1976 MG B - B Cabriolet

Delivered new in Germany

44 years with its second owner

Unrestored condition

Original 46,500 kilometres

In Germany, the world’s best-selling sports car had a hard time of it for many years. When the MG B appeared in 1962, many considered it too expensive, later too rustic and eventually simply too old. What the more sober observer tended to overlook was that this was precisely where much of its charm lay.

The MG B was not a complicated car. Up front sat a robust 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine, the rear wheels did the driving, and anyone wishing to enjoy the open air simply folded back the hood. Initially, the engine produced 95 hp. That may sound modest today, but the little Roadster did not weigh much and in any case demanded less outright power than a winding country road.

In 1965, MG added the closed GT alongside the Roadster. Six-cylinder (MG C) and even V8 versions followed later, while the classic four-cylinder remained the backbone of the range until the end. The B was repeatedly modernised over the years. The most dramatic change came in 1974 as a result of American safety regulations: in place of delicate chrome bumpers, it now wore enormous black rubber ones. They did not exactly make it prettier.

By 1980, more than half a million MGBs had been built. In Germany, however, it remained an exotic sight: fewer than 100 examples were newly registered there in 1976. Only later did right-hand-drive cars and US imports swell the numbers.

Perhaps the Germans simply needed a little longer to understand: a sports car does not have to be perfect to make driving considerably more fun.

This MG B was registered in Haßloch on 24 February 1976. As a German-market car, it has the high-compression twin-carburettor engine and the long final-drive ratio, in this case even combined with the optional overdrive. On 2 April 1982, the MG passed to its second owner in nearby Einhausen. He had the Roadster painted light blue metallic and used it during the summer months.

In the autumn of 2002, it was taken off the road, its last technical inspection having already expired in June 1996. It then rested safely in a private garage until 2026, when it was brought back to life. Its mechanical components were extensively recommissioned in the process. After such a long period of inactivity, the usual servicing was accompanied by cleaning the carburettors and replacing the water hoses, ignition leads, consumables and tyres. The MG was subsequently presented for its technical inspection, which it passed successfully.

Having had only two owners, it retains not only its service booklet and owner’s manual, but also its original toolkit and jack. A tonneau cover and hood cover complete the equipment. Its low mileage is apparent everywhere. Whether in the crisp mechanicals or the still remarkably untouched bodywork, the smart interior and taut hood, you can simply feel that this car has covered so few kilometres.

This MG is the real thing: unmodified, unrestored and unspoilt.