114-MILE ‘AS NEW’ MGB GT OFFERED
’B GT bought as an investment breaks cover after 37 years
A1980 MGB GT with 114 miles on the clock is up for sale at classic dealer WH Brand in Lincolnshire – for £24,750.
Stratton Motor Company in Norfolk sold the car new to its first and only registered keeper that same year; it was then undersealed, delivered and dry-stored for 37 years in a wooden building with 106 miles recorded.
WH Brand dealer principal, Martyn Brand – who acquired the MG at auction in March 2019 – said: ‘The mileage is what attracted me to the car.’
The original owner bought it as an investment and never intended to drive it. In all that time, the car has remained unused, but registered, as VEX 44X. Its unused number plates and radio fitting kit are still in the boot. Minor service items were needed to prepare it for the road and, as CCW discovered (see panel, right), it drives as-new.
The original oil and coolant are perfectly clean and serviceable but the car will need an oil- and filterchange after its initial running-in period, just as it would have been when first registered. New tyres have been fitted, but its original Dunlop SP4s have been kept should the car’s new keeper want to enter concours competitions.
MG Owners’ Club technical advisor, Jonathan Kimber, said: ‘It’s very rare to come across an MGB GT that is still in factory condition. It’s a piece of history and a fantastic find for someone who wants to keep it original, as well as being very appealing to collectors.’
The big question now is: use or preserve? Martyn Brand said: ‘I think it needs to be driven and enjoyed – it’s time it was let loose on the open road.’
Dale Vinten