MGB 1979

What a Fun Car to Drive 1979 MGB

For a number of years I would drive by Burnett’s Garage in Wenham, MA and see several used MGB cars for sale in the front lot. Always found myself slowing down to see if one might catch my eye. My younger son could not help himself, but to continuously give me a hard time that I would never buy one. He was not a big fan of our dark green boring Volvo station wagon.

My voice of reason always echoed in my thoughts that the Volvo wagon was a safe practical car that our entire family could fit in with plenty of extra room for packages, luggage, or whatever we might need. There was even a third seat that folded up in the back. The front even had heated seats with a fairly good sound system at the time. For sure, it was the practical car to have, but my son was correct…it was boring!

I set a goal, but it never seemed very likely to happen, to see if a used one was in reasonably good shape with maintenance records, but was for sale at a price I could afford. Much to my surprise, 23 years ago a 1979 MGB came up for sale. Apparently, the owner had restored it and needed some cash so she could purchase a house. Burnett’s Garage was selling it for her. They provided a complete history of the work that had been completed. She had made a major investment. Trouble is she wanted to sell it for more than I wanted to pay. I decided I would make her my best offer. Much to my surprise, she agreed to sell.

I seriously doubt this would have ever happened if my son had not put such pressure on me. The last thing I wanted to be thought of is boring or too practical. Besides, he was just at a point in time of getting his license. I know when I was his age, I was not too excited about driving around in my dad’s station wagon!

Looking back, I hope he enjoyed driving it through his high school years. Funny thing, I just can’t see myself ever selling it because it represents I made a decision that was based purely on emotions.

Here it is 2023 and I still drive it. As a matter of fact, it is the only car I own. One of my favorite things to do is to take my dog with me and drive up the coastline through Beverly, Manchester, Gloucester, and Rockport on a warm summer evening with the top down. I did in fact, install a new radio with Bluetooth and a couple of more speakers. The feeling I get while driving is far more enjoyable than that Volvo station wagon.

If you’re looking to purchase a MGB and have some fun, I encourage you to reach out to Burnett’s Garage. They do outstanding honest reliable work. Decades of experience along with a high level of trust is what you will find. They have been taking excellent care of my MGB since day one.