Featured listing: Top-down Fun – 1975 MGB Roadster

This ClassicCars.com Marketplace featured listing is a 1975 MGB for sale in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. This MGB shows you can still have more fun with less. With a drop top, anything is possible.

In the mid-seventies, the sports car market in the USA didn’t have a lot to offer. Concerns over safety and the environment stripped the muscle car mojo to nearly zero. The good times of the swinging 60s were over. What was left became more or less just the essence of what formerly was thrilling. The new terminology for cars that were target to enthusiasts was “sporty”. 

The MGB, which began production in 1962, had many carryovers from the prior MGA years. In fact, the origins of the motor stem way back to 1947, and the brakes and suspension were derived from the MGA of 1955. As with many low-volume models, the money for advancing engineering and components simply didn’t materialize. Looking back, perhaps if the car companies made better products from the start, more would have sold and justified investing additional money on development of these cars.

The 1975 MGB from British Leyland was not immune to the governmental mandates of the early 70s. To be honest, the MGs were never fast with a lazy 0-60 of 11 seconds, or the greatest handling cars, but they had their place in the market. This is especially true for those looking for a top down, European driving experience. Plus, the comparatively small size did offer a different driving opportunity than most American cars of the time.

The MGB Roadster body was the successor to the MGA model, which ceased production in 1962. The MGB was not vastly more advanced and didn’t really hit the nail on the head in terms of performance with a 4-cylinder, 1.8-liter powerplant. Due to compliance regulations and an 8:1 compression ratio, the inline-4 had just 87 horses under the hood and 103 lb.-ft. of torque. The four-speed, synchromeshtransmission with overdrive can only do so much to dazzle drivers. But, similar to the Mazda MX-5 “Miata” that came in 1989, the MGB did allow owners a fun drive with the wind in the hair. And, that enjoyment still lives on today.

The MGB did indeed change in 1974 to comply with the new government standards. One significant change required headlights on all cars to be at a set height, which definitely impacted the design of the MGB. The decision came down to either redesign and re-engineer the front or potentially the entire car, or simply raise the British coupe up an inch. Certainly, the increased height was the cost-effective choice, and British Leyland took it. Not only did this look odd in comparison to the prior model years, but it negatively played with the handling. 

In addition, the big, black, rubber bumpers were added to comply with safety regulations. This turned into a designer’s worst nightmare, not unlike the bumpers that were added to the Italian Lamborghini Countach. While the chrome bumpers from years before fit properly with the styling, the heavy looking bumper piece that also encapsulated the grille seemed like the afterthought that it was.

This particular 1975 MGB for sale in Tennessee is repainted and reimagined without the decidedly unfashionable rubber bumpers, also referred to as “Sabrinas” due to a British actress of that time with, well, oversized bumpers. This is a case where less is more. The front and rear body kit smooths out the features, leaving this car far more attractive as a result. Also, this boasts a new wiring harness, new bushing in the front end, carpet, upholstery and convertible top. In addition, this has new tires and rims that were installed during restoration. 

Just glancing at the photos and it’s clear that this not your average MGB, and it has more charisma than the standard, plentiful Mazda Miatas that dot the landscape. 

To view the listing on ClassicCars.com, click here.