The British car manufacturer MG has always been associated with performance cars, the letters MG standing for Morris Garages. The brand was later integrated into the British Motor Corporation in 1952.
Following the success of the 1950s MGA, aiming at the mid-level sports car market, in 1962 the company introduced the convertible MGB roadster, mainly in response to the demand for a more comfortable sports car version of the very basic MGA.
Competing in the marketplace with the likes of the Triumph TR4 and Sunbeam Alpine, the design in its day was ahead of its time. This included incorporating crumple zones to help protect driver and passenger in the event of an accident, and using monocoque construction as opposed to building the car on a chassis. This meant an altogether lighter car, which helped to make its performance quite impressive, despite using the old 1798cc, four-cylinder B-Series engine with twin SU carburettors, which had its origins as far back as 1947.