60 years of MG MGB, part 1: “Loved for its looks, simplicity and low price!”

For British car enthusiasts, this year's celebrations marked the 60th anniversary of the MG MGB. The reasons for the popularity of 'The MGB' are easy to explain. The mechanical simplicity, the beautiful appearance, the low price and the pure charm are seen as its assets. The MGB is an important part of British motoring heritage, as it made owning a true sports car accessible to the masses.
 
Warmth and nostalgia

Looking back on 60 years of the MGB, it is striking that it has remained one of the most sold and still very popular MG types. In total, approximately 522.000 'MGB' and 'MGB GT's' were sold, including derivative models such as MG MGBGT V8, MG MGC and RV8. Quite a lot for a sports car. The MGB is viewed with great warmth and a sense of nostalgia by MG enthusiasts, especially those who own or owned one. It is often rejected in elite automotive circles for its mechanical rudeness. It is actually impossible to determine a specific target group, it is somewhere in between these two extremes. The figures and facts show that more people belong to the former group of enthusiasts than to the latter. It is not for nothing that more than half a million MG MGBs rolled out of the factory gates of Abingdon, where it was produced from 1962 to 1980. And apart from in England itself, it was a sales success in mainland Europe and even in the United States. It was appreciated everywhere for its affordable, uncomplicated technique, as it is economical to use and repair. And it has an appealing, timeless model.

An unexpected success

Due to declining sales, it was high time to replace the MG MGA in the late XNUMXs. Clearly losing out to the newly launched MG Midget, akin to the funky Austin-Healey Sprite, it also lost out to its new rivals, the Sunbeam Alpine and the Triumph TR4A. The assignment to create a new, successful MG sports car was therefore not an easy one for MG's chief engineer, Syd Enever. Yet he succeeded. During the development of the MG MGB, emphasis was placed on retaining the driver's appeal of the MG MGA, while adding an element of comfort, something the MGA lacked. The MGB turned out to be an unmitigated success. The magnitude of its success must have surprised everyone, not least the Abingdon leadership at the time.

Proven technology

The basic concept of the MG MGB remained almost the same as before with the MG MGA, but the structure was completely new. For the first time on an MG roadster, the body was an extremely strong monocoque. The front suspension and rack and pinion steering were adopted from the MGA, the whole being mounted on a detachable cross member. Different types of coil springs were tried for the rear suspension, but in the end the construction with the traditional arrangement of an active rear axle with simple leaf springs won out.

Even then, cost control was the basis for decisions about the technology to be used. For use in the MG MGB, the displacement of the MGA's B-series engine was increased from 1622 cc to 1798 cc. This provided more than enough power to compensate for the extra weight of the heavier monocoque structure on the 'MGB'. It also received a higher torque, which made the new MGB even significantly faster than its predecessor. Faster, more comfortable, more robust and all for a very acceptable price. Four factors that formed the basis of the design that appeared on the market in 1962. And to this day, 60 years later, are traits that still ensure its success.