The roadster was the first of the MGB range to be produced. The body was a pure two-seater; a small rear seat was a rare option at one point. The MGB offered better space utilisation to passengers and luggage than the preceding MG A, despite being both shorter in wheelbase and overall length, and lower. Growing in width by the same, gave the MGB a distinctly lower and more squat stance than its forebear. The suspension was softer, giving a smoother ride, and the larger engine gave a slightly higher top speed. The four-speed gearbox was an uprated version of the one used in the MGA with an optional (electrically activated) overdrive transmission. Wheel diameter dropped from 15 to . In late 1967, enough changes were introduced for MG to declare the 1968 model year a Mark II model. Changes included new gearboxes with revised ratios and synchromesh on all four gears, an optional
Borg-Warner 35 automatic gearbox (except in the US, peculiarly), a new rear axle, and an alternator in place of the
dynamo with a change to a negative earth system. The Mk II's new gearboxes required significantly altered floorpan sheet metal with a new, flat-topped transmission tunnel. To meet US safety regulations for the 1968 model year, the MGB received a plastic and foam rubber covered "safety" dashboard, dubbed the "Abingdon pillow", and dual circuit brakes. Other markets continued with the steel dashboard. Rubery Owen RoStyle wheels were introduced to replace the previous pressed steel versions in 1969 and reclining seats were standardised. 1969 also saw three windscreen wipers instead of two to sweep the required percentage of the glass (US market only), high seat backs with head restraints and side marker lamps. The next year saw a new front grille, recessed, in black aluminium. The more traditional-looking polished grille returned in 1973 with a black "honeycomb" insert. In North America, 1970 saw split rear bumpers with the number-plate in between, 1971-1974 returned to the earlier single-piece full-length style chrome bumper. Further changes in 1972 were to the interior with a new
fascia. To meet impact regulations, 1974 US models had the chrome bumper over-riders replaced with oversized rubber ones, nicknamed "
Sabrinas" after the British actress
Sabrina. In the second half of 1974 the chrome bumpers were replaced altogether. A new, steel-reinforced black rubber bumper at the front incorporated the grille area as well, giving a major restyling to the B's nose, and a matching rear bumper completed the change. New US headlight height regulations also meant that the headlamps were too low. Rather than redesign the front of the car, British Leyland raised the car's suspension by . This, in combination with the new, far heavier bumpers, resulted in significantly poorer handling. For the 1975 model year only, the front
anti-roll bar was deleted as a cost-saving measure (though still available as an option). The damage done by the British Leyland response to US legislation was partially alleviated by revisions to the suspension geometry in 1977, when a rear anti-roll bar was made standard equipment on all models. US emissions regulations also reduced horsepower. In March 1979 British Leyland started the production of black-painted limited-edition MGB roadsters for the US market, meant for a total of 500 examples. Due to a high demand for the limited-edition model, production ended with 6,682 examples. The UK received bronze-painted roadsters and a silver GT model limited edition. The production run of homemarket limited edition MGBs was split between 421 roadsters and 579 GTs. The last MGB roadster produced at Abingdon returned to
Abingdon County Hall Museum on 1 December 2011, with the help of
British Motor Heritage. It was lifted up 30 feet through a first-floor window of the
Grade I listed building with inches to spare and now forms part of the collection on display in the main gallery. Work on a successor for the MGB had been undertaken as early as 1964 with the EX234, but due to the excellent sales of the MGB and
MG Midget, BMC cancelled it in 1966. In 1968 a second proposed replacement was developed, the ADO76, but British Leyland had ceased work on that project by the end of 1970; the ADO76 would ultimately become the rubber-bumper version of the MGB in 1974. A third MGB replacement was developed in 1969, this time with a mid-mounted BMC E-series engine, semi-independent Hydrolastic suspension and Ferrari-like styling. This was cancelled in 1970 in favour of the more-conventional Triumph Bullet, which later became the TR7. When the
Abingdon factory finally closed in late 1980, British Leyland did not replace it, with the EX234 prototype finally being sold at auction in 2016. The decision to discontinue the MGB came about largely due to the poor sales performance of the
Triumph TR7, which had largely taken over as BL's contemporary offering in the small sports car market. BL management felt that continued production of the MGB was cannibalising the TR7's sales and this therefore was a justification for taking it off the market. However, the TR7 failed to sell and was axed a year later. The MG marque was subsequently used to
badge engineer sports versions of the
Austin Metro,
Austin Maestro and
Austin Montego throughout the 1980s, prior to the re-emergence of the MGB in late 1992 as the MG RV8. == MGB GT ==