MG MGB GT V8 (1973 – 1976) Review

MG MGB GT V8 (1973 – 1976) At A Glance

Elastic performance, ease of driving, nice soundtrack

Engine tightly packed in its bay, so servicing can be difficult

MG missed the boat with the 'B GT V8. At the time it was perfecting the MGC and trying to turn it into a successful Austin Healey 3000 replacement, Ken Costello had been making a good living converting MGBs to Rover V8 power. It was a logical car - and one that delivered all of the MGB's potential. So, when the MGC bit the bullet, MG began work on making its own Rover V8 powered 'B.

By the time the MGB GT V8, the world had changed, and it had hit all manner of obstacles, despite having all the ingredients for success. For one, its launch coincided with the 1973 energy crisis - a time when fuel rationing was a very real threat, and the price of fuel was going through the roof. In one fell swoop, the demand for big-engined cars like the 'B GT V8 fell through the floor.

And that's a shame, because the 'B GT V8 was - and is - undoubtedly was a great car. Still, It may have been a commercial failure when new, but that's not stopped it being a classic car hit. Just make sure when you're buying, you don't end up picking up a fake being passed off as the real thing.

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Ask Honest John

Is there a two-seater sports car that has room behind for a small dog?

"Many years ago I drove an MGB GT which was basically two seats plus a shelf, but handy for a small dog. I now am looking for a more up to date sporty soft top car with similar features. What do you recommend? I'm keen on the Mazda MX-5, but there is no room and certainly no space behind the seats."

Unfortunately, I think you might have to look at something slightly bigger, like a BMW 2 Series Convertible, to have the space you require. Alternatively, consider a Toyota GT86 - it's more practical yet as fun to drive as an MX-5, but isn't available as a convertible.

Answered by Andrew Brady

Will an MGB retro fitted with a V8 still be classed as historic and tax free?

"I'm looking to buy a 1970s MGB GT V8. An original car will be classed as an historic vehicle affecting the need for tax and MoT. Many of the originally 1800cc cars were later converted to V8 by transplanting a Rover engine as fitted in the as-built V8s. So the converted car has the same(ish) spec as those factory built V8s. Will a converted car still be classed as historic and have free tax and be MoT exempt?"

A vehicle built before 1 January, 1979, will qualify for historic road tax from April 2019 - unless it has been substantially altered. Unfortunately, what constitutes 'substantially altered' is currently a bit of a grey area. The definition currently says that to be considered as a vehicle of historic interest (VHI) the following components need to be of a design of which would have been fitted to that vehicle at the time of its manufacture: • the original unmodified chassis or body shell (including any sub frames) or, • a new chassis or monocoque bodyshell (including any subframes) of the same specification as the original • suspension (front and back) • steering assembly • all axles • transmission • engine An MGB GT that's been converted to a V8, could potentially have had alterations to those components. However, because the factory produced its own V8s it should qualify as a VHI.

Answered by Keith Moody

How do we go about driving a classic car through France's clean air zones?

"I was under the impression that the French authorities had banned classic cars - even if they were over forty years old - from entering major French cities. With this in mind, I wrote to the French embassy and told them that I would not be visiting their lovely country any more if I couldn't drive my MGB GT through it. I now have it on good authority that they have relented and changed the rules, presumably because of pressure from other classic car enthusiasts.How would they view a car which does not fit the exact original specification as manufactured, e.g. mine has a new shell and five speed gearbox. Also, how do we go about taking our 2004 Vauxhall Astra into those same cities if we chose to do so?"

French authorities now ask drivers to display a clean air sticker (called a Crit'Air) to enter some areas. Currently, these areas are Paris, Lyon, Grenobille, Lille, Strasbourg, and Tolouse. Some cities can impose emergency measures, banning the most polluting vehicles if pollution levels are already too high on any day. There are six categories of stickers (identified by different colours) and these relate to a vehicle's Euro Emissions Standard. For example, a modern clean electric would get a green sticker, while an older diesel with high CO2 emissions would display black sticker. You can read a bit about it here: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/driving/2017-12/more-clean-air-zones-introduced-in-france/ Let's deal with the Astra first. You'll need to know your car's CO2 emissions - as your car is registered after 2001 but before 2017, you should know this figure as it's the basis for your road tax (or rather VED) but the 1.6-litre is 161g/km while the 2.0-litre is 214g/km. You can always double check the information here: http://carfueldata.direct.gov.uk/search-new-or-used-cars.aspx. Next, apply for your sticker from the official site (beware of third party sites): https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/en. You'll need a PDF or JPEG of your registration document (V5C) and the cost is €4.18 (there's a €68 fine if you don't have a sticker). As far as taking a classic car into one of the clean air cities goes, cars over 30 years old are allowed to enter the city - but you'll need a 'grey' sticker. Currently, there is no way to apply for this sticker using the online form. We'd always recommend travelling abroad with your V5C, tax and insurance details and you may well need these to enter a city if there are spot checks. We have asked for an update but haven't received anything yet - if we do hear back, we'll revise this answer with the latest information.

Answered by Keith Moody

I want to buy an MGB GT, what's the best way to go about this?

"I'm looking to buy a nice MGB GT. Can you tell me what the best places to place a wanted ad are? I have joined the MG owners club already."

The MGB is one of the most popular cars out there - I don't think you'll need to place a wanted advert to find the one you're after. The best advice we can give you is not to buy the first car you see - make sure you've inspected and driven quite a few before deciding on one. However, if you're convinced the wanted advert is the best route for you, then placing one in the club magazine is a good place to start.

Answered by Keith Moody