
LOT 146
1975 MGB GT V8 Coupé Project Registration no. JCF 162N Chassis no. GD2D1/2213G-2043
1975 MGB GT V8 Coupé Project
Registration no. JCF 162N
Chassis no. GD2D1/2213G-2043
Registration no. JCF 162N
Chassis no. GD2D1/2213G-2043
Footnotes
MG enthusiasts have Kent-based engineer Ken Costello to thank for the existence of the V8-engined MGB. In 1970 Costello began selling cars converted to take the 3.5-litre Rover V8, their favourable reception prompting British Leyland to follow suit. As the aluminium-alloy V8 weighed only a few pounds more than the cast-iron four it replaced, little re-engineering of the existing suspension was called for. Both transmission and brakes were up-rated though, the original gearbox being swapped for a modified MGC manual-plus-overdrive unit. Thicker, larger-diameter front discs were fitted and a Lockheed servo was now standard equipment. Considerably quicker than the four-cylinder 'B', the V8 could reach 60mph in around eight seconds and had a top speed of 125mph, respectable figures even today. Introduced in August 1973 and built only in GT form, the MGB V8 was supplied exclusively to the UK market. A total of just 2,591 cars was manufactured before the model was withdrawn in 1976, making the MGB V8 one of the rarest and most sought-after of post-war MGs.
Owned by the current vendor since March 1986, this example has covered a believed genuine 77,894 miles from new and is offered for restoration. The car comes with an old-style logbook and is sold strictly as viewed.
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