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Rating: 
Summary: Excellent, but very Eurocentric:
Review: This is an excellent book, and I recommend it to everyone who owns and/or loves MGBs. I agree with "Pennsylvania" though, that Clausager's perspective is very rooted in England and Europe. I feel there needs to be a full section for the differences in every major market, with North America, especially the US, being the largest. In fact, on page 126 Clausager says: "North American cars have not been split into US Federal, US Californian, and Canadian cars -- there is a limit to what even I will do!" (notice Mexico isn't mentioned), but on page 127 he states: "There is little doubt, however, that apart from the USA and the UK, some of the biggest markets were Australia, Canada, and Germany..." With the US and Canada being two of the biggest markets, more North American centricity is appropriate. I do understand the enthusiest's disdain for the US market though; it 'mandated' all British cars into floaty, bloated, tall, weak mushballs, which is why Mark I cars are so valued. Also, I have only found one discrepency, and that's one example of the piping of interior trim for Mark I cars. The second-from-top-left picture on page 40 shows a white 'B which has red interior with white piping (but Clausager does not note it as incorrect, which he does often about other details throughout the book). But, the Colour Schemes chart on page 131 shows Old English White or Snowberry White to have an optional red interior with black piping, which does not match with the picture on page 40 (should say white piping, or the picture should be noted as incorrect). Is this nit-picky? Yes, but that's what this book is all about. Buy it, enjoy it, and write the publisher to make a future edition with more US information.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, but very Eurocentric:
Review: This is an excellent book, and I recommend it to everyone who owns and/or loves MGBs. I agree with "Pennsylvania" though, that Clausager's perspective is very rooted in England and Europe. I feel there needs to be a full section for the differences in every major market, with North America, especially the US, being the largest. In fact, on page 126 Clausager says: "North American cars have not been split into US Federal, US Californian, and Canadian cars -- there is a limit to what even I will do!" (notice Mexico isn't mentioned), but on page 127 he states: "There is little doubt, however, that apart from the USA and the UK, some of the biggest markets were Australia, Canada, and Germany..." With the US and Canada being two of the biggest markets, more North American centricity is appropriate. I do understand the enthusiest's disdain for the US market though; it 'mandated' all British cars into floaty, bloated, tall, weak mushballs, which is why Mark I cars are so valued. Also, I have only found one discrepency, and that's one example of the piping of interior trim for Mark I cars. The second-from-top-left picture on page 40 shows a white 'B which has red interior with white piping (but Clausager does not note it as incorrect, which he does often about other details throughout the book). But, the Colour Schemes chart on page 131 shows Old English White or Snowberry White to have an optional red interior with black piping, which does not match with the picture on page 40 (should say white piping, or the picture should be noted as incorrect). Is this nit-picky? Yes, but that's what this book is all about. Buy it, enjoy it, and write the publisher to make a future edition with more US information.
Rating: 
Summary: A good review of the MGB, but from a European perspective.
Review: This is at base a good book, and certainly important for MGB owners. However, the book is written from a distinctly European perspective. With the vast majority of MGBs having been sold into the North American market, the European slant is rather a negative. The author is almost distainful of the aforementioned reality. My message to him would be: "Deal with it!"Also, as was true with his tome on the MGA, Clausager has the tendency to focus on the unusual at the expense of the cars owned by the vast majority of owners. My view is the time to include information of only passing utility is after all critical information has been included. The author would do better if he could focus on his readers' interests more, and on his own less. All of the basics should be included before mention of the fancy stuff begins.If you are not an American, but are an MGB fan, buy the book straightaway. If you are an American, you probably still will want it - but you have been warned.
Rating: 
Summary: Message to previous poster --deal with it!
Review: Well it seems that some of us don't like the way Mr. Clausager, who, in BMHIT circles is regarded as an authority, writes. My advice would be to get over it. Mr. Clausager has spent countless hours researching and writing about some of the world's most loved automobiles. The compromises that these automakers had to make just to satisfy the U.S.' federal regulations could be seen to bastardise the "original" designs of these cars. Unfortunately, the previous poster can't get over that fact.
This book is the rosetta stone to those who seek to find out what an "original MGB..." is after discovering that all of the unknowing previous owners chose to augment their cars with their ideas of improvements. Maybe you just want inspiration for your restoration from the excellent photography. Or, to those seeking a concours restoration, this is a valuable resource. Yes, I'm mad because there is only --one-- "Original MGB..."
Rating:
Summary: Message to previous poster --deal with it!
Review: Well it seems that some of us don't like the way Mr. Clausager, who, in BMHIT circles is regarded as an authority, writes. My advice would be to get over it. Mr. Clausager has spent countless hours researching and writing about some of the world's most loved automobiles. The compromises that these automakers had to make just to satisfy the U.S.' federal regulations could be seen to bastardise the "original" designs of these cars. Unfortunately, the previous poster can't get over that fact.
This book is the rosetta stone to those who seek to find out what an "original MGB..." is after discovering that all of the unknowing previous owners chose to augment their cars with their ideas of improvements. Maybe you just want inspiration for your restoration from the excellent photography. Or, to those seeking a concours restoration, this is a valuable resource. Yes, I'm mad because there is only --one-- "Original MGB..."
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