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MG RV8 - Quasi-factory restomod

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Created on March 12, 2022

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

40

Archiv

10

Daniel Reinhard

40

Archiv

10

MG RV8 (1995) - with the exception of the doors, hardly any visible sheet metal part corresponds to the MGB

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MG RV8 (1995) - ready to hit the road

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MG RV8 (1995) - an elaborately made tarpaulin covers the folding roof

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MG RV8 (1995) - still strongly reminiscent of the MGB despite extensive modifications

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MG RV8 (1995) - almost 1.7 meters wide (without mirror)

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MG RV8 (1995) - relatively high for a sports car at 132 cm

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MG RV8 (1995) - still completely MGB

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MG RV8 (1995) - sits slightly wider on the road, but remains compact

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MG RV8 (1995) - unmistakably related to the MGB

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MG RV8 (1995) - likeable convertible without ostentation potential

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MG RV8 (1995) - the V8 engine with its high torque enables a low-revving driving style

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MG RV8 (1995) - always right-hand drive ex works

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MG RV8 (1995) - the 217 km/h top speed was probably only achievable with the roof closed

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MG RV8 (1995) - provides a lot of pleasure even at leisurely speeds

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MG RV8 (1995) - the ideal leisure car for the forester or sawmill owner

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MG RV8 (1995) - modern controls in a traditional environment

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MG RV8 (1995) - work was carried out on the steering wheel, which looked a little better ex works

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MG RV8 (1995) - Leather, wood and fine carpets exude upper-class elegance

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MG RV8 (1995) - lots of burl wood inside

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MG RV8 (1995) - lots of wood

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MG RV8 (1995) - the instruments are from VDO

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MG RV8 (1995) - elaborately crafted door panels

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MG RV8 (1995) - the windows are traditionally opened with a crank handle

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MG RV8 (1995) - the light-alloy V8 engine originally came from Buick, then came under the hood of the MG via Rover

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MG RV8 (1995) - longitudinally mounted V8 engine with 3.9 liter displacement

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MG RV8 (1995) - MG sign on the engine

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MG RV8 (1995) - displacement label on the engine

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MG RV8 (1995) - Japanese instructions

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MG RV8 (1995) - Japanese badge

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MG RV8 (1995) - Nameplate

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MG RV8 (1995) - more aerodynamic front design with lots of plastic

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MG RV8 (1995) - "Woodcote Green" is the name of the color

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MG RV8 (1995) - the MG Octagon

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MG RV8 (1995) - Spoke look

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MG RV8 (1995) - Rover sign on the flank

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MG RV8 (1995) - larger rear lights

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MG RV8 (1995) - the spare wheel takes up a lot of space in the trunk

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MG RV8 (1995) - twin pipe exhaust system

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MG B (1962) - presented in front of the latest British airliner, the Vickers VC10

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MG B (1963) - Fit of body parts not always satisfactory

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MG B (1962) - sporty interior, larger interior width compared to its predecessor

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MG B (1962) - See-through drawing - View of the B's self-supporting construction

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MG B (1970) - shown at the London Motor Show in 1970 - the chrome radiator had given way to a less graceful version

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MG B (1966) - hardly any changes to the exterior necessary even after four years of construction

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MG B (1974) - the evergreen was already twelve years old in 1974

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MG B (1972) - modernized interior with safety steering wheel

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MG B GT (1975) - the American rubber bumpers were not an ornamental feature of the coupé

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MG B (1979) - one of the last to be delivered in blue

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MGB GT V8 (1974) - where it says MG on it, it doesn't necessarily have to be MG in it, the engine came from Rover, or rather Buick

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MG RV8 (1995) - remained compact

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Summary

With the MG RV8, Rover gave die-hard fans of the traditional brand exactly what they wanted. A car that looked like the roadsters of the sixties, powered by modern engine technology and elegantly equipped. Today, such a car would probably be called a "restomod", but back then Rover wanted to test the strength of the brand. Less than 2000 examples were built, many of which went to Japan. But some of the cars came back. This driving report tells the story of the MG RV8 and shows it in extensive photo material. Of course, a sound sample is also included.

This article contains the following chapters

Brand test
Reaching deep into the shelf
Presentation in Birmingham
Start of sales six months later
Only for Great Britain?
Motivated editors
As nostalgic as a "Restomod"
Almost 2000 cars
Just like in the "good old days"

Estimated reading time: 10min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Imagine if Fiat were to reissue the Fiat Barchetta of the early nineties in 2022, simply with the V6 from the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio with over 500 hp instead of the four-cylinder engine from back then. Unthinkable? Perhaps today and here, but not in 1992 in England. Back then, Rover did just that and revived a 30-year-old design with the MG RV8, complete with an eight-cylinder heart under the hood. As early as June 1992, one could read for the first time about a possible new MG based on the MGB, which was discontinued in 1980. Rover, now the owner of the MG brand, had discovered from market research that the "MG" brand was still popular, even though it had not been producing sports cars for over a decade.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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