The MG RV8 was the car with which Rover brought the MGB back into production in the 1990s, twelve years after the original model had ended. It was a heavily modified version of the roadster, built in a limited run of 2,000 cars, and it paved the way for the new MG F.
MG RV8 at a glance
| Maker | Rover Group, Abingdon |
|---|---|
| Production | 1990s |
| Basis | MG MGB roadster |
| Built | 2,000 cars |
| Parts shared with the MGB | less than 5 per cent |
| Gap since the MGB | twelve years |
| Replaced by | MG F, from 1995 |
| Original MGB production | 1962–1980 |
The RV8 is described briefly in the English Wikipedia article on the MGB, so this page is shorter than the others in the collection.
History of the MG RV8
The MGB and its long career
The MGB had been announced on 19 September 1962 as the replacement for the MGA, and it stayed in production until 1980. Over those eighteen years it grew into a family of cars that included the MGB GT coupé, the six-cylinder MGC and the eight-cylinder MGB GT V8; sales of the MGB, MGC and MGB GT V8 together reached 523,836 cars.
When production ended, MG had no sports car of its own for a decade, and the badge was used mainly on modified hatchbacks and saloons. Rover, which had inherited the marque, decided to bring the MGB back in the 1990s.
The RV8
The result was the MG RV8, a heavily modified version of the MGB roadster built by Rover in a limited production of 2,000 units. Despite the similarity in appearance to the original roadster, the RV8 had less than 5 per cent parts interchangeability with the 1962 car, which makes it a new model developed from an old shape rather than a continuation of the original line.
The RV8 served as a stop-gap and a test of demand: the positive reaction to the revived roadster encouraged Rover to continue developing a completely new sports car. That car, the MG F, arrived in 1995 and replaced the RV8 in the range, bringing the marque back to series production of two-seaters.
Design and features
- MGB shape: the familiar roadster body, heavily reworked for the 1990s.
- Limited run: 2,000 cars, built by Rover.
- Almost entirely new: less than 5 per cent of parts shared with the original MGB.
- A bridge to the MG F: the RV8 proved there was still demand for an MG roadster.
MG RV8 versions
- RV8 (1990s): the only version, a limited edition of 2,000 cars based on the MGB roadster.
The RV8 revived the MGB and was replaced by the MG F in 1995; more cars are in the MG collection.
Sources
- MG MGB, English Wikipedia: RV8 production, parts interchangeability, place in the range
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