MG PB 'four seater', 1935
MG PB 'four seater', year 1935. Chassis number: PB 06XX, engine number 2422 A XXX. Colour green with a brown leather interior. Black carpet. Silver enamelled wheels and red painted drum brakes. This 'very rare MG PB 'open four seater' was sold new in the Netherlands. The automobile was partly restored in the early 1970'ies over a period of two years. The restoration was carried out refurbishing the original parts and the body was painted with cellulose paint like original. Now about 44 years later the car is still in good original condition. A fantastic time machine with all the patina a true enthusiast can wish for! Only 526 MG PB's have been built of which about a third were 'open four seater' models. The PB is one of the most sought after MG Midgets.
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The MG P-type was the successor of the J-type. In 1934 the PA saw the light of day and a year later the PB. Between the years 1934 and 1936 a total of around 2.526 P-types have been built, approximately 2000 PA's and 526 PB's. With the design and construction of the MG P-types the chassis construction and the bodywork design of the MG J4 were improved. The chassis was lengthened and a new 847 cc. four cylinder engine was fitted. The new engine featured a crankshaft with three main bearings opposite the two bearings of the old engine. The P-type showed more improvements like a better cam steering, better differential and an improved clutch. Just like the MG J-types the P-types were true and easy to handle little sports cars. Also a coupe model was introduced: the renown Airline coupe! De MG PA was fitted with a 847 cc. engine, the PB featured a more powerful 939 cc. engine. The PB was also given a grille with vertical louvers (honeycomb pattern at the PA) and the speedometer/rev counter were no longer combined. The MG P-types were available as open two seater, open four seater and as closed Airline coupe.
Technical data
Four cylinder in-line engine
2 S.U. carburettors
cylinder capacity: 939 cc.
capacity: 43 bhp. at 5500 rpm.
top-speed: 105 km/h.
weight: 745 kg.
MG history
MG (Morris Garage) was set up by William Morris in the year 1923 to market a more sporty line of Morris models. Morris Production Manager, Cecil Kimber, was transferred from the factory in Cowley to Morris Garages (in Abington) to design MG's using Morris parts. MG production in Abingdon started in the year 1924. At the end of the 1930s, even normal passenger cars were introduced under the MG label.
The business flourished when in 1945, just after World War II, the sporty prewar MG TB and its successor the TC stole the hearts of the American soldiers. Numerous MGs were shipped to America where this type of motorcar was yet unknown.
Demand for the MG sports cars quickly rose in America, and most of the MGs were sold across the big pond in the years that followed. MGs were simple and well-built, affordable and easy to maintain. In 1952, Austin Motor Corporation merged with Morris Motors to form British Motor Corporation Ltd*.
In 1955, the pre-war TB and the post-war TC, TD and TF series with their pre-war designs were followed by the MG A roadster, which also became available as coupes after 1956.
In 1962, the successful MG A was followed by the even more successful and austerely but elegantly lined MG B. This series, too, mainly found its way to America. The MG B was available as roadster and as a 2+2 coupe, called the ‘GT’.
As British Motor* had stopped the production of the Austin Healey, there was again the need for a six-cylinder sports car from this stable, which made the MG C see the light of day in 1967. It was an MG B with a six-cylinder engine. However, this car failed to live up to expectations as its road-holding and character were not of Healey’s caliber. Eventually, Healey’s successor was to come from the newly merged British Leyland* stable in 1968, and was called the Triumph TR6.
In 1973, a V8 variant of the MG B came onto the market: the MGB V8. This model had a powerful Rover 3.5 litre V8 motor and was to be built until 1976.
The MG B roadster and the GT were sold until 1980, and, under pressure from American legislation, were adapted with safety-enhancing and emission-reducing conversions during their last five production years. The resultant thick rubber bumpers and less powerful engines made these cars much less attractive. Meanwhile, Japan produced the Datsun 240 Z, and put an end to the British sports car hegemony in America.
In 1980, it was curtains for MG B. In the years after, some Austins did appear, ‘dressed up’ as MGs but we’d rather forget about them. Finally, in the 1990s, a worthy successor emerged in the form of the MG F, which is available to this day.
In the year 2001 BMW decided to get rid of Rover because they were losing lots of money because the British pound was too expensive as was manufacturing cars in England.
A group of investors bought Rover. They took over the entire model line and were able to work out the last details on the Rover 75 Tourer and market it. Next idea was to give MG a true rebirth; various Rover models were technically re-engineered, tuned and spiced up to make thru drivers cars of them, a sporty line of cars alongside the Rover middle-class luxury line.
Looking at the Rover/ MG cars and reading about them in the press we can tell that we have high expectations of the MG models to appear in the future.
© Marc Vorgers
British Leyland*
1968-75: BRITISH LEYLAND MOTOR CORPORATION, LTD
1975-78: BRITISH LEYLAND LIMITED
(in the merger of BRITISH MOTOR HOLDINGS with Austin-Morris and Jaguar interests in 1966)
and LEYLAND MOTOR CORP. LTD.
partly nationalized by the British government in 1975