1979 Range Rover

A worthwhile 3-door V8, manual box, Range Rover project...

Has had an engine overhaul

All hard work, chassis and floors replaced

Requiring interior sourcing and a repaint

Full stainless exhaust system

Low ownership car

ely attractive to the eye - and many decades later it has remained a timeless design. As the first monocoque MG sports car it was also a wonderful example of neat packaging - even with the shorter length it was a spacious car giving more legroom, wider seats and cockpit width. It also had luggage space in both the boot and behind the seats and an engine bay which, unlike the MGA, provided extraordinary access. With the upright grille the generous space in front of the radiator anticipated the arrival of larger future engine options. In those early days many features we think of as standard today were extras -such as a fresh-air heater, oil cooler, front anti-roll bar and even a folding hood! There was a choice of wheels with 14 inch steel disc "bolt-ons' or optional wire wheels. In Britain the basic price of an MGB was £950 with tax which compared very favourably with the Sunbeam Alpine at £695, the Triumph TR4 at £750 and the Austin Healey 3000 MkII at £865. Today the MGB is still seen as perhaps the most practical classic sports car you can buy with its perennial good looks, driver appeal and ease of maintenance for the enthusiast.

This particular MG roadster has been in the hands of its current owner, a time served engineer with what was then 'The Austin Motor Company', for the last 23 years and as such this particular MG has been maintained to an incredibly high standard. We are informed that the car is totally original apart from the fitting of a stainless steel exhaust system, pancake air intake filters, electronic ignition and a separate header tank. Shut lines are narrow and consistent and all bodywork has true angles and straight surfaces, all lights, mirrors and handles are also in excellent working order.

The car pulls strongly through the gears and offers excellent performance, the engine performs faultlessly with no untoward noises from the running gear under load or on the overrun. MUE 395E has lots of power and handles perfectly. Steering is full of progression and lets you know exactly whats happening, while the gearbox is quick and easy to use, stick it into third gear and its torquey flexibility shames many modern engines of a similar capacity, alternatively if you want to make the MGB work for its dinner, youll be treated to a nice gravely bark as it guns for the 60mph dash. The car is completely original and offers a fabulous driving experiencethat makes the MG roadster such a universally loved classic car, its as solid and rugged as the day it rolled off the production line. Riding on steel wheels the car comes with full tonneau cover, a large history file and will be sold with a fresh MoT test certificate.