Celebrity-Owned 1965 MG MGB Bespoke

This 1965 MG MGB roadster is a bespoke build currently owned by television personality and record executive Simon Cowell and was constructed by Frontline Developments for a reported total cost of approximately $210,447.55 (converted from £158,782.80). Based in Oxfordshire, England, Frontline Developments is a 30-year-old company that produces a limited number of restored and upgraded MGs every year. According to Motor Authority, "Like Singer is to the Porsche 911 and Eagle is to the Jaguar E-Type, Frontline Developments is a re-invention specialist for the MG and other British sports cars." With a design inspired by one of the two Lotus Esprits featured in the 1981 James Bond movie "For Your Eyes Only," the new body shell with extended hand-formed rear panels comes finished in Lotus Copper Bronze with dual gold stripes and features bespoke 15-inch wheels with gold spokes. Inside the two-seater cabin, white leather covers the bucket seats, door panels, and center console; black leather tops the custom-fabricated American Burr Walnut dashboard, which houses a bank of handmade gold-faced gauges. Amenities include power windows, Bluetooth connectivity, USB charging, and a JL Audio sound system. Power is supplied by a new Mazda 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine equipped with forged pistons and solid lifters, and sent to the road through a Mazda 6-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip rear differential. Available now, this custom left-hand-drive MGB comes with a build sheet with a pricing breakdown, a fitted car cover, and a clear title.

The seam-welded bodyshell with de-seamed panels and hand-formed extended rear sheet metal was produced with original factory press tooling and assembly jigs by British Motor Heritage of Oxfordshire, England. Once rustproofed, the bodywork was covered in a custom paint scheme inspired by one of the two Lotus Esprits featured in the 1981 James Bond movie "For Your Eyes Only. " It consists of a Lotus Copper Bronze base complemented by twin gold stripes and "turbo" graphics on the lower body sides. Other cues inspired by the 007 cinematic adventure include black bumpers and custom 6" x 15" front and 7" x 15" rear CNC-machined wheels with a polished outer lip and gold spokes set inside of 185/70/15 front and 215/60/15 rear Avon CR6ZZ tires. Brightwork highlights the frame around the gold-slat grille, front turn signals, headlights, windshield surround, side mirrors, door handles, vertical taillight trim, dual exhaust finishers, and Aston Martin fuel filler cap.

According to the build sheet and the pictures in the photo carousel to the right, this car is not fitted with a roof or external door locks. Major components included in the total original build cost of approximately $210,447.55 (converted from £158,782.80) have been itemized below:

• MGB 2.5 roadster – 6-speed manual: $117,263.00
• Extended rear body paneling/hand-formed: $5,036.44
• Bespoke paint scheme including under lacquer body stripes, pinstriping, grill, etc: $7,952.28
• Blacking of bumpers front and rear: $1,126.57
• Left-hand-drive componentry: $3,711.06
• Complete new body (manufactured by British Motor Heritage in Oxfordshire on original tooling from 1962): $16,726.30
• Door locks removed: $596.42
• Nardi steering wheel with bespoke quick-release box: $1,080.18
• Extended rear locker in leather with alloy rails: $1,318.75
• Extended leather to dash, door tops, and sills: $656.06
• Chrome aircraft buckles: $238.57
• Bespoke fabrication to dashboard and additional bespoke handmade gauges in gold with sender units: $5,381.04
• Audio system: $1,868.79
• Bespoke dash and center console in American Walnut: $4,241.22
• Bespoke alloy wheels 6x15” front and 7x15” rear: $6,428.09
• AVON CR6 ZZ tires 185/70/15 and 215/60/15: $1,219.35
• Fitted car cover: $528.83

During the build process, the floors, doors, bulkheads, and center tunnel were lined with Dynaliner thermal insulation and the interior was covered with Dynamat soundproofing material. Then the cabin was fitted with a two-tone combination of black carpeting and white leather bucket seats with aircraft seatbelt buckles, door panels, center console, and a rear storage area topped with chrome runners. Features include a leather-wrapped Nardi steering wheel, a console-mounted manual shifter, Bluetooth connectivity, USB charging, power window switches integrated into the window cranks, and a JL Audio system consisting of door-mounted midrange speakers, dash-mounted tweeters, a 7" x 8" center speaker located behind the original grille below the dashboard, an XD600 amplifier, and an eight-inch subwoofer.

The custom dashboard is topped with black leather and trimmed with glossy American Burr Walnut that surrounds gold-faced handmade gauges, including an 8,500-rpm tachometer, a 170-mph speedometer, and instruments that show the fuel level, battery voltage, coolant temperature, oil pressure, oil temperature, and ambient temperature.

Under the hood is a new naturally aspirated alloy 2.5-liter Mazda inline four-cylinder equipped with a billet crankshaft, billet connecting rods, forged pistons, solid lifters, 50-millimeter throttle bodies, variable cam timing, and Omex engine management. It produces 289 bhp at 6,800 rpm and 241 lb-f of torque at 5,200 rpm and transfers its output to the road through a Mazda 6-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip rear differential with 3.70 gearing.

A protective layer of rubber coating was applied to the underside of the car during the build process. The steering system and front and rear axles were restored, according to the build sheet. The suspension is made up of aluminum front uprights with tubular wishbones, adjustable telescopic front dampers, a custom six-link rear setup, and adjustable coilovers. The springs and anti-roll bar have their own unique rates. Braking is handled by ventilated front discs with four-piston calipers, solid rear discs with two-piston calipers, and Goodridge braided stainless-steel brake hoses.

A detailed build sheet with a pricing breakdown and fitted car cover is included as part of the sale of the car

AUTOHUNTER ADMIN UPDATE 12/13/2021 8:40AM MST: A correction has been made to the horsepower rating, per the builder the car is rated at 289 bhp.