The MGRV8 sports car

This is a brief history of the MG RV8 to help those of you looking to embark on the purchase of one of these extremely fascinating and exclusive motorcars.

With the demise way back in 1980 of the much loved MGB Roadster and following research in reintroducing the MG name, Rover and a team of specialists created a brand new MG sports car aimed at the die-hard enthusiast who had waited so long for the rebirth of the great name.

British Heritage were already producing new MG body shells, but as this was to be something very special indeed the finished product only contained 5% of the original car, the vast majority, including that lovely fuel injected V8 engine drive train, and all the body panels were totally new or adapted from other Rover products.

The interior also failed to escape the attention of the design team and the car was treated to plush chunky leather seats, burr elm wooden dashboard and door capings, and a proper fitting mohair hood making this one of the most luxurious interiors ever seen in a sports car and more attributed to a Rolls Royce.

And so in Oct 1992 the car was launched to the British public at the Birmingham Motor Show and went on sale just a few months later, everyone loved it including the press, but with a price tag of over 26000 pounds, most apart from a few who could afford it found the car just to expensive and this left Rover with one big problem.

As luck would have it two examples were sent over to the Tokyo Motor Show where the car went down a storm, the orders just came flooding in and some 1400 cars were ordered soon after the show. With a total production of only 1983 cars built, 75% were sent out to Japan where of course they also drove on the right hand side. The only alteration required by them was for Rover to fit the cars with air conditioning as one would expect to find in any upmarket car today.

Today with most of the cars now returning home this has again given the true sports car enthusiast a great opportunity to once again own one of these cult cars. West End Classics have been privileged in supplying the very best examples in the world. Almost all have been one owner cars with full history and very low miles, possibly a unique opportunity in the history of MG, but one that can not last for ever.

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