>Oh. I see. I've actually seen these before. I thought they were
aftermarket >modifications, though.
>
>Anybody else know anything about the differences between the two cars?
All this info was swiped from _Original MGB_.
As Jeremy pointed out, the differences were only cosmetic.
-all-black (US version)
-five-spoke alloy wheels
-silver stripes
-black rubber front air dam
-three-spoke alloy steering wheel with leather-covered rim
-plaque on the glovebox lid
Mechanically, there was absolutely nothing special about the LE's. I've
heard some bogus claims that they LE's had to come with either overdrive or
air-conditioning. Truth is, overdrive was an option just as in other years,
and AC was only fitted by dealers, never available from the factory.
Gotta wonder about how those folks interpreted "limited." Of 8112 roadsters
exported to the US, 2505 were LE's.
Hmm. This is some more interesting stuff. Not especially pertinent, but
interesting.
Oddly enough, the air-dam and stripes were of US manufacture, and were
imported to the UK for their own LE's.
In the UK, the 1980 LE was available in either metallic pewter or metaillic
bronze, and they could have either the five-spoke alloy or wire wheels.
There were LE GT's as well as roadsters.
Eight 1979 (model year) roadsters were actually built in 1980. How did they
manage that?!
MGB's were outlawed in California starting with the 1980 calendar year.
(Wow! What a great book!)
--
Jay Tilton / jtilton@vt.edu (vt = Virginia Tech vt <> Vermont)
Home page: http://fbox.vt.edu:10021/J/jtilton/index.html
MGB page: http://fbox.vt.edu:10021/J/jtilton/mg/jaysmg.html
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