Forum MG

In 1963 - one year before the prototype and two years before the official launch of the BGT, Jacques Coune built this "MGB Berlinette". This car was produced over three years, with a total production of no more than 56 cars.
Jacques Coune met Sir Alec Issigonis to discuss the potentiality of collaborating with The British Motor Corporation to explore the possibility of using the design concept of his MGB Berlinette Coupe, for production at Abingdon. The final decision was not to adopt the design in favor of MG's own GT Coupe introduced in 1965. Issigonis's recorded comments to Coune when advising him of his ruling was: "It looks too Italian!" A true statement as most of the craftsmen were from Turin.
Without the backing of BMC, and their mass production
advantages, Coune's manufacturing methods, although skillfully hand built, were not really a commercially viable proposition. The retail cost was £1,300 against £690 for the equivalent MGB. Ultimately therefore a total of only fifty six Berlinettes were produced, all of which were left hand drive models for the European Market.
Today, just about 12 MGB Berlinettes survived.

rare elegance ! Superbe reussite