Safety Fast March 2026 Living with the MGB

[George Wilder]

Several basic errors in this article

I am sure I will not be the only to write about the MGB article - corrections should be made to keep historical facts correct.

"The MGB was the first MG sportscar to use a monocoque bodyshell"

Surely the first monocoque MG was not the MGB but the MG Midget of June 1961

"Bodies were pressed at Swindon then transported to Abingdon for painting trimming and final assembly"

Not so. With the roadster the main body parts were transported to Morris bodies at Coventry where they were assembled, trimmed and painted before being transported to Abingdon for final assembly - engines brakes steering etc.

"The fixed headed coupe styled by Pininfarina arrived in 1965"

As has been established the MGB GT was designed in the UK - Pininfarina added a few styling touches

All the above facts are well documented in books by Knowls, Clausager and Robson and others.

Also
"Listen for low oil pressure,"

Surely that is a visual check using the gauge fitted to all MGBs

[Not_Anumber]

Its worth you alerting the author to their errors. They may have used Google's AI response for their 'research'

[George Wilder]

Chris
Emailed Andy Knott, the Safety Fast Editor, last Thursday about the article - which is not credited to anyone.

No responce as yet

George

[George Wilder]

I had a reply from the Editor of Safety Fast yesterday.

"Thank you for your email and for taking the time to share these points. We appreciate you getting in touch and highlighting them.
We’ll certainly bear your comments in mind for any future MGB related articles."

George

[Adrian Oliver]

"Bodies were pressed at Swindon then transported to Abingdon for painting trimming and final assembly"

Actually, my 1962 built MGB bodyshell was from Pressed Steel in Swindon.

There is a plate spot welded on the battery bay deck saying so!

[George Wilder]

Adrian
Yes that is correct.
The basic bodyshell was built at Pressed Swindon.
he roadster shell along with front wings boonet and othe parts were then transported to Morris Bodies in Coventry where they were assembled painted and trimmed. They were then transported to Abingdon for final assembly ie engines and axles suspension. This continued until 1969 for roadsters.
GTs were fully assembled at Swindon then Cowley and delivered in a similar state as roadsters to Abingdon.
George

[Bumpa]

It seems a complicated way to build a car, but I guess it has always been so.

George, I see you have a BSA Bantam. I first rode one of those in 1965! The speedo only went up to 55 mph and my brother and I tried very hard to get it there.

[George Wilder]

Bumpa
Yes that how it was - transporting air. And just not MGs many makes transported bodies around the UK back in those days.

If you look at this Youtube link a few minute sin you will see some of the few glimps we have of final body assembly at Morris Motors.

My Bantam is a D7 number 9 of the 65000 D7s built and the oldest D7 known. I was able to trace and have issued its original Essex registration too.

55 mph is quite enough on a Bantam!

George