HomeMediaPristine, 1,500-mile 1980 MGB-GT going to auction

Pristine, 1,500-mile 1980 MGB-GT going to auction

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1980 MGB-GT going to auction with only 1,500 miles on its odometer | CCA photos
1980 MGB-GT going to auction with only 1,500 miles on its odometer | CCA photos

Each week, The Daily News @ ClassicCars.com staff gets together for a meeting. Last week someone mentioned that while you may not be able to buy an Aston Martin “shooting brake,” a well-cared-for MGB-GT might be an affordable alternative.

Meeting ends and a few minutes later, a news release arrives from England’s Classic Car Auctions, letting us know of an exceptionally well-preserved 1980 MGB-GT that will be offered for sale at CCA auction April 1-2 in conjunction with the Practical Classics Car and Restoration Show at the NEC in Birmingham, UK.

One-owner car was in storage more than 30 years
One-owner car was in storage more than 30 years

Not only is this a one-owner vehicle, but it has been driven less than 1,500 miles since it was purchased. In fact, that car spent more than 30 years in dry storage, the auction company noted.

“Presented in spectacular, original condition, the right-hand drive manual MGB-GT was first registered on 17th September 1980, the very last year of production, and will be offered at auction at an estimate of £12,000 to £15,000 ($15,000 to $18,600).

As the news release reports, the car’s owner put only 984 miles on the vehicle by April 1981, when it underwent rustproofing treatment. The car soon went into storage until late in 2014.

Orange-and-brown interior features 'Deckchair' design
Orange-and-brown interior features ‘Deckchair’ design

“This is a genuine, preserved, unrestored example of a much-loved and enjoyable, classic British sports car,” Nigel Gough, CCA classic car specialist, is quoted in the news release. “Rarely do we see a car of this age with such a low mileage, and the owner has clearly kept the car this way intentionally to create what we call a time-warp example of the model, which is highly collectible.”

The car wears its original Brooklands Green paint and has orange-and-brown “deckchair” interior. Chrome, glass and carpets are all said to be in very good condition.

“This near 37-year-old car is something special,” Gough added. 
“It’s a little piece of late summer in 1980.”

Larry Edsall
Larry Edsall
A former daily newspaper sports editor, Larry Edsall spent a dozen years as an editor at AutoWeek magazine before making the transition to writing for the web and becoming the author of more than 15 automotive books. In addition to being founding editor at ClassicCars.com, Larry has written for The New York Times and The Detroit News and was an adjunct honors professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.
  1. I had a 1969 MGB-GT and loved it, would like to get another some day. They drive exceptionally well.

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