T heMGB deservedly received plenty of fanfare in 2022 as enthusiasts commemorated 60 years of what is almost certainly Britain’s bestloved sports car, but for those who like their B with an extra batch of cylinders, it’s not time for those celebrations to end. That’s because 2023 will mark the golden anniversary of the MGB V8 – acar that battled the odds from the very start, and yet is now fondly remembered as one of the best BL products of the 1970s.
The V8 wasn’t Abingdon’s first attempt at a more powerful MGB. Five years after the roadster made its debut in 1962 and two years after the launch of the handsomely styled B GT coupe in 1965, the short-lived MGC was revealed using the six-cylinder BMC C-Series also found in the Austin 3 Litre. Sadly, the engine didn’t like to rev and was very heavy, which made the C understeer and saw just over 9000 sold in a production run lasting
