The £17,000 MG He Bought For £10,000

The MG RV8 was the car that brought the spirit of the MGB into the 1990s — complete with a 3.9-litre Rover V8. But when Gary went to look at this particular example, he very nearly walked away. Originally advertised at £17,500 and later reduced to £16,500, the car Gary found was far from perfect. A damp interior, shrunken roof, cracked trim, cloudy headlights and a damaged rear light were enough to make him question whether this rare MG sports car was worth taking on. Then he drove it. That Rover V8 worked its magic — and after agreeing a deal at just £10,000, Gary took the RV8 home and set about bringing it back to its best. In this episode of Classic Car Stories: Midweek Motors, we discover the story of Gary’s MG RV8, the work he carried out to transform it, and take a look back at the fascinating history of one of MG’s most unusual modern classics. Built between 1992 and 1995, only 1,983 MG RV8s were produced. Developed under Project Adder, the RV8 combined the familiar shape and heritage of the MGB with a 3.9-litre Rover V8, five-speed gearbox, leather and wood interior and considerably more performance. Around 1,500 examples were exported to Japan following the car’s appearance at the Tokyo Motor Show, making the RV8 an unusual British sports car that found many of its original owners thousands of miles from home. Today, the MG RV8 occupies a fascinating place in MG history — sitting between the traditional MGB roadster and the new generation of MG sports cars that followed. And for Gary, the one he nearly walked away from turned out to be the one he couldn’t leave behind. In this episode: • MG RV8 history and the story of Project Adder • The 3.9-litre Rover V8 • Why so many RV8s went to Japan • Gary’s £10,000 purchase • Restoring the interior, roof, lights and paintwork • The incredibly expensive RV8 rear light • What the MG RV8 is like to own and drive today If you enjoy classic British cars, MG history, MGBs, Rover V8s and the stories behind the cars and people who preserve them, please like, comment and subscribe to Classic Car Stories. And if you enjoyed meeting Gary, you can also discover another fantastic car from his collection in our episode featuring his Ford Granada Ghia. Classic Car Stories is supported by Car Builder Solutions. For parts, accessories and everything you need for your classic, kit or project car, visit: http://www.carbuilder.com/ClassicCarStories CREDITS Presented & Produced by Adam Poulton Classic Car Stories With special thanks to Gary for sharing his MG RV8 and its story. Camera: Kevin Heuston Every classic has a story to tell. #MGRV8 #MG #ClassicCars #MGB #RoverV8 #BritishCars #BritishClassicCars #ClassicMG #MGCar #SportsCar #ModernClassic #ClassicCarStories #MidweekMotors #ProjectAdder #V8 #ClassicCar