The MGB for many is the first car you think of when the term "classic car" is mentioned, at least in the UK and Ireland, where they have a cult following. Commercially it was a huge success, with over 500,000 made between 1962 and 1980. In 1965 a coupe version, the MGB GT was added to the roadster, but overall, 3 roadsters were built for every MGB GT made.
The MGB was particularly successful in the American market, and was the biggest selling imported sports car in the US until the Datsun 240Z came along in 1969-70. The modern Z-Car made the then 8 year old design of the B look ancient overnight, but it continued to sell reasonably well.
Technically the MGB was nothing special, with a simple 1.8 litre 4 cylinder engine giving 95bhp and driving the rear wheels. Suspension design was pretty basic too. Unfortunately as with many British cars introduced in the 60s and 70s (most notably the Mini) the MGB suffered from a lack of proper development over it's life span. Changes were only made when necessary, usually to meet changing legal requirements particularly for the US market. Up to 1974, the car kept it's handsome good looks, but in the same year it received a set of horrendous (in my opinion!) "rubber bumpers" in place of the classic chrome plated bumpers as seen on this model. The ugly new bumpers were introduced so that the car could withstand a new US requirement that all new cars had to withstand a 5 mile an hour impact without any damage. As if that wasn't enough, the ride height had to be raised as it was the only way the car could meet new headlight height requirements, again for the US market, without major sheet metal changes to the front bodywork. This was achieved by the crude expedient of inserting spacers into the suspension. As a result, the rubber bumper cars look like they are on "tippy-toes" and the handling of the MGB was ruined. Tellingly, while no MGB is worth huge money today, chrome bumper cars are worth 2-3 times their rubber bumper equivalents.
Along the way, the straight six from the Austin Healy 3000 was put under the B's bonnet, and the new combination was named the MGC. Potentially a good car, initial handling problems related to the cars nose heavy characteristics led to damning press reviews, and consequently the car was never much of a success. Further development of the MGC turned it into a good car, but the poor press it received initially meant it never lost it's poor reputation. The MGB-GT received a V8 engine later on in it's life (no official V8 roadsters were ever made, but plenty have been converted since) resulting in a great car, but few were produced compared to the standard 4 cylinder models, especially as MG could not get nearly enough V8 engines for them as they would have liked. Demand for the Rover V8 used in the V8 MGB exceeded the amount available as the same engine was in great demand for the Rover SD1 and the Range Rover, and MG was considered less important than both of these cars.
In 1980, MGB production finally ceased, and the famous MG Abingdon works were demolished. The MG name was kept alive however, as throughout the 1980's Austin Rover badged the performance versions of it's family cars "MG's", using the famous badge in the same way a hot VW Golf was known as a "GTI". Not until 1995 did another "proper" MG appear in the form of the MGF roadster.
Kyosho make this fine model of the MGB roadster, and it looks very nice indeed with it's bright red paintwork and the aforementioned chrome bumpers and wire wheels. The tires on the rims though look quite crude, with treads that would not look out of place on a tractor! The engine and interior are accurately reproduced and both doors, the bonnet and the boot lid all open. Overall the model looks "right". Consequently it gets a solid 7/10 marks.
