Timewarp MGB GT with just 1,500 miles on the clock to go up for auction.

• 1980 MG B GT in original, preserved and unrestored condition for auction with CCA
• More than 30 years in dry storage and just 1,500 recorded miles
• Offered at an estimate of £12,000 to £15,000 at the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show

A 1980 MG B GT in time-warp condition with an incredibly low mileage will be offered by Classic Car Auctions (CCA) in its biggest sale ever on 1^st and 2^nd April at the NEC, Birmingham.

Presented in spectacular, original condition, the right-hand drive manual MG B 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.

Quite remarkably, this amazing MG B GT has had just one registered owner from new who has preserved the car to appear as it did the day he purchased it. Not only has the car barely been touched, it has hardly been driven with just 1,500 miles recorded since leaving the British Leyland dealership in September 1980.

The car has spent over 30 years in dry storage, remaining almost untouched other than to be treated with rustproofing to be serviced in April 1982. It was made ready for the road in December 2014, and shortly after enjoyed its first ever MoT with 1,348 miles showing.

Today the car presents beautifully in its original Brooklands Green paintwork with the rare orange and brown 'Deckchair' trim, as well as the chrome works, glass, headlining, dashboard and carpets all retained in very good condition.

“This is a genuine, preserved, unrestored example of a much-loved and enjoyable, classic British sports car,” explains Nigel Gough, classic car specialist, CCA. “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.”

Included in the sale is original documentation including the initial bill of sale, an invoice for ‘Protectol' rustproofing service costing £112.00 and the original service book with one entry on 26th April 1982 indicating a mileage at that point of 984.

“This near 37 year old car is something special. It's a little piece of late summer in 1980,” concludes Nigel.

Fancy drifting in a Morris Marina, well, this 18 year old does and it can really shift.

An 18-year-old car enthusiast has ensured that at least one of the 1.2 million Morris Marinas and Itals built can cut it on today’s streets and if needed, on track. Patxi Beasley’s ‘Mutant Marina’ retains the predictable lines that was familiar transport for many families in the 1970s but underneath the fading Brooklands Green paint and period dealer stickers resides an altogether different beast.

Affectionately known as ‘Myrtle’, it’s now a hybrid of Ford and British Leyland.

By planting a Ford Mondeo Zetec engine and Sierra gearbox in the 900kg car as well as redesigning the suspension set up, a criticism often levelled at the Marina by contemporary road testers, together with fitting modern Falken Sincera tyres, Beasley has created a lively alternative to the Corsas and Fiestas that most young drivers opt for. 

Much maligned in recent times, former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond once described the Marina as ‘drab and dreary’ but the tweaks make this example, one of around 300 Marinas left on the road, a very different car to the ones produced during British Leyland’s most turbulent times.

“Everyone seems to go for the same cars and I just wanted something different. This came up and with a few tweaks, it made a lot of sense!” says Patxi Beasley who is an apprentice at an independent Land Rover garage. “Slotting in the Ford engine has made it more reliable and now I can use it every day.”

The upgrades have made the Mutant Marina Myrtle an unlikely drift car with Falken’s multiple drifting champion James Deane recently enjoying a slide in the 120bhp car at Rockingham. “It’s lacking a bit of power compared to my 750bhp Nissan S14 so you need to keep it nailed,” says Deane. “I started drifting in a Sierra and it takes me back to that. It’s old school but cool, though I’ve got no plans to ask Patxi to borrow it, well not just yet!”

Specification

• Morris Marina 1800cc Super
• Ford Mondeo Zetec engine and ECU
• Ford Sierra Type 9 gearbox
• Lowered with switch to coil over rear suspension
• Welded differential
• Falken Sincera tyres
• Upgraded cooling system