From The Classifieds: 1972 MGB convertible

Although the curvaceous 1950s MGA was the British brand’s first departure from old-school, square-rigged, separate-mudguard sports car design, the monocoque-construction MGB introduced to Australia in 1963 was a real step into modernity.

Modernity for the time: Like so many cars from its era, the MGB was supported by a live-axle, leaf-spring rear suspension, ran a carbureted pushrod engine and, even if it did employ disc brakes, they were only used on the front wheels.

The handsome two-seat roadster was nevertheless the epitome of a British sports car at a time when England was still among the most active nations propagating the genre: Austin Healey, Triumph, Sunbeam and Lotus were among the familiar sports car brands designed and produced in the UK. Even the famed Shelby Cobra had its roots in a British design – the four-cylinder AC Ace produced by AC Cars from the 1950s through to the early 1960s.

The MGB was a bit more mainstream than its British competitors – that is, it was less expensive – so it was a little easier to purchase and thus became more familiar on Australian roads.

A 1963 MGB was tagged at $2730 where a Triumph TR4 cost $3254 and a Sunbeam Alpine $3398. Arguments were rife at the time, and undoubtedly continue today, about which was the best sports car.

Although you’d never have guessed it if you drove both cars, the MG’s 1.8-litre engine was essentially the same as that fitted transversely into the front-drive Austin 1800.

Initially running three main crankshaft bearings and outputting 71kW/150Nm (the latter dropped further into the B’s model life as car-makers had to comply with increasingly-tough emissions standards), the four-cylinder engine was fed by twin SU carburettors and was red-lined at a heady 6000rpm.

Acceleration time from zero to 97km/h (60mph) was just over 11.0sec which seemed fast enough in the early 1960s – as an indication, the much faster Jaguar E-Type managed the same sprint in just under 7.0sec, which seems paltry for a high-performance car today where zero to 100km/h in better than 5.0sec is a basic expectation.

The MGB shared a glorious warbling exhaust note, achieved via a special header exhaust manifold, with the adventurously be-finned Sunbeam Alpine. The difference was that British Leyland’s B series 1.8-litre engine offered more cubic capacity, more power and more torque than the 1.6-litre, 60kW Alpine.

The MG’s manual four-speed gearbox originally used synchromesh on only the three upper gears, but that was changed to all-synchro in 1968. An electric overdrive system that operated on the two top gears was fitted between 1968 and 1970, while a three-speed automatic-transmission became available in 1970.

Despite its cart axle suspension, the MGB handled pretty well for its day. It had a degree of predictability that was reportedly lacking in rivals such as the slightly more powerful, 2.1-litre Triumph TR4, and the braking was well handled by the monocoque-constructed MG’s relatively light weight.

The MGB roadster was sold in Australia between 1963 and 1972 when it bowed out in upgraded “L” form, where extra concessions to safety were made via such things as collapsible bumpers and head restraints.

Today you can get hold of an MGB for as little as $14,000 or so, but the average price seems to hover somewhere just above or just below $20,000.

The 1972 Mark II “L” overdrive manual example we chose from carsales.com.au is well above that at $42,000, but an expensive, meticulous, concourse-ready restoration explains why. To quote the seller’s description, every component is either new or rebuilt by MG specialists Plus Four Automotive of Melbourne in a no-expenses-spared bare-metal restoration that cost more in parts alone than the current asking price.

Fully re-chromed, with leather trim and inertia-reel seatbelts, the bare-metal resto’s engine has been set up for unleaded fuel.

The MG hails from the outer Melbourne suburb of Dandenong and is showing, since the restoration was completed, 5km on the odometer.

About as good an example as you are likely to find of a breed that is becoming increasingly rare today.

See previous carsales From the Classifieds