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MG built a V8 BGT, but it was right-hand drive and never came to the U.S., so one Texas owner spent a decade building his own. This 1974 MG BGT, live on Hemmings Auctions out of Allen, Texas, has a blueprinted 4.6-liter Rover V8 where the 1.8-liter four-cylinder used to be, plus a T-5 five-speed, a Ford 9-inch rear axle, coilover suspension at both ends and flared "Sebring" bodywork. At last check it sat at $32,000 after six bids, with just over two days left.
A Rover V8 Where the B-Series Used to Be
The swap has a bit of history behind it. Per Hemmings, the 1973-1976 MGB GT V8 used the earlier 3.5-liter version of the same Buick-derived aluminum V8, though it was right-hand drive and never sold in the U.S. This car skips the factory half-measure and goes bigger. The seller says the 4.6-liter Land Rover V8 was machined, blueprinted and modified by HorsePower Research, with parts from D&D Fabrications, a Buick-Rover V8 specialist, and a Crower Level III camshaft.
Fuel and spark are modern: a Holley Sniper EFI system on an Edelbrock Performer intake, with Holley HyperSpark ignition. Black powder-coated RV8 headers exit through the fender wings into a custom dual exhaust. The seller adds that the 10-bolt heads and shallower pistons raise compression above a stock Rover's. He estimates 260 to 275 horsepower, but says the car has not been on a dyno and a professional tune could unlock more.
Power goes through a BorgWarner T-5 five-speed mounted with a Buick 215 bellhousing and a McLeod hydraulic throwout bearing, then back to a Fast Cars Ford 9-inch with a limited-slip differential and 3.25:1 gears. In the comments, the seller says the car runs on 93 octane and returns roughly 20 mpg, and that the MGC-style bonnet was used for engine clearance, with the better looks as a bonus.
Chassis, Brakes and the Sebring Look
The chassis work is as far from stock as the engine. The front uses Fast Cars tubular control arms with adjustable coilovers, and the rear is a custom three-link, also on adjustable coilovers. Wilwood four-wheel disc brakes sit behind 17-inch Cosmis Racing Mogul MR-II wheels wrapped in 225/45 Bridgestone Potenza Sport A/S tires. The seller says the body shell got a bare-metal rotisserie restoration before the work began.
Sebring-style flares cover the wider wheels. The seller says in the comments that the arches are fiberglass. The rubber bumpers are gone with their mounting points filled, and a custom lower front valance and hood complete a look that is closer to a small hot rod than to a restored MGB. The paint is Aston Martin California Sage Metallic, applied as Sherwin-Williams Ultra 7000. In the comments, the seller puts the lowest structural points at roughly four to five-and-a-half inches off the ground.
A Cabin That Matches
Inside, the dash is customized and wrapped in Alcantara, with Speedhut gauges and Miata bucket seats trimmed in leather and Alcantara. Vintage Air climate control feeds the original-style center vents, a hidden Bluetooth head unit drives JL Audio speakers in the footwells, and LizardSkin insulation coats the floors and underbody. A new Advance Auto Wire harness ties the upgrades together. If you want the context on what makes the stock car tick, our guide on how to buy the perfect MGB is a good primer.
What's Documented and What Isn't
Hemmings notes that it hasn't verified the listing, so the specifications above come from the seller. What the seller offers as backing is a binder of build receipts, a photo book that includes early shots of the bare shell, and Blackstone oil analysis reports. He also says he will share a Google Drive folder of build documents and photos with serious bidders. What the listing doesn't include is a dyno sheet or a named outside builder: the seller describes the car as his own decade-long project, so the quality of the work is something a buyer should check in person or through a pre-purchase inspection.
The odometer reads 2,687 miles, marked true mileage unknown, and the seller describes roughly 2,600 sorted miles since the build was finished in summer 2025. The listing says it has no current needs. For anyone weighing a build like this against a stock car, our look at whether you should buy a modified classic car covers how modifications can affect value, and The Art of the Restomod explains when upgrading a classic makes sense.
The Auction
The auction has drawn six bids, with a $14,300 opener on November 6 that climbed to $32,000 on November 8. The listing offers a clean Texas title in the seller's name, 175 photos and a 5% buyer's fee. Hemmings labeled one of the early bids as near reserve, though the listing doesn't say whether the reserve has since been met.
If you like the idea of a British grand tourer with an American-style V8 attitude, the full listing is on Hemmings Auctions.
