Customer Reviews

Original MGB with MGC and MGB GT V8: The Restorer's Guide to All Roadster and GT Models 1962-80

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is THE definitive work on MGB.

Mr. Clausager has thoroughly examined the complete production history of Britain's premiere sports car and has written a conscise, clearly presented book covering it.

Those attempting a 100 point concours restoration, will find themselves consulting "Original MGB..." regularly. The sharp color photographs and well written text are the perfect guide to returning a vehicle to complete originality.

More casual owners should include this volume in their reference library as a guide to what their vehicle was at one time.

For American readers, the book reads as if American specification vehicles were slightly odd. From the writer's perspective, they were. Once the reader gets accustomed this minor point, the rest is smooth sailing... er, driving.

This is an excellent book, and I recommend it to everyone who owns and/or loves MGBs.

I agree with "Pennsylvania" though, that Clausager's perspective is very rooted in England and Europe. I feel there needs to be a full section for the differences in every major market, with North America, especially the US, being the largest. In fact, on page 126 Clausager says: "North American cars have not been split into US Federal, US Californian, and Canadian cars -- there is a limit to what even I will do!" (notice Mexico isn't mentioned), but on page 127 he states: "There is little doubt, however, that apart from the USA and the UK, some of the biggest markets were Australia, Canada, and Germany..." With the US and Canada being two of the biggest markets, more North American centricity is appropriate.

I do understand the enthusiest's disdain for the US market though; it 'mandated' all British cars into floaty, bloated, tall, weak mushballs, which is why Mark I cars are so valued.

Also, I have only found one discrepency, and that's one example of the piping of interior trim for Mark I cars. The second-from-top-left picture on page 40 shows a white 'B which has red interior with white piping (but Clausager does not note it as incorrect, which he does often about other details throughout the book). But, the Colour Schemes chart on page 131 shows Old English White or Snowberry White to have an optional red interior with black piping, which does not match with the picture on page 40 (should say white piping, or the picture should be noted as incorrect). Is this nit-picky? Yes, but that's what this book is all about.

Buy it, enjoy it, and write the publisher to make a future edition with more US information.

Well it seems that some of us don't like the way Mr. Clausager, who, in BMHIT circles is regarded as an authority, writes. My advice would be to get over it. Mr. Clausager has spent countless hours researching and writing about some of the world's most loved automobiles. The compromises that these automakers had to make just to satisfy the U.S.' federal regulations could be seen to bastardise the "original" designs of these cars. Unfortunately, the previous poster can't get over that fact.
This book is the rosetta stone to those who seek to find out what an "original MGB..." is after discovering that all of the unknowing previous owners chose to augment their cars with their ideas of improvements. Maybe you just want inspiration for your restoration from the excellent photography. Or, to those seeking a concours restoration, this is a valuable resource. Yes, I'm mad because there is only --one-- "Original MGB..."

Great book, amazing images. Wish it had more pics & it's a wee bit dated now. I'd also like a format broken down by year, rather than by area of the car, but that's just a personal preference. It doesn't take away from the book itself. I'm an MGC fan, so I wish there were more images of them. Otherwise a classic addition to any MG library.

If you own an MGB and are restoring it or just interested in the history, this is the ultimate reference. Great book!

The book that I purchased, although second-hand arrived promptly in "as new" condition. I would not hesitate in purchasing from this company again.

Clausager has produced a definitive guide to the minor changes made to the MGB over its long production history, and has illustrated and documented the minute details in this wonderful book.

Clausager did a fantastic job in getting all the data any B owner could ever need. A very well complied and valuable resource.
Excellent.

This book is an absolute gem. It is a coffee table kind of book, with glorious detailed color photographs of the most extraordinary restored MGBs is the world. The book is inspirational and delightful in every possible way, and I could not do without it.

It is NOT, however, a restorer's guide other than in the iconic sense of showing what the final product looks like. The Haynes Restoration Manual MGB (2nd Edition) by Lindsay Porter, **combined with** the original Haynes MGB 1962 thu 1980 Automotive Repair Manual ("the green book") is the way to go for actually studying up on the details of specific restoration projects. The black and white photographic essays and related text detail and diagrams are exactly what is needed to guide restoration.

Apart from the truly extraordinary photographs, this book also provides a detailed history of the car, both in a text form detailing changes within each model, year, and territorial type, and in a tabular form with engine and body numbers and a complete listing of all changes to the car over time. I mention this because "coffee table" book is meant to be a complement to the photographs, but I must also emphasize the extremely good detail that accompanies the photographs. It is, I venture to say, not possible to understand the history and development of the MGB, nor the deep affection that one can have for the car, without this particular book.

The three books together are essential. This book, the coffee table book, is both the beginning (inspiration) and the end (how close did I get). The Porter book is the meat, and the green book is the basic mechanics of it all.

This is at base a good book, and certainly important for MGB owners. However, the book is written from a distinctly European perspective. With the vast majority of MGBs having been sold into the North American market, the European slant is rather a negative. The author is almost distainful of the aforementioned reality. My message to him would be: "Deal with it!"Also, as was true with his tome on the MGA, Clausager has the tendency to focus on the unusual at the expense of the cars owned by the vast majority of owners. My view is the time to include information of only passing utility is after all critical information has been included. The author would do better if he could focus on his readers' interests more, and on his own less. All of the basics should be included before mention of the fancy stuff begins.If you are not an American, but are an MGB fan, buy the book straightaway. If you are an American, you probably still will want it - but you have been warned.