1969 MGB Roadster Georgia Car Rare Black Very Original And Unmolested

1969 MGB Roadster- One owner car with verifiable mileage and all original paperwork. Following is her story, supported by the original paperwork and stories relayed to us by the son of the original owner.

This car's journey in America started on 9 August, 1969. She had arrived here from Abingdon through Port Miami in Florida, then was shipped to Warren's Auto Service in Kingsland, Georgia to be offered for sale. Being black, which is unusual for an MGB, she was afraid she may not be as well accepted as the other more colorful MGs. Most MG shoppers came through the lot and simply walked by her as if she weren't there. In just a short time the owner of the dealership relegated her to the back of the lot. Luckily, and in keeping with her true character, she didn't develop a bad attitude, which we all know can happen in a situation like that. She kept a sunny disposition and wore a sly smile because she knew she would belong to a young man who would love her and cherish her, and appreciate her blackness.

Not a month earlier a young man, John, graduated from Law School in Athens, Georgia and accepted a position working as an attorney in St. Marys, Georgia, just 10 miles from Warren’s Auto Service in Kingsland. Once John got settled into his new position he decided it was time to get rid of the old clunker that had gotten him through school and buy a car that he could really enjoy. He knew he wanted something that was unusual, something fun, but elegant at the same time. His search found him at Warren’s Auto Service, where the little black car was waiting for him. He looked carefully at all the MGs on the lot, as this would be his first ever new car purchase. He wanted to buy just the right one, but not pay too much for it. He looked at the little black car, then looked at several others, but once he had seen and test driven the black one, there was no going back. To John, black on an MGB gave it a certain sophistication absent with the other available colors. John got a price on the car from Mr. Warren, then went home to do his homework. The date was 8 August. He called Grand Prix Motors over on Phillips Highway in nearby Jacksonville but their price was $150 higher than Mr. Warren’s, plus GPM did not have a Black one. John called Rick McCollough, another MG dealer who was a bit farther away, but alas, he was also $150 higher than Mr. Warren and didn’t have a Black one either. That cinched it, Mr. Warren was his man.

The next day John was at Mr. Warren’s dealership first thing in the morning, checkbook in hand. Buying the little black car was going to deplete most of his savings, which went against his normally very sensible nature, but he just couldn’t help himself. That afternoon saw the little black MGB, with her new owner motoring, top down, away from Warren’s Auto Service on Lee Street then it made a left on Highway 42 toward John’s modest residence near the mouth of the St Marys river. John parked the car in front of his home and looked at her again. He couldn’t believe the little car was his and he vowed to fuss over her every spare moment he had, which he faithfully did for many many years. He drove the car everywhere and one summer even made a romantic journey with her (and his new wife), towing a small trailer, all the way to Nova Scotia and back. The car never missed a beat and further embedded herself in John’s heart.

Several years went by and John accepted a position with a law office in Monroe, Georgia. Both he and his wife were originally from there and since they wanted to start a family they thought it would be best to move. Well, naturally, babies came along and so did the responsibilities of fatherhood. John had begrudgingly agreed he needed a car more suitable to family life but he couldn’t quite let go of the little black car as she represented such a carefree time of his life. A new family car became John’s daily mode of transportation while the little MGB took a back seat in his daily life.

John had the idea of passing the car on to his son one day. He even procured a Dymo Labelmaker and proceeded to make notes regarding the car’s care and feeding then affixing them on whatever area of the car he deemed most appropriate. Even though her finish had long ago faded, it had no effect on John’s love for the car. He had the little MGB’s engine overhauled completely at 95,000 miles by Monroe Import Service and still drove his little black sweetheart whenever he had a chance. As time continued to march on, those occasions became fewer and fewer and finally, in the latter part of 1988, the little black car was sadly, again, pushed to the back, but this time instead of the back of a car lot, it was the back of a warehouse belonging to John’s family. Here she sat for over 20 years with 106,348 miles on her clock.

Sometime in 2015, John’s son Ben decided it was time to get the little black MGB out of the warehouse and bring her to his own home where he and his wife had started a family of their own. As you might imagine, the little car sat in Ben’s garage while Ben dealt with all the same responsibilities of fatherhood that his own father did so many years ago. The realization was made that Ben would never have the time or wherewithal to return the little black car to her original vibrant self, besides, Ben’s wife wanted her space in the garage back. So, in the interest of marital bliss, Ben made the difficult decision to sell the car and move on.

Speedwell retrieved the car from Ben’s home and brought her here to Watkinsville with an eye to find this wonderful little car a new owner. We freed a locked up right rear wheel (stuck brake shoes) so she can roll easily, changed the oil, added coolant, replaced the points and condenser, replaced the spark plugs and cleaned the carburetors. We then hooked up our life support system, which consists of an independent fuel pump drawing fuel from a fresh fuel source, removed one of the two original 6-volt batteries and replaced it with a single group 26 12 volt. Next, with our fingers crossed, we turned the key on her. To our surprise she started right up as though she had been run just yesterday. We made no adjustments to the carburetors. We simply warmed the engine up and let her settle into a strong cadenced idle on her own. Wow. I have been around hundreds of MGBs in my life and I can assure you, this little black car is still ready to deliver all the happiness to a new owner that she originally afforded to John way back in August of 1969. She just needs a new caretaker with the means to save her. Here is the video of her “first start” after laying idle for so long:

VIDEO OF FIRST START UP AFTER SITTING IDLE FOR OVER 20 YEARS

The car has never been in any accident as John was always mindful of protecting her. Even the chrome side trim has just a very few dings in it. The original aluminum bonnet is still in perfect condition with no dings or damage. No part of the car has ever been resprayed. It has some minor rust in the floors and some in the doglegs (See pictures at Dropbox link) but these panels are inexpensively found at Moss Motors. The brakes will need to be gone through as they are inoperable at this time. When we started the car, we were encouraged enough to replace the clutch slave cylinder and hose to make sure it was working properly, which it does. We are confident the clutch was replaced when the engine was rebuilt. We replaced the old tires with brand new ones (including new tubes) and professionally painted and clear coated the wheels. Though the car stands tall, one would likely want to replace the front rubber bushings and have a look at the shocks. The splined hubs are all in surprisingly good condition, all the glass is the original Triplex and though the top has shrunk to much to snap the back corners, it is still fairly weather tight. The electrical system is original and unmolested. All the gauges work and the original radio powers up and illuminates. The dash has a Coverlay installed as the top had a few of the cracks that are so common in them at this age. The banjo steering wheel is very tight and in great condition.

Here is a link to many additional pictures, including underneath:

MANY MORE PICTURES- CLICK HERE

Here are the compression numbers, taken with the engine warmed up:

1) 1652) 1653) 1604) 163Also, click the link below to see a video of the car's gauges with the engine warmed up and running. It illustrates that the oil pressure at idle is well over 50 PSI. When you consider the compression numbers along with the strong oil pressure, it is easy to tell this car has a very healthy engine.Click here for video of the gauges with engine warmed up
Bring a trailer. Though it starts and runs well (and the handbrakes work), this car is not drive-ableand collection will require a trailer. The car comes with all the paperwork shown in the pictures along with a Georgia Bill of Sale and a copy of the current registration. There is no title for this vehicle. Shipping is the responsibility of the winning bidder. A $500. Deposit must be made within 48 hours of auction close and the balance must be paid within seven days of auction end. Please do not hesitate to email any questions or requests for additional, specific pictures. Thank you for taking the time to read this description and happy bidding.
*I had to relist this car as the previous high bidder was a deadbeat from the UK. Frankly, I'm glad he did not get it as it would be sad to see this car to join the parade of British cars going back across the pond.