MYTH BUSTER
Debunking the most common old wives’ tales
1 THE RUBBER BUMPERS WERE MADE FROM RUBBER They were actually made from polyurethane plastic with steel inserts. At least they were wellintegrated – unlike the extended items that ruined the looks of, for example, the Fiat X1/9. Plus, on our crowded roadscape, their resistance to 5mph parking knocks protects the car so much better than chrome ones thanks to internal spring blades. 2 THE HANDLING IS TERRIBLE This is hugely overstated. Yes, cars built for the 1975 and ’76 seasons handle worse than the older ‘chrome bumper’ models, mainly because they had no front anti-roll bars, they were 70lb porkier due to the bumper assemblies, and their ride height was an inch higher (to comply with US headlight laws). Once the anti-roll bar was reinstated, much of the poise was restored, and today you can even buy kits to lower the ride height. US drivers had special reasons for complaint, as the engine was modified to reduce emissions, severely blunting performance; British-market cars saw only slight power reductions. 3THEY’RE NOTHING LIKE AS GOOD AS EARLY MGBs Very debatable. The post-1977 MGB is actually one of the most usable classic roadsters on a dayto-day basis. The increased ride height makes it easier to get in and out of; the extra ballast gives a smoother ride; it has a great dashboard design with round dials; and overdrive is standard, which makes motorways less wearying. And one unexpected benefit of the slightly higher ride height is its ability to traverse speed bumps with less risk of underside damage. These sleeping policemen weren’t even around in the MGB’s 1960s and ‘70s chromeladen heydays, of course…