Welcome to LaLD’s own Nice Price or Crack Pipe, the post where I find creative ways for you to spend your kid’s college fund.
Remember Le Mans? Of course you do, it was last weekend. Yesterday’s Le Mans car, an AutoArt Jaguar D Type probably has a lot of things it would like to forget right now, as it had a 100% (!) crack pipe loss.
Today’s car is also British, but it’s not a race car. This Corgi MGB GT was made in 1967, which is most likely before most of you (including me) were born.
The MG MGB was introduced in 1962. Originally, only a roadster was offered, but MG Managing Director John Thornley had also wanted a hatchback in the vein of the Aston Martin DB2/4 Saloon. However, corporate officials at BMC, MG parent company, vetoed the project, mainly because introducing their car as a tiny shooting brake with very little head room, no back seat, and a tiny luggage area would not be good from a money making prospective. Also, converting the roadster to a coupe in elegant matter proved to be very hard. You could either spend more money to create a GT that looked elegant, but have to create a new windshield, roof panels, rear end, and interior, or you could go the cheaper route of the MGA Coupe. MG wisely waited for money.
In 1963, BMC had made enough money on the roadster to tell that they had a smash hit, so they greenlighted a coupe. Since BMC was also back into GT racing, a shooting break made more sense than ever. However, the MG design department couldn’t get their act together on what the body would look like, so BMC Chairman George Harriman sent a grey coupe to Pininfarina to build a prototype, and the car they got back was basically the BGT. The car was introduced in 1966, and sold until 1980.
This MG MGB GT was made by Corgi, and is 1/43 scale. This car was introduced shortly after the 1:1 BGT. This car has plastic modeled wire wheels, and has many added details, including separate lights (separate lights on a 1/43?!?! What is this world coming too?!?!), indicators, separate chrome bumpers, a accurate interior, and opening doors.
The back also has painted taillights, separate chrome bumpers, a chrome license plate holder with no license plate (presumably stolen), a opening hatch, so if you’re Stewart Little you can put your luggage back there, and a giant MG MGB GT logo so that other tiny motorists can clearly see what you’re driving, because you’re car is labeled. However, the suitcase that should have gone with car and the box are missing, which hurts the value.
The only question left is, is this $35 Corgi MGB GT a winner, or are you going to leave it sitting on the side of the road after you run out of Lucas Electric Smoke? You decide!
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Find this Corgi MG MGB GT here.