Teaming up with the MG Car Club and MGB50 committee the 2012 Silverstone Classic event has been announced as one of three official events during the year celebrating the 50th anniversary of the MGB, which was launched at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1962.
Silverstone Classic (July 20-22), this year in partnership with The AA, will be the second of the three events that begin with June's MGLive! And concluding at Blenheim Palace with a static showcase in September.
“It's shaping up to be a tremendous year for the B,” said MG Car Club General Manager Julian White. “Each of the three events offers MGB owners something different and I know many enthusiasts will be keen to attend all three celebrations. The MG Car Club is based in Abingdon, the spiritual home of the marque, so we know first-hand how much the MGB means to people. So it's only natural we have big plans for the MGB50 anniversary.”
Produced in Abingdon between 1962 and 1980 models of the MGB included several variants, while the car enjoyed considerable success on the race track including overall or class wins at some of the world's greatest tracks – Sebring, the Nurburgring and Spa-Francorchamps – as well on the Monte Carlo Rally.
In 2011 Silverstone Classic was the venue for a celebration the golden anniversary for another iconic British sportscar. More than 1,000 Jaguar E-Types were on display in the infield of the Grand Prix track.
The event has become the world's biggest classic motorsports festival with 800 cars taking part in the races during the weekend and thousands of classic cars on show from a variety of owners' clubs.
“We are very proud to welcome the MGB50 celebration to the Silverstone Classic,” said Silverstone Classic event director Nick Wigley. “The 'B' is at the heart of the classic car movement in the UK and, as part of this trilogy of special events, we look forward to giving owners a great rocking and racing experience. This is a fantastic era for celebrating golden milestones in the British sportscar industry – last year the Silverstone Classic honoured the 50th birthday of the E-type with a Guinness World Record; this year we will be paying homage to 50 years of the remarkable MGB.”
For more information on the event, including details of the Early Bird ticket offer go to silverstoneclassic.com.