A Roof Above Your Head
MGB, an iconic model of the house of the Octagon (MG) and of English motoring in General, born and known by most for its spider version, later proving a commercial success also with the coupe body, called GT.
The hard-top model has not been very well known and widespread in Italy, until today, unlike other countries, but being full of personality and originality it is slowly representing a nice rediscovery. Long hood, windows with no metal frame, pitched and sinuous roof, spacious trunk equipped with door and two additional seats (the car is classified as a 2+2).
A complete formula, but yet we are not facing the perfect coupe!
The line is beautiful (the transformation in GT is the work of Pininfarina’s pencil), the habitability at the front is more than enjoyable, driving pleasure is here, you can even load your luggage …. and then, what’s does not come back?
Performance is lively, but not like a GT that gives chills, rear seats are only choreography, and then, there are all the typical defects of English cars.
In short, it’s a very peculiar Grand Tourer that has always had its niche of admirers and that is regaining acclaim, after years in the shadow of the successful soft top sister.
The cars photographed here are the two phases of the model: one from the era of chrome and the other of synthetic materials (in the end, there are no deep technical differences and those aesthetic and practical are told in the following “chapter”).
In the picture you can immediately see customizations, however limited, that the owners have made. The more “adult”, under its elegant Old English White dress, and behind its chrome and thin bumpers, hidden mechanics modifications. The two SU carburetors (1.5″ each) have been replaced by a Weber DCOE 45 mm, the camshaft has been replaced with a more stringent one and the exhaust system is increased its dimensions and now is in stainless steel.
The increase of speed performance has rightly been accompanied by an upgrade of the braking system, with perforated discs and slotted, on which act tablets of a more aggressive compound, as well as supported by the fitting of larger tires. Inside we find a beautiful wooden steering wheel and 4 points seat belts.
The blue one (Pageant Blue, according to the original color chart) is visually more awkward, because of the different bumpers, but it is its very showy color that, in the end, makes it more lean than before.
In this case, the mechanics was deeply overhauled, with components equal to the originals, only opting for a slight customization of the interior, through the replacement of the steering wheel and the seat upholstery. On both, nighttime visibility was increased by mounting a pair of additional spotlights. Apparently so different and yet so similar, not only because basically almost unchanged, but also for the fate that has united these two models. Both arrive in Tuscany, relatively close, in the garage of two good friends, these MGB GT are thus able to ride in frequent drives and can attract the attention of people already on their own, just imagine when they travel in pairs and almost become an attraction.
The comments range from “funny” to “beautiful”, and curious questions are always there, but there are moments in which you can attract the attention even more than normal …. When? When you are driving alone and at the motorway’s gate you have to leave the car, if you’ve forgotten your Telepass home, or when you choose not to get out and access your fast-food lane in reverse.
Oh yes, there is still one thing: on both the driver’s seat is on the right!
Gianluca Torini
LIFE ON BOARD
Drivability of the two models is very similar but, given the more weight (due to the massive bumpers) and higher ground clearance, the Rubber Bumpers model (introduced in 1975, as a result of more stringent US safety standards) has a more pronounced body roll during cornering and that’s the reason why, in 1977, adopted an anti-roll bar. In normal driving situation, the car tends to understeer, but the weight of the front (about 160 kg is the weight of the engine only) and lightness of the rear axle, give oversteer when driving cheerfully or in the wet, thus revealing a fun side, not always easy to manage to the limit. The 1800cc engine (the only available on the MGB) has an excellent torque from low revs and a discreet extension to high revs. Really good are both clutch and gearbox, which transmit the right feeling in any situation: light in the city and at the same time good through tight corners, without that ‘rubbery effect that some cars of the same age had in intensive use. The 4 speed gearbox has a proper gear ratios also thanks to the overdrive (which acts on the third and fourth gear).
The utility of the overdrive on fourth gear for motorway use is obvious and known, less instinctive, but equally useful, is its use on the third gear: to address the momentum on minor climbs that are located along quiet roads, maybe outside the city. The top speed (170 kph) is not very high, but in line with that of many competitors of the time, acceleration has the right spirit and make the car highly enjoyable and entertaining. This car is comfortable for two people (as mentioned, the rear bench is virtually unusable for additional passengers), also through extensive travel and not only in the short trips. With the transition from Chrome Bumpers to Rubber Bumpers you can also notice an update for the interior, which affects the steering wheel (both cars are fitted with after market ones), all electrical controls and the instrument panel, undoubtedly removing part of the British feeling that characterized the cabin but, at the same time, going up with the trends of the ’80s, just there, around the corner. In general, therefore, less use of chrome and toggles of aeronautical derivation, and more space to plastic materials (already widely used by competitors from other countries).
Niccolò Fallani