Ford might claim that its uncouth Mustang is the bestselling sports car in history, but the MGB is the most successful sports car of our hearts. Or something to that effect, any way. Sure, it’s got that waxed jacket/f lat cap vibe going on, but it was an endearing humble runabout when new and remains an appealing classic even now.
Mazda might have based its iconic MX-5 package on another British shed-built classic, the Lotus Elan, but the sporty little Japanese convertible can very much be seen as a spiritual successor to the MGB. The Birmingham car was a sports car for the masses, bringing affordability, desirability and simple fun for ever yone to enjoy.
In fact the MGB was the most successful MG in the marque’s history, with over 500,000 shifted in the 18 years the car was on sale. Sales of the chic Pininfarina-styled car started off in October 1962 with the convertible roadster variant, and the hard-top coupe (the MGB GT) came on sale in 1965. There was even a lairier V8 version of the coupe on sale between 1973 and 1976 with Rover’s venerable 3.5-litre unit grumbling under the bonnet.