Photos of members' MGBV8s - Factory MGBGTV8s, MGBV8 Conversions and Costello MGBV8s

Factory MGBGTV8s


Harvest Gold 0097 owned for many years by Brian Field and campaigned in RAC and historic rallies and hillclimbs. In August 2002, Brian sold the car as he felt that at 86 he was no longer able to exercise the car in the manner it was used too! The car was a preproduction car used for the US engine emission tests and later sold by the Factory to Brian. (Photo: Speedsports Rethuin) Feature article


Glacier White 0102, one of the early LHD MGBGTV8s which was the New York Motor Show car. It has been owned by Bas Gerrits in Holland for many years and was seen recently by Maurits Clement (Teal Blue 0565) at Octagon Spares in Hillegon, Holland. Their website is worth a visit at www.octagon-spares.nl where you can see this V8. (Photo: Coen Kimmels)


Damask 0109 owned by Tom Studer from Switzerland seen here exercising the car in a spirited fashion. It's one of the few Factory produced LHD MGBGTV8s. Tom was a founder member of the V8 Register in 1978. (Photo: Tom Studer)



Limeflower 0118, a press demonstration car, owned by Mike Dunlop. A rare colour which is often mistaken for Harvest Gold. (Photo: Mike Dunlop)


Mirage 0158 owned by Franck Morand from France. The car has been beautifully restored including a professional LHD conversion and luxurious grey leather seats and trim. The car was originally Glacier White like the V8 on the far side in this photo at Silverstone 2002. (Photo: Franck Morand)


Glacier White 0224 owned by Murray Baber in New Zealand in action at Manfield, a circuit located in the lower North Island. (Photo: Murray Baber)


Damask 0229 owned by John Dutton in Kent. (Photo: John Dutton)


BRG 0252 owned by Peter Stack in Cheshire. (Photo: Peter Stack)


Midnight Blue 0342 owned by Ulf Lindquist in Sweden. (Photo: Ulf Lindquist)


Harvest Gold 0425 owned by Brian Reynolds in Norfolk. (Photo: Brian Reynolds)


Teal Blue 0451 owned by Graham Thomas in London SW. (Photo: Graham Thomas)


Damask 0459 seen for sale in Tokyo in late October 2003 at Garage Morris. This car was formerly owned by Mike Bean from new in the UK. For more details and photos see Damask 0459. (Photo: Gavin Brown)


Glacier White 0552 owned by Jim Lothian in London NW. (Photo: Jim Lothian)


Damask 0635 owned by Peter Kuruber from Somerset. (Photo: Peter Kuruber)


Damask 0662 owned by Gary Fraipont from British Columbia Canada who has had this Factory MGBGTV8 professionally converted to LHD together with a complete rebuild of the engine, transmission and suspension. The car was owned by Chris MacFarlane for many years. (Photo Gary Fraipont)


Teal Blue 0691 owned by Paula Cottle from London NW. (Paula Cottle)


Glacier White 0703 owned by Arthur Mitchell from Essex. The car had an autobox when Arthur acquired the car which he changed. Shortly after the change, his company relocated him to London Docklands which, as he says, "was odd given I was then commuting in and out of London every day when an autobox would have made more sense!". He is now retired so the car no longer does the daily 120 mile roundtrip! Glacier White has to be one of the most demanding colours for a V8 in daily use and Arthur's car certainly looks very tidy but he notes "I suspect that driving the V8 those long distances every day made sure that the whole car got warmed up, air blew through most parts so the damp was kept at bay. I washed it every weekend which meant I could see rust appearing and any stone chips so the bodywork had regular "servicing" by a local chap". (Photo: Arthur Mitchell)


Damask 0733 owned by Philip Jones in Dorset. (Photo: Philip Jones)


Damask 0945, a good looking MGBGTV8 owned by Kai Knickman in Germany who purchased it from our member Colin Garratt in Cambridgeshire. (Photo: Kai Knickman)


Black 0974 owned by Dave Wellings who acquired the car in 1986 and carried out a bare sheel refurbishment. Dave has prepared an interesting article on the early history of thsi V8. (Photo: Dave Wellings)


Damask 0987 owned by Daniel Heyer in Germany at speed at the Nuerburgring in 1999 during a Hanseat Driving Course. (Photo: Daniel Heyer)


Bracken 1012 owned by Bryan Ditchman in Hampshire, the Editor of the RV8 Workshop Notes series, which is nearing the end of a 12 month restoration. (Photo: Bryan Ditchman)


BRG 1022 owned by John Targett from Sussex and Ohio USA powering through the first apex on Madgwick at a GRRC Track Day at Goodwood in June 2002. (Photo: Goodwood Circuit)


Blaze 1059 owned by Bryan Ditchman in Hampshire, the Editor of the RV8 Workshop Notes series. (Photo: Bryan Ditchman)


Glacier White 1061 owned by Timothy Evans in Yorkshire. (Photo: Mark Davis)


Harvest Gold 1089, owned by Victor Smith from London SW since 1978 when he formed the V8 Register, seen here at the Hook Norton brewery in Oxfordshire in July 2002. (Photo: Victor Smith)


Tartan Red 1092 raced by John Wilson in Class D of the BCV8 Championship run by the MG Car Club. (Photo: John Wilson)


Damask 1119 owned by Ted Miller in West Yprkshire. (Photo: Ted Miller)


Glacier White 1293 owned by Richard Selby in Berkshire. (Photo: Richard Selby)


Bracken 1473 owned by Richard Smallwood in Leicestershire. (Photo: Richard Smallwood)


Citron 1493 owned by John Clements in Wiltshire who also has a good looking Tartan Red MGC Roadster. (Photo: John Clements)


Glacier White 1590 owned by Ian Penrose in Dorset. (Photo: Ian Penrose)


Bracken 1692 owned by Geoff Dodd in Someset. (Photo: Geoff Dodd)


Damask 1721 owned by Theo Klick in Germany which had completed a comprehensive refurbishment in 2003. (Photo: Allan Doyle)


Harvest Gold 1768 owned by Geoff Robe from Hampshire seen here at the Shoulder of Mutton on Hazeley Heath in August 2002. (Photo: Victor Smith)


Glacier White 1815 owned by Leni Heier Rydmann from Denmark seen here at Silverstone in the early 1990s. (Photo: Victor Smith)


Tundra 1816 owned by Ben Knight in Surrey. (Photo: Ben Knight)


Citron 1824 owned by Alistair Cochran from Northamptonshire. (Photo: Alistair Cochrane)



Teal Blue 2101, the first rubber bumper V8 owned by Geoff Allen, the V8 Historian and Archivist, seen at Overbury Court for a phot shoot in 1975. This photo was on the 1976 BL calendar. (Photo: BL)


Citron 2156 owned by Chris Yates in Buckinghamshire. (Photo: Chris Yates)


Blaze 2177 formerly owned by David Franklin for many years and known as the "Shopping Car". In fact it is indecently quick on the track and up hillclimbs in the experienced hands of David, a former national hillclimb champion and a regular driver of Ferraris at historic race meetings. This car has recently been purchased by Bruce Morgan. (Photo: Debbie Franklin)


Flamenco Red 2303 owned by Murray Arundell at Palm Cove, just north of Cairns in Australia - "as close to Paradise as you can get on this planet!". (Photo: Murray Arundell)


Flamenco Red 2350 owned by Trevor Bury in the West Midlands. (Photo: Trevor Bury)


Tahiti Blue 2383 owned by Keith Rowson in Hertfordshire. (Photo: Keith Rowson)


Tahiti Blue 2470 owned by John Delafield in Gloucestershire. (Photo: John Delafield)


Glacier White 2751 owned by David Brown from Berkshire driven to Silverstone 2002 by Alison Brown. (Photo: Victor Smith)


Sandglow 2868 owned by Philip James from Surrey is a rare Factory colour. (Photo: Philip James)



Chartreuse2872 owned by Mike Anderson from Kent. (Photo: Mike Anderson)

MGBV8 Conversions


Brooklands Green 3067 an MGBGTV8 conversion owned by Martin Price from Lincolnshire. (Photo: Martin Price)


Teal Blue 3068, a very good looking MGBGTV8 conversion, owned by David Duquette in NJ USA. Click for more details. (Photo: David Duquette)


Black 3119 owned by Ross Dunlop in Glasgow. (Photo: Ross Dunlop)



Essex Blue 3132 owned by Tony Lansdell from Tasmania. (Photo: Tony Lansdell)


Vermillion 4002 owned by Howard Gosling from Somerset with a shot of the engine bay with the recently installed 3.9 litre JE Developments engine which has a performance which defies the imagination! The car was originally built by David Franklin at the former Huntsman Garage near Bristol for Philip Morgan. (Photo: Victor Smith)


Rosso Red 4015 owned by Graham Ellison in Yorkshire. (Photo: Graham Ellison)


Ermin White 4101 is an immaculate V8 Roadster built by Geoff Allen using an export roadster shell (ADO23 2174) and the running gear from a Factory MGBGTV8 (Car No 0254) which was written off. (Photo: Geoff Allen)


Teal Blue 4180 owned by Brian Marshall from Surrey. Converted in 1993, this good looking V8 Roadster has leather seats and a neat windstop to provide good passenger comfort. (Photo: Victor Smith)


Tahiti Blue 4182 owned by Geoff Broad from Hertfordshire was built by MG Motorsports to a mouthwatering specification - uprated suspension, a rebuilt 3.9 litre V8 engine with a Holley 390 carburettor, a Cosworth Borg Warner T5 gearbox, and a Quaife torque sensing differential. (Photo: Geoff Broad)
For the full specification see Tahiti Blue 4182.


BRG 4199 owned by Michael Collins in Dorset. This good looking V8 Roadster was built with a Heritage shell in 1996. (Photo: Michael Collins)


Red 4205 owned by Larry Beesley from Essex with a very well prepared V8 Roadster conversion which has a rear disc brake set up he installed himself. Seen at Silverstone 2000 and 2002. (Photo: Victor Smith)


Red 4229 owned and developed by Tom Maathuis from Holland, seen at Silverstone 2002. (Photo: Victor Smith)


Black 4230 owned by David Brown from Berkshire. The car was built by David Franklin at the former Huntsman Garage at Downend near Bristol and is a fine example of a V8 Roadster conversion. (Photo: Victor Smith)


Dragon Green 4235 owned by Mike Barnfather in Lancashire who completed this excellent V8 Conversion in a Heritage shell in April 2002. (Photo: Mike Barnfather)


XPower 4241 is an early 1963 shell with a P76 4.4 litre V8 which Murray Arundell has used for racing in Australia for most of its life. The car has the black and green XPower livery and is seen here in action at Morgan Park, a club circuit west of Brisbane. (Photo: Murray Arundell)


Yellow Flame 4248 owned by Barrie Egerton from Sydney in Australia with an extraordinary car. It has chrome wire wheels with 6" rims, auto transmission and cruise control, an eye level stop light mounted on the roll bar, a perspex wind deflector, guides for the inerta seat belts and a dash in walnut veneer. A later model console has been fitted and flowdraught ventilation has been added. The differential is Ford 8" 3.08:1 using MGB brake drums. The brakes are MGBGTV8, the front dampers are Spax and on the back telescopic Munroes. The carburation is a 465 Holley on an Offy manifold with "blockhugger" headers. The exhaust is 1.25" dia. On the road the car looks just like a standard MGB Roadster. The car has had a ground up restoration - a great deal of new metal was needed - which took seven years to complete, including Barrie attending a panel beating course at his loacl technical college. (Photo: Barrie Egerton)


Indigo Blue 4279 a good looking V8 Roadster. (Photo: Al Barnett)


Tartan Red 4309, a beautiful, award winning V8 Roadster Conversion on a Heritage shell built by the owner Geoff King in Kincardineshire. The car has Hoyle suspension upgrades front and rear, with rear disc brakes and an LSD. (Photo: Geoff King)


Black 4314 owned by Nick Edwards in Nottinghamshire. (Photo: Nick Edwards)

Tornado Red 4330 owned by David Waterton in Buckinghamshire. (Photo: John Farrar)


Damask Red 4401 owned by Jelle van Waegeningh in Holland. (Photo: Jelle van Waegeningh )

Costello MGBV8 Conversions


BRG 5018 owned by Paul Denton from Cornwall is a particularly attractive Costello MGBGTV8. (Photo: Paul Denton)


Flame Red 6011 owned by Harry Irvine is an original 1970 Costello V8 Roadster. (Photo: Harry Irvine)

More photos of Abingdon MGBGTV8s, members' MGBV8 conversions and Costello MGBV8s are very welcome
Photos of members' MG RV8s


Development RV8 known as DEV2 seen on display at Silverstone. This car was used for engine cooling tests. (Photo:Gavin Bailey)


Development RV8 known as DEV3 is said to have been used for all the early chassis development throughout 1991. It was the subject of a "scoop" by CAR magazine in their June 1992 issue.
DEV3 was one of four "Development Cars" used during the preparation of the RV8 project.


Woodcote Green 0012, an early pre-production car used for Factory durability testing and team use. Later it was one of three RV8s entered by TCMG Rover Cowley and raced in both the BCV8 and Phoenix Championships run by the MG Car Club. (Photo: Dominic Hollingdale)


Caribbean Blue 0265 owned by Bryan Ditchman from Hampshire, the Editor of the RV8 Workshop Notes series. (Photo: Bryan Ditchman)


Flame Red 0342 owned by Ian Cranston from Worcestershire with a windstop he fitted himself. (Photo: Ian Cranston)


BRG 0351 owned by Gordon Lane from London N which was offered for private sale in late October 2003. (Photo: Gordon Lane)


Woodcote Green 0383 owned by Alain van Langeraert from Belgium seen here at Silverstone in June 2001. (Photo: Victor Smith)


Woodcote Green 0516 recently registered by Ross McRobie in New Zealand sports a very appropriate number plate. (Photo: Ross McRobie)


Woodcote Green 0532, an immaculate, low mileage car offered for sale by West End Classics in Cambridgeshire in early December 2002. (Photo: Keith Evans)


Woodcote Green 0588, a 1994 RV8 seen at auction in Japan in November 2002. (Photo: Colin Shea)


Woodcote Green 0619, the Japanese specification reimport owned by the late Ian Lloyd from Oxfordshire which has recently been sold by Brown & Gammons. (Photo: Ian Lloyd)


Caribbean Blue 0437 owned by Bill Ratcliffe from Sussex who regularly attends V8 Register Gatherings with his wife Bambi. (Photo: Victor Smith)


Woodcote Green 0634 on the dockside in Japan waiting for shipment to the UK (Photo: HS Imports)


Woodcote Green 0636 owned by John Barnes in Wellington New Zealand with a distinctive number plate. It's a rare car in NZ since the authorities there blocked further RV8 imports from Japan several years ago. (Photo: John Barnes)


Woodcote Green 0644 seen here up for auction in Japan in late September 2002. The improved R380 gearbox was fitted from VIN 0644 so this RV8 is a significant car! It will be interesting to see where this RV8 shows up next - probably in Australia! (Photo: via Gavin Brown)


Woodcote Green 0696 owned by Jim Rudgley from Bedfordshire. (Photo: Jim Rudgley)


BRG 0718 owned by Peter Wigleven in Holland. (Peter Wigleven)


BRG 0755, owned by Ron Armstrong from Hertfordshire, is the RV8 featured on the cover of Volume 2 of the RV8 Workshop Notes series. (Photo: Ron Armstrong)


Woodcote Green 0810 a reimported RV8 owned by Graham Bartholomew from Berkshire, seen here at the Shoulder of Mutton on Hazeley Heath in August 2002. (Photo: Victor Smith)


Woodcote Green 0886 owned by Murray Baber from New Zealand seen here at the MG Car Club meeting in January 2002. (Photo: Murray Baber)


Woodcote Green 0886 at a street circuit race at Whangarei in the North Island New Zealand doing a regularity trial. (Photo: Murray Baber)


Woodcote Green 0909 owned by Philip Taylor. See more photos of this car. (Photo: Philip Taylor)


BRG 0983 in action on the Prix des Alpes in 2002 in the hands of Frits Jansen from Holland. (Photo: John Dignan)


Woodcote Green 1021 on the dockside in Japan in early October 2002 awaiting shipment to the UK. (Photo: HS Imports)


Woodcote Green 1032, a Japanese specification reimport, now owned by Peter Radford from Hampshire. (Photo: Derek Baker)


Woodcote Green 1118 seen at auction in Japan in December 2002. (Photo: Colin Shea)


Woodcote Green 1115 due for auction in Japan on 16.10.02. Where will it show up next? (Photo: Colin Shea)


Oxford Blue 1133 is owned by a longstanding V8 enthusiast Tim Hipwell in Devon. The car now has a 4.6 litre engine with an RPI Optimax chip plus an stainless steel exhaust system made by Phoenix, a local performance exhaust manufacturer, which includes cat bypass pipes and a single pipe which dispenses with the middle box. Tim says "the RV8 now goes and sounds like a V8 should and a local friend who runs a TVR Griffith no longer has the upper hand". For further photos, Oxford Blue 1133. (Photo: Tim Hipwell)


Woodcote Green 1210 owned by Godfrey Dance from Surrey who obtained his Japanese specification RV8 from Autoroute UK, seen here at the Shoulder of Mutton on Hazeley Heath in August 2002. On a hot day, the air-conditioning was very welcome! (Photo: Victor Smith)


Nightfire Red 1218 on the dockside in Japan awaiting shipment to the UK for an HS Imports customer. Nightfire Red is always a sought after colour. (Photo: HS Imports)


Nightfire Red 1224 owned by Gordon Rhodes from Lancashire. (Photo: Gordon Rhodes)


Nightfire Red 1228, a Japanese specification reimport, owned by John Bolt from Buckinghamshire who has since removed the air-conditioning system. (Photo: John Bolt)


Woodcote Green 1238, a Japanese specification import, owned by Peter Garton in Germany. (Peter Garton)


Woodcote Green 1242 seen at auction in Japan now on its way to the UK for Geoff Lloyd from Leicestershire. (Photo: Colin Shea)


Woodcote Green 1250 in Japan waiting to be shipped to the UK. (Photo: HS Imports)


Woodcote Green 1267 reimported by Clive Wheatley in 2003. (Photo: Clive Wheatley)


Woodcote Green 1311 seen at auction in Japan in early December 2002. (Photo: Colin Shea)


Nightfire Red 1379 owned by C John White from Staffordshire. (Photo: CJ White)


Nightfire Red 1473 owned by Paul Mascall in NSW Australia who is very fond of his "incredibly beautiful car". (Photo: Paul Mascall)


Woodcote Green 1504 was offered for sale earlier this year by Mike Simmonds and the neat hardtop was sold separately within hours of it appearing on the RV8s for Sale webpage. Original RV8 hardtops do not come up for sale often and this one also had the special stand to store the hardtop safely when off the car. (Photo: Mike Simmonds)


Woodcote Green 1514 owned by Wendy Lansdell downunder in Tasmania. (Photo: Tony Lansdell)


Oxford Blue 1592 seen at auction in Japan in mid November 2002. (Colin Shea)


Oxford Blue 1595 owned by Lance Bennett in Tokyo. (Photo: Lance Bennett)


Woodcote Green 1608 offered for sale in February 2003 by West End Classics in Cambridgeshire. (Photo: Keith Evans)


Woodcote Green 1631 reimported by Clive Wheatley in 2003. (Photo: Clive Wheatley)


BRG 1714 owned by Brian Moyse seen here at the V8 Gathering in May 2002 at the Shoulder of Mutton in Hampshire. (Photo: Victor Smith)


Oxford Blue 1750 - well now we know where this fine specimen is bound! It left Japan on 5.11.02 for the UK. Alastair Grieg in East Lothian registered the car with us whilst it was on the high seas! (Photo: Gavin Brown)


Oxford Blue 1764 was acquired by Keith Rowson, a longstanding V8 Register member who is selling his rubber bumpered MGBGTV8 (Tahiti Blue 2383). Keith reports he is delighted with the RV8 which is seen here in Japan shortly before shipment to the UK in August 2002. The car was obtained through the leading RV8 reimporter, HS Imports. (Photo: HS Imports)


Woodcote Green 1781 owned by John Hornabrook here in a line up of RV8s at an MG meeting in Australia. (Photo: John Hornabrook)


Woodcote Green 1802 now owned by Ray Lewis from Cambridgeshire which was offered for sale in September 2002 by West End Classics in Cambridgeshire. (Photo: Keith Evans)


BRG 1839 owned by Al Barnett in Luxembourg who regularly enters his car in European classic car rallies seen here at Silverstone 2002. (Photo: Victor Smith)


Woodcote Green 1973 1996 (N) owned by John Allen from London SW which was reimported from Japan in 1978 through an MG Dealer with only 1,000 recorded miles. Car has been in professional storage during the Winter periods, with occasional dry use. Maintained regardless of cost, new MOT and serviced by LK Engineering. Fitted with an RPI "Optimax" chip. (Photo: John Allen)


Woodcote Green 2134 seen at auction in Japan in early November 2002. (Photo: Gavin Brown)


Nightfire Red 2177 bought at auction on 3.10.02 in Japan by Colin Shea of Tokyo Auto Trading in Grade 5 condition, as new with only 5,000km. Where will this wonderful specimen turn up next? (Photo: Colin Shea)


More MG RV8 photos are very welcome


© Copyright of each of the photographs above is retained by the person credited below each photograph and/or the V8 Register of the MG Car Club

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