MGB Roadster MkI Rally Car

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First registered in February 1965, this MGB Roadster MkI has had just four owners from new and has been in the current ownership since 1995.

It led a fairly normal and unexciting life until about 20 years ago when the previous owner decided to turn it into a historic rally, handing it over to marque experts Brown & Gammons in 1994 to weave their magic upon it with the results that you see before you.

All the usual upgrades and modifications were been carried out to the brakes, suspension and running gear, including a full engine rebuild to rally spec which cost over £4,600 (invoice on file). An experienced competitor with a couple of other historic rally cars in his stable, the vendor immediately set about putting the car to good use, completing the Targa Espana Classic Marathon in 1995 and 1996, the Monte Carlo Challenge in the winter of 1996 and the Tour De Corse Corsican Rally in both 1996 and 1997.

Naturally the car was in need of a little TLC after all these exertions so the engine was rebuilt once more in 1998 with a Stage 2 head, high lift cam, twin choke 40 DCOE carb etc. It was then entered into the Monte Carlo Challenge again in the winter of 1998, successfully completing the event for the second time. Since then the car has led a much easier life and has done little more than potter to the MOT testing station occasionally, spending the remainder of its time tucked up in dry storage with a few other classics that the vendor is fortunate enough to own.

Recently brought out of storage and prepared for sale, it has had new front brake discs, suspension bushes and a few other minor items to get it through the MOT, has been thoroughly recommissioned and is now said to be in rude good health with an MOT until April 2016 with no advisories recorded. The vehicle is fitted with a later fully synchromesh gearbox with overdrive on third and fourth gears. The battery has been converted from 2 x 6 volt batteries to 1 x 12 volt battery.

The vehicle is equipped with rally seats and four-point race/rally quick release seat harnesses, passenger footrest with horn button, a fire extinguisher and a master electrical cut-off switch. Other equipment includes an ammeter, a Russian aircraft clock (with integral stopwatch), twin fuel pumps, reserve coil auxiliary fog lamps, Lucas fog reversing lamp, towage points, map light and a Don Barrow Glowlight. The vehicle is rigged for a Halda rally clock which you can see in the photos but this is not included in the sale although it is available by separate negotiation if desired.

Supplied with a good history file to document the works carried out to date, it also comes with the hard top you see in the pictures, a separate soft top and frame, a roll hoop, a detachable boot-mounted rack to carry a second spare wheel and a useful quantity of spares including a high ratio diff which the vendor had previously fitted to tackle the hilly stages of a rally through the Pyrenees. He advises that the speedo is still calibrated to the high ratio diff so it will need to be re-calibrated (or the speedo drive in the gearbox changed) if the diff currently fitted is to stay on the car.

In addition to the two spare wheels (complete with unused spare tyres plus snow chains and studs) a complete set of four additional wire wheels fitted with good mud and snow tyres are also included in the selling price. FIA and FIVA papers from the period when the car was competing are also present.

Altogether a thoroughly sorted historic rally machine that should need minimal preparation before it can sally forth once more on some long distance competitive events.