V5C. From 1982 – 1990 it was owned by a
Mr M Baker of Coleshill who converted it to its current form using an NG TA kit
supplied by NCG Design Ltd of New Milton, Hants.
The exact spec of the
car is too detailed to list in full here but is amply covered in many invoices
on file, the story of the build also being recounted in a 4-page feature in a
June 1987 issue of Kit Car magazine.
Inspired by cars like the MG K3,
Riley Brooklands and Frazer Nash, Mr Baker constantly modified the car during
his ownership and incorporated parts from various other vintage cars – the
headlights are from a 1932 Riley, the radiator is from an MG TC and the
boat-tail is adapted from a Morris Minor bonnet. The bodywork is all steel apart
from the bonnet which is aluminium.
The original MGB engine was fully rebuilt and the car was used almost
daily throughout Mr Baker’s ownership, covering many thousands of miles in all
weather (it has a hood, sidescreens and tonneau cover).
The next
owner was a Mr R Bottomley of Wallingford who kept it for the next 30 years or
so. There are only a few invoices over this period, the last being for a rebuild
of the front suspension in 2014 which included MGB V8 parts, polybushes and
exchange shock absorbers. Over 20 old MOTs show that it has covered some 7,500
miles since 1992.
Our vendor acquired the car via Brightwells in October
last year and reports that it runs and drives well. He has also renewed the
front brake discs and pads. Unfortunately he is not quite as agile as he used to
be and he finds it difficult to clamber in and out of the car with any dignity,
hence its appearance in this sale – you will note that it doesn’t have a door on
the driver's side so you really do have to hop into it, although there is a
door on the passenger side and the front passenger seat folds down for easy
access to the rear seats.
Having driven the car
around on site, we can confirm that it does indeed go well, as you might expect
from such a light car with an MGB engine, with healthy oil pressure and a
pleasingly sporty exhaust note.
As you can see in the photos, this
unique sportscar looks most attractive and will prove a real talking point
wherever it goes.
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 –
james.dennison@brightwells.com