Ordered in Aconite with contrasting Autumn Leaf (tan) interior this purple MGB couldn’t be more of the mid 1970s if it was smoking a Player’s No.6 and wearing flares.

Sold new on the 3rd July 1974 this was to be one of the last chrome bumper cars to leave the Abingdon protection line.

It was registered by Surrey County Council to the first owner who lived in Bansted.  They kept the car for 2 years until June 1976 when it was sold through the Austin Rover dealership, Wadham Stringer in Guildford.

The car was then owned by Mr S who was a sporting gentleman judging by the Cranleigh School squash club membership card recently found under the driver’s seat.

Sometime in 1984, after just 10 years of use, the car was parked on the owner’s driveway and that’s where it sat for the next 36 years!

The mileage reads 18,273 which is assumed to be accurate.

Following the death of the owner, the car was ‘rescued’ from that driveway in 2020, where it had sat with several other cars from the same period.  I acquired the car in 2021 as a project to join my private collection of other interesting MGB roadsters.

The restoration began using a bodyshell from British Motor Heritage manufactured using the original press tooling.

I arranged for the bare shell to be delivered to Ribble Technology Ltd (RTL) in Preston who are specialists in car restoration services.

There, the shell was submerged in a phosphate surface rinse for protection against rust. It was then dried in an oven to ensure no fluid was trapped in difficult to reach areas. The clean shell was then electrostatically powder coated in Kerroprime.  This process electrically charges the powder to act as a magnet ensuring the primer reaches into places that common sprayed primer can’t.  The Kerroprime was then baked on giving an extremely tough and durable coating.

I consider the expense of these processes is worthwhile to give the best possible prevention of any problems caused by rust.

The primed bodyshell was collected by restoration specialists at  Classic Dream Works in Sarratt.

There Phil and his team painted the shell in the original shade of purple. Their passion and 35 years of experience are clear to be seen in the fantastic, glossy finish that’s been achieved.

The painted shell was then returned to my heated garage where the rebuild commenced.

First in was a new wiring loom and brake lines.

The seats were sent to the experts at Mirror Trim.  There they were reupholstered in the original colour scheme although I opted for leather rather than the vinyl that would have been used when the car was new.  I’ve gone to great lengths to return the car to how it was when it left the factory in 1974 but the diamond quilting was a rare indulgence!

Mirror Trim also supplied new ‘deluxe’ carpets.

The original engine and gearbox (and overdrive) were sent to Special Auto Services in Radlett where they were stripped and rebuilt.

SAS also rebuilt the rear axle and differential and reconditioned the carburettors.

The original components were reused in the build where possible and new-old-stock sourced if available for those parts that were too far gone. Rust free near side steel quarterlight’s are now very rare in the UK so one was sourced from an MG specialist in Denver, Colorado and brought back as hand luggage to prevent being damaged.

A stainless steel exhaust has been fitted.

The final ‘tricky’ jobs and double checks were undertaken by MG Motorsport.

This included sorting the smooth running of the window winders, fitment of a new windscreen, polishing the aluminium windscreen frame to a beautiful shine, and refurbishment of the brake master cylinder.

New chrome spoke wheels were manufactured and supplied by Motor Wheel Service and these were shod with new tyres and inner tubes.

WPD563M has since been taken for an MOT which it passed with no advisories.

The car is now for sale to make garage space for my next project, a ‘63 MGB in factory black.  The asking price reflects the hundreds of hours invested into the build and is significantly below the cost of recreating this beauty to the same exacting standard.