To the untrained onlooker, there is almost no difference between the ubiquitous MGB and the MGC. Oh yeah, there’s that purposefully bulged “bonnet,” but few notice the one-inch-larger-diameter wheels or different markings on the gauges. Without lifting the hood, how can they tell? It’s this reason that the MGC, in both open Tourer and closed GT forms, was M.G.’s best-kept secret, one that the MGC faithful have been championing for 40 years.
The “M.G. Division” of British Motor Holdings–until 1967, BMC, and to follow in 1969, British Leyland–was tasked with creating a replacement for the long-lived Austin-Healey 3000, and the corporate bosses latched onto Abingdon’s plan to build a six-cylinder MGB. Donald Healey himself squashed the idea of a Healey-badged M.G., but the idea saw light for model year 1968 when the new BMC “C-series” seven-main-bearing, twin SU-carbureted, 2,912cc straight-six engine was shoehorned into the B. This unit was physically taller and 340 pounds heavier than the MGB’s 98hp, 1.8-liter four, and fitting it required swapping the front suspension’s coil springs for torsion bars. In spite of its overly generous dimensions, the three-liter was an impressively smooth unit of 145hp at 5,250 rpm and 174-lbs.ft. of torque at 3,500 rpm, making it the most powerful M.G. sports car built until the RV8 of 1994.
Introduced in 1967 at London’s Earls Court Motor Show, the MGC was available with a new three-speed automatic gearbox. The automatic took advantage of the straight-six’s prodigious torque and emphasized the MGC’s relaxed persona, and an optional overdrive for the standard four-speed manual gearbox did the same for those who wanted the sports car “experience.”
Long-legged, mile-chomping power is what makes the 8,999 MGCs built in 1968 and 1969 such perfect road trip cars, something that the drivers and passengers of the 18 MGC Tourers and 11 MGC GTs who were on the Green Lane Park show field on June 28 knew firsthand. We spoke with some of these folks, who were taking part in the “MG 2008” celebration, the King of Prussia, Pennsylvania-based convention hosted this summer by the Philadelphia MG Club, the North American MGB Register and the American MGC Register.
1969 MGC Tourer; Dave Sarley, Berwyn, Pennsylvania
The members of the American MGC Register used this event to fly the MGC flag and celebrate their favorite car’s 40th anniversary. The AMGCR has around 200 active members, and all MGC owners and enthusiasts are encouraged to join–dues are $25/year in North America, $30/year overseas–by contacting the Now “C” Here! newsletter editor Mark Saylor at 215-964-4202 or via mgcsaylor@verizon.net.
1969 MGC GT; John Simmers, Harrisonburg, Virginia
1969 MGC GT
Mike Hirschman, Maple Grove, Minnesota
“I’ve had several M.G.s–an MGA Coupe and an MGB GT, so I wanted to round it out with an MGC GT. My car has a Britax sliding top and air conditioning, and I do enjoy the A/C in there! I enjoy the C’s cruising ability. Traveling to MG 2008 was a 3,500-mile round trip, and we do a couple of those a year, as the car shows are not normally held in the Midwest. We enjoy the vacations that come with these trips.
1968 MGC GT; Dana and Debbie Rindge, Chester, Connecticut
“I’ve been driving this car for about three years. I had to do a fair amount of work to it–interior, paint, mechanicals, and as always, I started with a good car and tried to make it like new.
1969 MGC GT; John Heisenfeldt, Waukesha, Wisconsin
“They are wonderful road cars, strong and easy drivers with effortless cruising. They are a lot of fun and have a real following. My car is very comfy for road trips, and you rarely see an MGC with air conditioning, as it’s tight under the hood and it takes a lot to install a system. It’s always good for conversation, though!”
1969 MGC Tourer
Domenic Izzi, Smithfield, Rhode Island
“I purchased this car in 1994, and I bought it because it was an automatic–I wanted something that my wife could drive. I did a complete ground-up restoration on it seven years ago; I rebuilt and balanced the engine, replaced all of the rotted body panels and did everything except the paint. It took one and a half years to complete it. I acquired the factory hardtop when a friend was parting out an MGB. I did so much work to rebuild the car that I don’t drive it much. I’m such a fanatic, I go overboard: I’m like a Harley-Davidson owner whose chrome has to be perfect before he leaves the driveway.
“It’s a great car; it’s really powerful. You get a jolt when it shifts…. It’s an invigorating feeling and a very quick automobile. It drives extremely well, and I’m surprised that the MGC didn’t sell well in 1968 and 1969. It gets a lot of attention wherever I go, and that’s a nice feeling. I’ve entered it in 13 shows, and taken first in every one, including this show: It got first place from the MGC Register, as well as first place in the MGC category of the MG 2008 show. I admit that I wish I could drive it more, but I’ll probably end up leaving it to my son… he’ll be the one to bang it up.”
1969 MGC Tourer; Joan and Tim Martin, Millersville, Pennsylvania
1969 MGC Tourer
Dave Sarley, Berwyn, Pennsylvania
“I purchased the car from a Florida eBay seller in 2002, and it had been represented as somewhat restored; it was, but I’ve since done the brakes and had the carburetors rebuilt. I continue to tinker with it as we go. I enjoy driving the car, and I don’t notice the complaints that some of the early auto magazines wrote when the car was new.
“I’ve had other cars, and by standards of comparison, it is a bit heavy in the front, but I haven’t upgraded the suspension. Some put in stiffer anti-roll bars, but I don’t know if I’d enjoy driving the car if I did that. I have not taken it on extensive trips, mostly done short trips around the area, but it’s not because of the car–I just don’t put that involvement into the hobby.
“I’ve had a couple of sports cars: My first car was a 1968 Sprite that I bought new after returning from Vietnam, and I had a 1962 TR3. When I decided to get back into cars as a hobby, I was looking for a 1936 Ford. I was looking at old Fords in the car corral at Hershey, and I kept seeing M.G.s. I mentioned it to my wife, and she said they looked like more fun than the Fords I was looking at. I did some research on the MGC and learned of their rarity–they hold their value better because of their low production numbers.
“It’s a work in progress, and I’ll continue to improve it. I’ve had to think–what do I want to do with it, to make it as original as possible, or make upgrades? I’m not spending another $20,000-30,000 on it. I don’t want a show car that I can’t drive, and I don’t put much intrinsic value in winning trophies. It’s about having fun, and I haven’t found too many people who don’t mind sharing what they know. The majority of people in this hobby are more than helpful.”
1969 MGC GT
John Simmers, Harrisonburg, Virginia
“I purchased my 1969 MGC GT in April 1989 in Jackson, Mississippi. The mileage on the odometer was 85,650. I do not know if the mileage was accurate, but the current mileage is 175,747. Both previous owners were Austin-Healey enthusiasts, and they found that an MGC GT was not a Healey coupe. I became the owner of a driveable MGC with many layers of cracked yellow paint over the original Pale Primrose, 1974 MGB upholstery, dented fenders and disconnected rear brakes.
“The car has been a rolling restoration since 1989 and only out of service for brief periods. The correct parts are becoming more available, and I am continually swapping out the less authentic items. The goal is to stay as close to 1969 specifications as is practical.
“I had wanted an M.G. since about 1955, but in the fall of 1968, instead of ordering a ’69 C GT for pick up at the factory in the configuration I wanted, I went to graduate school. Twenty years later, I finally had a C GT, but it was not to the specs I would have ordered. I have developed the car as a typical British club racer with replica parts that approximate those used by the factory and typical of vintage rallying in Europe, including the Sebring headlamp cowls and front and rear valances. The car is now like I would have had it delivered.
“In general, since all the bodging and incorrect replacement parts by 20 years of previous owners was resolved, this C GT has proved to be very reliable over the last 80,000 miles. This is a very nice car for long trips.”
1969 MGC Tourer
Michael Gilardi, Hockessin, Delaware
“I found this car five years ago by being in the wrong place at the right time; I was looking at an old Austin-Healey Sprite that needed repairs. The owner of the garage was talking about the drawbacks of older Sprites, but pointed out that the owner of this car was selling and it would probably sell for way less. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that the price would be so negotiable or that I’d end up in an MGC.
“All it needed was a water pump and new boots on the suspension. The top was good, the interior was recently redone, and the engine had never needed a rebuild–it had 106,000 miles when I bought it and has 110,000 now. It originally was Pale Primrose, but it was Aconite when I bought it, a rare 1972 MGB color. I love it, it’s an attention getter–it’s not correct, but it turns heads, and the car wears it pretty well.
“I didn’t want an automatic, but not having had a choice, I’ve come to like it. My wife and I can drive it to the marina on a summer afternoon, doing 60-70 mph, and it just hums along. The transmission doesn’t hurt the performance–if I drop it in Low, I can still chirp the tires off the line. I put between 500 and 1,000 miles a year on it these days.
“It does have a few issues common with MGCs… if you’re stuck in standing traffic, it will start to overheat, although it cools back down when you open it up–I’m going to check the thermostat and water pump this winter–and the heavy front means that power steering would be nice, but it’s very smooth, and the ride isn’t as rattly as the MGBs I’ve had in the past. It’s a fun car to drive–I love owning it and don’t see parting with it any time soon.”
1969 MGC Tourer
Lewis Kubiet, Baltimore, Maryland
“I bought this car in 1980, and I’m the second owner. I built this engine about a year ago. It’s been bored .040-over, which brought it from 177 to 181 cubic inches. The cylinder head has been modified with a competition valvetrain and oversized valves, and the crankshaft is balanced. It has a Performance D9 camshaft with .430 lift and .279 duration, Mallory electronic ignition and three 45 DCOE Weber carburetors, along with a Magnaflow header and dual exhausts. It’s got a lightened flywheel, and was dynoed at 175hp. I’m running 11.3-inch slotted front discs with Kevlar pads behind Dayton 72-spoke wire wheels and Dunlop SP Sport 185/65-15 tires.
“I’ve installed dealer options like an AM/FM radio, a Moto-Lita steering wheel and an Anco center console. I’ve also installed a roll bar and modified the grille with stainless steel mesh, something reminiscent of the MGC Sebring competition cars. I’ve had the hood louvered to allow a little heat to escape, as those sidedraft carbs don’t like to get hot. With the modifications I’ve made, I’ve had the car above 130 mph. It will do 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds.
“This is one of those cars that, as a strong stock runner, doesn’t rev freely, although they do have low-end torque and will pull through the gears. Once you get it going, a stock MGC will run 85-90 mph all day, which is the beauty of them and why they were great for Europe. Allowing my car to breathe in combination with its new cam profile lets it accelerate much faster and rev higher: The standard redline is 5,500, while my safe redline is just shy of 6,500 rpm. I’ve got everything that the stock car has, but enhanced. An MGC will always be behind an MGB on a twisty road or slalom because of its inherent characteristics, but if you do a long-range race like the Cannonball, there isn’t an MGB or TR6 that can catch you. It’s a sleeper!”
1968 MGC GT
Dana and Debbie Rindge, Chester, Connecticut
“In 1978, I bought a brand new MGB, and it was my daily driver until 1986. At that point, it had 126,000 miles and had rotted out. The wife of a friend of mine wanted a roadster, and he wanted to swap me for this 49,000-mile C GT, which he’d started to restore. It was Rust-Oleum racing green on one side and Rust-Oleum racing blue on the other, and he’d done a lousy job, patching over the sill area instead of cutting it out and replacing the rusted metal.
Our daughter was two years old at the time, so it wasn’t practical for me to start a restoration, but in 1988, I started welding and collecting the metal I’d need. One thing led to another, and I went through every nut and bolt, doing a lot of upgrades. I rebuilt all of the mechanical systems, so it was basically a zero-time engine. I got the Heritage Certificate for this car in 1992, and between that and finding swatches of the original finish, I decided to bring it back to its original Grampian Grey over red leather.
“I had it finished in time for ‘MG 2006’ in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and I was confident in the car–we made it there and back with no breakdowns. We made the next year’s MGC event in Virginia, and drove to the event outside Philadelphia this year. It’s got about 58,000 miles now, and it doesn’t ride on a trailer.
“I would definitely recommend saving an MGC, as not many were made, and whatever you put into it, it’s worth it, more so than a more common MGB; I have a 1972 MGB, so I can compare them. I like both! I like the headroom of this GT, and although it gets warm with the exhaust running right under your legs, it’s a comfortable, smooth, quiet car.”
1969 MGC GT
John Heisenfeldt, Waukesha, Wisconsin
“The car caught my eye in 1991 when I saw it in the lot of an old filling station with a ‘For Sale’ sign on it. After passing it every day for a couple of weeks, I stopped to look at it. My interest increased when I realized it was an MGC, as I knew they were made for a short time and in somewhat limited production. We were in the process of restoring my wife’s MGA, and this would give us another M.G. convertible to drive in the meantime.
“It drove reasonably well when purchased, but we then found that it used oil at the rate of under 50 miles per quart. The first winter after purchase, I pulled the drivetrain and completely rebuilt the engine, transmission and front suspension. The engine is stock except for a mild camshaft grind, Mallory distributor, and a lightened flywheel. We then drove it several years until it got to the point that hitting any type of roughness on the road resulted in a lot of rattling and shaking of the body.
“I disassembled the car completely to find it was near to being rusted in half, held together mostly by the transmission tunnel. The exterior sheetmetal has been replaced from the trim strip down, the headlamp areas of the front fenders were also patched and new reinforcing rings made. I fabricated new floors as full replacements are not available. I then repainted the car in its original Mineral Blue using a single stage urethane followed by clearcoat. All of the interior upholstery, the dashboard, and carpeting were replaced. We installed cloth-covered seats, as they’re much more comfortable in hot weather than leather. All of the work on this car was performed by my wife and me, including the body and paint.
“It is comfortable, rides very well, and the six-cylinder coupled with the overdrive provides a very relaxed ride at almost any speed you wish to travel. The engine is very smooth and has a wonderful exhaust note. While not as light and nimble as the MGB, the MGC has a loyal following. Most all of the people I have met who have owned and driven their MGC for a period of time have no interest in parting with them.”
1969 MGC Tourer
Joan and Tim Martin, Millersville, Pennsylvania
“We owned the car for about five years prior to deciding to fix it up. We enjoyed driving it around, but we didn’t know if it was trustworthy, and we were undecided as to whether we should keep it and fix it up. We went to an MGC national meet in Gettysburg, and on the way over, we realized that it had serious structural issues that needed to be dealt with. Talking with other C owners, we decided our car was rare and worth the money and time to bring it back to a safe, reliable and attractive car.
“We started removing parts of the car and saw so much rust that wasn’t evident from the outside. No sooner had we seen that when we saw an advertisem*nt for John Twist’s ‘last’ Summer Party in the summer of 1999, which would specially feature MGCs. So we had a deadline to back into. We’d heard horror stories of people who took cars apart but never put them back together, so we vowed we wouldn’t do that. That event was the impetus to keep us pushing things through–the stripping, the bodyshop work, ordering parts–all of the processes to be mindful of the timeline. We had parts under the sofa, in the closets, hanging from any place we could find space, and our friends probably thought we were nuts.
“Looking at the car now, we can’t conceive of how it used to look. The photographs we took of the process help us remember. And as they say, it takes a village to raise a child; we say it takes a village to put a British sports car back together, so much help we had from our friends and neighbors. We brought it to that Summer Party, which at the time was the largest gathering of MGCs in North America. Because of our fresh restoration, we took first place. That plaque is the most special one to us.”
