The MGB was Britain’s most successful ever sports car, with sales of over half a million. And the truth is, that more than three decades after production ceased, the MGB’s classic lines, affordability, fun factor and certain ‘rightness’ mean that its enthusiastic following remains undiminished.
In ‘MGB: The Illustrated History’ the authors, self-confessed ‘B’ enthusiasts both, recall the remarkable history of this remarkable car. Originated with full co-operation and contributions from key members of the original design team, including John Thornley, Syd Enever, Don Hayter and Roy Brocklehurst, this book takes the reader behind the scenes at the world-famous MG factory at Abingdon, which closed its doors in 1980 with the demise of the MGB after 18 years in production.
The background to the MGB roadster’s development is first recalled in the context of its immediate predecessor, the MGA, the various famous EX experimental models, and the heritage of MG as a whole. Separate chapters then follow the development, introduction and production of the GT, MGC and V8. Further chapters on the MGB’s competition successes and the RV8 complete the story.
Along with a feast of colour photographs and contemporary brochure material – enough to satisfy even the most ardent MGB lover – the book also features full-colour cutaway illustrations of the three main ‘B’ variants.
Copiously illustrated with contemporary colour photographs and brochure material, and featuring colour cutaway illustrations of the MGB roadster, MGC, MGB GT V8 and MG RV8, this book not only charts the production life of Britain’s best-loved sports car, but also takes the reader behind the scenes at the world-famous Abingdon factory.
This long-awaited 4th edition now includes brand new illustrations of model variants and an original road test report.
Despre autor
Jonathan Wood has been writing and researching the history of the British motor industry all his working life. He has some 35 books to his credit, has twice won the Guild of Motoring Writers’ Montagu Trophy, and is a two-time recipient of the US-based Society of Automotive Historians’ Cugnot Award. A founder member of the staff of Classic Car magazine, he ran an MGA as his company car.Over the past 30 years he has given illustrated talks on motoring history to old car clubs and branches of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. In 2005 he presented the Institution’s Sir Henry Royce Memorial Lecture to mark the publication of his biography of Alec Issigonis, creator of the Morris Minor and Mini. Now living in Ludlow, Shropshire, he combines his automotive enthusiasms with writing and lecturing on local history.